Systems and methods for vertical hydroponic growing of plants within an optional enclosure, in particular utilizing liquid nutrigation and/or solid nutrient medium/supplements in combination with vertically configured arrays of interchangeable grow cups to produce near year-round ideal plant growing conditions.

A tower opening apparatus is provided that is configured to simplify the opening of a multi-piece, hinged, hydroponic tower. The hydroponic tower opening apparatus utilizes a collection of static and continuously moving components (e.g., motor driven drive rollers, alignment rollers, stationary wedges, longitudinal ramps, etc.) to open a hydroponic tower as it passes through the apparatus. In particular, as the tower is driven through the opening apparatus, the fastener(s) holding the face plate(s) to the tower body is released by a wedge(s). After the fastener(s) is released, the face plate(s) is partially rotated about the tower body, thereby partially opening the tower cavity(s). Next a longitudinal ramp(s) continues to rotate the face plate(s) relative to the tower body, moving the face plate(s) to a fully open position.

A tower closing apparatus is provided that is configured to simplify the closing of a multi-piece, hinged hydroponic tower. The hydroponic tower closing apparatus utilizes a collection of static and continuously moving components (e.g., motor driven drive rollers, alignment rollers, tower body alignment rollers, face plate manipulation rollers, face closing rollers, etc.) to close a hydroponic tower as it passes through the apparatus. In particular, as the tower is driven through the closing apparatus, a series of face plate manipulation rollers gradually rotate the face plate(s) relative to the tower body, moving the face plate(s) from a fully open position to a partially closed position. Next a series of face closing rollers continue to rotate the face plate(s) from the partially closed position to the fully closed position, forcing the fasteners to latch the face plate(s) into position.

A seed tape has seeds embedded at a spacing distance from one another in a tubular sleeve. There is provided a seed tape, a seed tape system, and a greening or planting system, which can be provided easily, which are environmentally friendly and with which various objects can be greened easily, efficiently and durably. The novel seed tape has a tubular sleeve which is a textile tube, which encloses the seeds in a stretched manner before and/or during the germination of the seeds and is unstretched between the seed positions. The seeds embedded in the textile tube are embedded in at least one substrate and/or are in contact with at least one substrate. The substrate is or includes potting soil and/or the substrate is formed of at least one fibrous and/or foamed organic or mineral material.

A plant plug holding unit is provided, the plant plug holding unit including at least one plant plug holder. The plant plug holding unit, which is configured to be inserted into a cut-out in a hydroponic tower face plate, includes an edge member that encircles the unit and is sealed to the rear surface of the front tower face. Each individual plant plug holder of the plant plug holding unit includes (i) a base member configured to support a plant plug and which extends rearward from the edge member and into the hydroponic tower cavity; (ii) a top shroud member that inhibits leakage as well as plug erosion; (iii) a pair of side members that maintain the position of the plant plug within the plug holder; and (iv) a plurality of open regions configured to promote water drainage from the plant plug.

A seed and/or plant system contains a strand-shaped seed and/or plant carrier suspended on a mounting. The seed and/or plant carrier contains several seed and/or plant locations with seeds and/or plants arranged spaced apart from each other in its longitudinal extension. The seeds and/or the plants are supplied with a liquid via a supply tube. In order for the seed and/or plant locations in the seed and/or plant system to be provided at a distance from one another definable by the manufacturer of the seed and/or plant system in a simple manner, a sleeve is provided on each of the seed and/or plant locations, from which a substrate with the seed and/or the plant is received or receivable and/or which at least partially forms a substrate for the seed and/or the plant, wherein the sleeve is formed from the or around the seed and/or plant carrier.

A layered faade panel for being secured to a building or structure. In one embodiment, the panel includes a porous metal outer layer, a non-porous backing layer and an intermediate layer between the outer and backing layers, the outer metal layer having a porosity for allowing vegetation to grow through and to be supported in pores in the outer layer, and the intermediate layer being for supporting roots of the vegetation.

A wall mounted agricultural system includes a mounting structure including first and a second ends and supported from a substantially vertically extending wall surface, and at least one planter box that includes a plurality of sidewalls and a bottom wall that cooperate to form a compartment and an upwardly opening aperture, wherein at least one of the sidewalls comprises a rear wall facing the wall surface, the at least one planter box is configured to mount to the mounting structure such that the rear wall is spaced from the wall surface to create a space therebetween, and wherein the at least one planter box includes an aperture in fluid communication with the compartment and the space positioned between the rear wall and the wall surface, and wherein the aperture in fluid communication with the space is configured to allow water received through the upwardly opening aperture to drain into the space.

A pocket structure for receiving containerized plants is sloped and hung from a wire of a wire basket. The pocket structure includes hooks, an irrigation fitting and corresponding drip channel to transmit water toward the rear of the pocket, and slots in the walls. The mesh units include braces and are sized for shipping. An earth wall is formed of the mesh units and pockets, and includes irrigation tubing.

There is provided a siphon for use in a growth tray comprising at least one inlet, an outlet and a cavity located between the at least one inlet and the outlet, the at least one inlet being in fluid communication with the outlet such that during use fluid may flow from the at least one inlet to the outlet via the cavity, wherein the cavity is configured to retain air within the cavity until liquid is induced to displace it such that liquid surrounding the siphon is drained through the outlet via the cavity and the at least one inlet.