A vertical aeroponic growing apparatus is disclosed which includes a hollow structure having a top wall, a sidewall, and a bottom wall. A plurality of openings is formed through the sidewall. A thermal, light refractive cover is wrapped around the sidewall. The cover has a plurality of openings formed therethrough which correspond to the plurality of openings formed in the sidewall. A fitting is positioned in each of the plurality of openings in which a plant will be supported. A cap closes off any of the plurality of openings which are not needed to support a fitting. A drain pipe is secured to the bottom wall for allowing excess nutrient laden water to be removed. Lastly, an irrigation tube routes nutrient laden water to the hollow structure. A nozzle attached to an end of the irrigation tube delivers a fine mist of the nutrient laden water to the plant roots.

Systems and associated apparatus and methods are described for growing plants in a dense and efficient manner in an indoor environment using artificial light. The systems are configured to hold a high density of plants at a relatively close, substantially fixed distance from a light fixture that provides artificial light for growth of the plants. As the plants grow, the plants are transferred to one or more following stations or stages, each of which is configured to hold the now larger plants at the same relatively close, substantially fixed distance from a light fixture. By providing multiple stages to accommodate plant growth, and maintaining the close positioning of the plants to the light fixtures, the impact of the artificial light on the growth of the plants is maximized and the efficiency of the electrical energy use is increased.

The present invention relates generally to agriculture. A growing system may use a movable cylinder which rotates around a central axis to secure various plants, where the root structure of the plant or plants is substantially contained inside a movable cylinder, and where plants and roots are watered or provided nutrients via a fluid which may be sprayed inside a movable cylinder, and where plants may grow their plant mass, stems, or harvestable parts substantially outside of movable cylinder. The various embodiments and methods of the present invention may allow for large quantities of plants to be grown via hydroponic or aeroponic techniques while taking up minimal space and may be used indoors.

Systems and associated apparatus and methods are described for growing plants in a dense and efficient manner in an indoor environment using artificial light. The systems are configured to hold a high density of plants at a relatively close, substantially fixed distance from a light fixture that provides artificial light for growth of the plants. As the plants grow, the plants are transferred to one or more following stations or stages, each of which is configured to hold the now larger plants at the same relatively close, substantially fixed distance from a light fixture. By providing multiple stages to accommodate plant growth, and maintaining the close positioning of the plants to the light fixtures, the impact of the artificial light on the growth of the plants is maximized and the efficiency of the electrical energy use is increased.

A method and an apparatus for optimizing the growth of a plant by taking a measurement of at least one property of a plant growing in a growing medium, calculating the optimal nutritional requirement of the plant based on the measurement, and then injecting an optimal amount of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of water, fertilizer and a combination of water and fertilizer into the container. A rotating drum apparatus is provided for the practice of the invention.

Modular systems for propagating plants in at least one of a hydroponic environment and an aquaponics environment may include at least one tank configured to hold liquid. A modular drive assembly may be carried by the at least one tank. At least one propagation module may be drivingly engaged for rotation by the modular drive assembly. The at least one propagation module may be configured to support and propagate at least one plant. At least one pump may be disposed in fluid communication with the at least one tank. The at least one pump configured to pump the liquid from the at least one tank through the at least one propagation module. Modular methods for propagating plants in at least one of a hydroponic environment and an aquaponics environment are also disclosed.

An appliance for the cultivation of indoor plants and vegetation. The appliance may include a planting column with multiple receptacles for receiving seed cartridges. The appliance may provide nutrients, fluids, and light based on specific characteristics of each individual plant being cultivated. In various implementations, the appliance may be under-the-counter, counter-top, and/or ceiling height configurations.

An aeroponic system for supporting efficient low-resource-usage plant growth comprises a housing comprising one or more openings and one or more root chambers; one or more sealing members configured to substantially conform to a stalk of a plant and to substantially isolate a canopy of the plant from the one or more root chambers; one or more root chamber sensors; one or more nutrient storage reservoirs for storage of plant nutrients; one or more air-assisted nozzles configured to introduce atomized nutrient solution into the one or more root chambers; a temperature control system configured to control a temperature of the one or more root chambers; and a control system configured to control the temperature control apparatus and the one or more air-assisted nozzles to maintain environmental parameters associated with the one or more root chambers within desired parameter ranges.

A symbiotic aquaponic growth system is a system for growing plants. An aquaculture reservoir holds water and aquatic animals. Water and waste is transported to a filtering germination tray that serves to hold germinating seeds as well as to filter solid waste from the water. Plants are supported in a tubular growing member that rotates due to water flowing from the filtering germination tray onto the tubular growing member. The aquaculture reservoir, the filtering germination tray, and the tubular growing member are contained within an enclosure that may be closed via a lid and a shuttered door. Water is transported from the aquaculture reservoir to the filtering germination tray through a fluid distribution assembly. Water and nutrients are provided to plants in the tubular growing member by dipping the plant roots into the aquaculture reservoir as well by the water falling onto the plant roots from the filtering germination tray.

A seed cartridge configured for indoor growing appliances. The seed cartridge may be a self-contained apparatus having a structure that contain one or more seeds suspended in one or more layers of substrate. The structure of the seed cartridge may include a removable top surface, a bottom surface, and a side surface. The side surface may be substantially coned shaped to provide a larger top surface when compared with the bottom surface and include one or more openings, holes, or slits along the exterior side surface to allow water to be delivered from the indoor growing appliances to the seeds.