An article that supports germinating seeds and growing plants is provided and disclosed. The article includes a substrate with openings therethrough for developing plants. The substrate includes a phosphor containing layer on the closed substrate surfaces and optionally a reflective layer below the phosphor containing layer on the closed surfaces. The substrate with openings and phosphor containing layer on closed surfaces of the substrate can be disposed over a growth medium. The article having the phosphor containing layer is configured to convert at least a portion of incident plant growth light into longer wavelength red spectrum containing light, and redirect the red light to the developing plants.

An irrigation device includes: a cell plug that includes an opening facing upward and an accommodation part that accommodates a predetermined amount of culture medium in communication with the opening; a liquid supply unit that supplies a liquid to a culture medium of the cell plug; and a cell plug lifting unit that lowers the cell plug when a weight of the cell plug is increased by a liquid supplied by the liquid supply unit and lifts the cell plug when a weight of the cell plug is decreased by drying of a culture medium. The liquid supply unit includes a contact end that is intermittently brought into contact with a culture medium by lifting and lowering of the cell plug by the cell plug lifting unit, performs liquid supply while the contact end is in contact with a culture medium, and stops liquid supply when the contact end is separated from a culture medium.

A composition including a plant medium and a poly-oxygenated metal hydroxide that comprises a clathrate containing oxygen gas molecules. The poly-oxygenated metal hydroxide may comprise of a poly-oxygenated aluminum hydroxide. The composition may include one or more nutrients. The composition may be in a solid form, a fluid form, or a combination thereof. The poly-oxygenated aluminum hydroxide is soluble in a fluid. In one embodiment, the poly-oxygenated metal hydroxide composition may have particles having a diameter of 212 m or less, and which may be homogeneous.

The invention taught is a method and apparatus to mix a special polymer, hot water or other hot water material containing additives and a special mixture of dry growing substances mixed in a particular way so that they may be applied to structures such as to ceilings, walls, and any grade of vertical slants, commercial roofs, courtyards, indoor and outdoor applications. The purpose is to coat any surface and grow any plant for any reason be it erosion control, beautification of an area. The invention would help in reforestation after fires and such. This invention has a wide range of applications and so it is impossible to limit it to just one of these applications. Green parking lots and green areas that before could not be made green is just one area for the invention.

The invention taught is a method and apparatus to mix a special polymer, hot water or other hot water material containing additives and a special mixture of dry growing substances mixed in a particular way so that they may be applied to structures such as to ceilings, walls, and any grade of vertical slants, commercial roofs, courtyards, indoor and outdoor applications. The purpose is to coat any surface and grow any plant for any reason be it erosion control, beautification of an area. The invention would help in reforestation after fires and such. This invention has a wide range of applications and so it is impossible to limit it to just one of these applications. Green parking lots and green areas that before could not be made green is just one area for the invention.

A horticulture growth medium includes a base organic soil, a soft rock phosphate component, a limestone component, a hydrated magnesium sulfate salt, volcanic dust comprising trace mineral nutrients, one or more humic acids, a shell source of calcium, a bone or blood meal component selected from fish bone meal, blood meal, steamed bone meal, and/or combinations thereof, bat guano, and worm castings. A method of growing a plant using the horticulture growth medium of includes planting a plant with the horticulture growth medium and providing periodic water to the plant, the horticulture growth medium being sufficient for plant growth during a complete cycle without the use of additional fertilizing agents. A kit includes the horticulture growth medium along with instructions for using the horticulture growth medium to grow plants.

Disclosed are methods of producing nutrient solutions having unique isotopic fingerprints; methods of producing traceable plants; and methods of identifying the source of a traceable plant that does not rely on expensive artificially separated isotopes. Plants grown with these nutrient solutions will have unique isotopic fingerprints that will be difficult or impossible to counterfeit.

Disclosed are methods of producing nutrient solutions having unique isotopic fingerprints; methods of producing traceable plants; and methods of identifying the source of a traceable plant that does not rely on expensive artificially separated isotopes. Plants grown with these nutrient solutions will have unique isotopic fingerprints that will be difficult or impossible to counterfeit.

The modification of sand with superhydrophobic silica/wax nanoparticles may provide for water storage, applicable, for example, in desert environments. In particular, highly thermal stable superhydrophobic coats for sand are made of nanoparticles composed of superhydrophobic silica capped with paraffin wax. Superhydrophobic sand modified by such nanoparticles addresses issues of water storage in desert environments, capitalizing on sand resource utilization. Superhydrophobic sand, as modified, has excellent water repellency and great water-holding capacity. The superhydrophobic sand modified with superhydrophobic silica/wax nanoparticles can be applied for the desert water storage for agriculture and planting.

The modification of sand with superhydrophobic silica/wax nanoparticles may provide for water storage, applicable, for example, in desert environments. In particular, highly thermal stable superhydrophobic coats for sand are made of nanoparticles composed of superhydrophobic silica capped with paraffin wax. Superhydrophobic sand modified by such nanoparticles addresses issues of water storage in desert environments, capitalizing on sand resource utilization. Superhydrophobic sand, as modified, has excellent water repellency and great water-holding capacity. The superhydrophobic sand modified with superhydrophobic silica/wax nanoparticles can be applied for the desert water storage for agriculture and planting.