Made to suit growers' specific requirements, our system will enable producers to grow a variety of salad crops, vegetables or flowers in a controlled eco-friendly environment, eliminating the need for herbicides and pesticides.
Our system offers a secure and profitable growing solution to cultivating high quality, nutritious produce by reducing both food miles and distribution costs and ensuring a fresh food supply that is closer to consumers.
Below are some of the crops of commercial interest.
Cabbage
You can grow green, red and curly-leafed Savoy varieties. Start seeds in service module six weeks before planting time. Set plants 15 to 24 inches apart in rows spaced 2 to 4 feet apart. Harvest 50 to 100 days after setting out plants, 90 to 140 days after sowing
Lettuce
Leaf, butterhead, romaine (cos) and crisphead (also known as 'iceberg") lettuces are all suited to this system. Start seeds in flats in the service module four weeks before planting time. Set out transplants of crisphead lettuce in rows spaced 1½ to 2 feet apart with seedlings 12 to 14 inches apart. Set out transplants of other lettuces in rows spaced 1 to 2 feet apart with seedlings 6 to 8 inches apart. Harvest leaf lettuces 40 to 50 days after sowing, butterhead and romaine in 65 to 85 days, crisphead in 80 to 90 days.
Spinach
Spinach grows quickly into flower if the weather gets too warm or the days too long so a controlled environment is a must. For best results, sow seeds in the service module. Set out transplants in rows 1 to 2½ feet apart, with seedlings 3-4 inches apart. Harvest 40 to 50 days after sowing.
Mushrooms
There are over 20 mushroom species commercially cultivated in around 60 countries including the popular Shitake, Portobello and Enoki. These mushrooms could be grown all year round regardless of climatic conditions.
Tomorrow's garden - growing crops for human consumption
Sprouts
Sprouts are rich in digestible energy, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, beneficial enzymes and phytochemicals. Sprouts of commercial interest include alfalfa and clover sprouts, sunflower sprouts, buckwheat sprouts, rye sprouts and wheat including kamut and spelt.
Cut flowers
A variety of cut flowers can be grown within our system. One variety that has good commercial value is the Tulip.
Before Tulips will sprout and produce flowers, they need a chilling period to simulate winter. You can simulate winter by placing the bulbs in the service modules dedicated over wintering enclosure. Once the chilled transplants are ready, they are brought into the growing module. The environment is controlled to provide the correct length stems and flowering period. As the bulbs grow the module adapts to the needs of the plant and brings you harvests of beautiful flowers on a regular basis.
Benefits of growing crops for human consumption
• No crop failures due to droughts, floods, pests, etc.
• Grown organically with no herbicides and pesticides
• Eliminate agricultural runoff, which is a major source of pollution.
• Allow farmland to be returned to the natural landscape,
restoring ecosystem functions