Vertical Farm Solutions For Different Problems

By Author: Leo Turpin
Total Articles: 99
Comment this article

The concept of a vertical farm is fairly simple. It consists of vertical arrangements of plants, all of which are then arranged in the available growing area. Since the plants are arranged vertically as well as horizontally, it is fairly obvious that this is a great way to pack as many plants as possible into a fixed area available for cultivation. For instance, approximately 5000 plants can be grown on small area of 800 square feet, with the plants being grown in 100 7-foot-tall towers.

A vertical tower offers a very resource efficient way of growing a variety of plants. In addition, this is very high yield form of cultivation since the plants are fed a high nutrient solution on a regular basis. Since the plants grow in a controlled environment without any soil, they tend to be free of soil borne diseases. In addition, farmers can save money since they can keep the use of pesticides and fungicides to the absolute minimum.

• The most obvious use of a vertical farm is in places where resources such as land and water are in very short supply. These farms can ...
... be set up in urban or desert areas to grow much needed food crops. Since these towers often use hydroponics as well, they are a very good way of growing high value organic produce. These farms use a fraction of the water that conventional farms require since whatever water is used is applied directly to the roots and it is also recycled.

• Vertical farming is a great way for people to have a beautiful garden in limited space, an apartment balcony for instance. People can grow ornamental plants to beautify their outdoor areas in this manner. This is also the most efficient manner of having a highly productive kitchen garden from which tomatoes, lettuce and herbs can be harvested.

• Vertical towers can be installed on the exteriors of buildings not just to beautify them but also to insulate them from the heat of the sun. This unusual form of insulation helps keep power costs down since the building interiors will not need as much air-conditioning as before.

The growing popularity of this type of farming has created plenty of opportunities for vertical farming companies to sell their products. Customers need to buy many vertical farming supplies in order to keep the farms in operation. However, the increased yields generally justify these costs.