A plant growing appliance includes a cabinet. A tower is rotatably mounted within a grow chamber of the cabinet. The tower has a plurality of grow sections that are circumferentially spaced on the tower. Each of the plurality of grow sections defines a respective plurality of apertures for receiving one or more plant pods. A height of each of the plurality of grow sections is no less than sixty centimeters. A single camera is mounted to cabinet. The single camera is positioned and oriented for capturing an image of the height of each of the plurality of grow sections.

The present invention is an apparatus and associated methods for more efficiently managing factors critical to the efficient production of beneficial plant life. The apparatus in one embodiment is a cylinder filled with a plant growth medium. The cylinder receives seedlings by the use of baskets that are inserted into the external surface of the cylinder. The seedlings are irrigated by fluids received along the axis of the cylinder. The axis of the cylinder is oriented perpendicular to the force of gravity (parallel to the earth's surface) and rotates along the cylinder axis.

A hydroponic rotating drum device comprising a hydroponic drum assembly rotatably mounted on a framework assembly and comprising multiple arrays of plant module configurations disposed through exterior openings of a rotating drum of the assembly; an external fluid injector system; an external drain system disposed in a sequential circumscribing configuration, a plurality of sector end light reflectors, and a plurality of longitudinally extending and radially outwardly projecting growth lighting devices operatively coupled to the drum for rotation therewith.

A controlled environment agriculture system maximizes high quality yield, plant or organism density, and life cycle productivity. A combined structure contains automated conveyance and more than two vertically stacked planes of horizontal track that plants traverse throughout their life cycle. Nutritional support, controlled lighting, controlled climate and air flow are managed at each plane and coordinated across all planes as a system for optimized life cycle productivity. Plant or organism growth carriers are conveyed and connected to multiple planes with controlled elevators that enable continuous movement of plants throughout their lifecycle from seedling to harvest in a serpentine, carousel, or straight path configuration. Plants enjoy a variety of controlled environmental conditions including lighting, airflow, CO2, temperature and humidity configured to their organism type and optimized by life cycle stage. The ongoing movement provides an optimal environment for robust plant growth, eliminates the opportunity for pests to settle and lay eggs, and enables the ability to course correct organisms to higher yields.

Three-dimensional vegetation growing systems provide an enclosed hydroponic environment for growing plants. The system serves to uniformly expose the plants to nutrients, liquids, and light from multiple directions while the plant rotates. In some embodiments, the three-dimensional vegetation growing systems may include a system housing configured to form an enclosed hydroponic growing environment; at least one light source in the system housing, the at least one light source configured to emit light; a distribution portion in the system housing, the distribution portion configured to discharge a vegetation growth sustaining liquid; and at least one conveyor device in the system housing, the at least one conveyor device disposed in proximity to the distribution portion, the at least one conveyor device configured to support vegetation and rotate the vegetation in the system housing as the vegetation receives the vegetation growth sustaining liquid from the distribution portion and the light from the at least one light source. Other embodiments of the three-dimensional vegetation growing systems are also disclosed.

A modular hydroponic growth system is presented which supports a variety of plant growth with flexible conditions. The modularity is supported in part by quick-connect systems which allow liquids and air to be brought to and from subunits in an efficient manner. An advanced HVAC system allows for fresh air to be brought down one wall and stale air to be extracted from an opposing wall. The system allows for automation through the use of intelligent trolleys.

A plant watering apparatus comprising: a watering trough, for receiving and holding a growth-sustaining liquid therein; an actuator for actuating the watering trough between a first position and a second position; and a carrier system comprising a pair of conveyors and a plurality of cradles, the cradles supported by the pair of conveyors and spaced apart therealong, the cradles holding supported plants therein. The conveyors convey the cradles along a path, thereby transporting the cradles to and from a watering position disposed above the watering trough. When a cradle is at the watering position, the watering trough can be elevated to the second position, thus immersing the supported plants in the growth-sustaining liquid in the watering trough so as to permit uptake of the growth-sustaining liquid by the supported plants.

A container gardening structure has a grow tray with multiple growing stations that extend a radially from a central point of the grow tray. A light fixture has multiple lighting elements disposed above the grow tray to radiate light to the grow tray and extending outwardly from a central axis for the light fixture, with the central axis extending upward from the grow tray through the grow tray central point, and the lighting elements extend along the light fixture such that a distance from lighting elements to the grow tray increases in length from a lowest lighting element to a highest lighting element. The light fixture and grow tray move relative to each other such that the growing stations are moved away from lights that are disposed closer to the grow tray and toward lights that are disposed further from the grow tray.

A container farm provides a grow zone and a work zone within an enclosure. Plants are grown in vertical grow towers within the grow zone supported by a rotatable carousel grow structure. The grow towers can be moved within the grow zone to a location in which they are accessible from the work zone. A seedling station can be provided within the work zone. Other systems, including an irrigation system, a lighting system, and a climate control system, can be provided to support the growth of plants within the container.

The present disclosure provides a hydroponic unit (2) and system (1) for growing crops, the unit being modular to allow different containers and growing conditions within the unit, and the system being modular to allow multiple units to share common power and water requirements. The unit and system aim to provide a more efficient and easier to use hydroponic operation. The unit includes an adjustable framework and manifold in each unit for receiving containers of a first or second type, and the system includes a support structure (4) including module bases (3) for each unit and a water control module for the system. Also provided are growing columns for use within the hydroponic unit.