Devices used to provide water to a container plant are disclosed. The devices may be configured to collect and retain water from saturated soil and then to distribute the collected water to dry soil. The devices may comprise a reservoir, a collection lid, and a wick. The devices may be configured to be disposed within a plant container.

A hydroponic irrigation system reduces the time spent actively circulating a nutrient solution through one or more growing beds to provide an ebb-and-flow irrigation cycle. Nutrient solution is pumped from a nutrient tank to each growing bed via a liquid transport unit, having a liquid tube connected to a pump located in the nutrient tank at one end, with the other end anchored in the growing medium in the growing bed. A controller coordinates the operation of the pumps, selectively operating each pump to supply nutrient solution until the growing bed is saturated to a specified depth, after which the pump returns the nutrient to the tank, either passively via gravity or by actively pumping, to drain the nutrient solution from the growing bed back into the nutrient tank. The pumps can be activated sequentially, with the sequence initiated at selected time intervals to suit the plants being grown.

The specification discloses a hydroponic nutrient aeration and flow control (NAFC) device and system, which both aerates and controls the flow of the hydroponic nutrient solution. The NAFC device has no moving parts. Each NAFC device mixes and aerates the nutrient from the nutrient reservoir with air and/or nutrient from one of the grow tanks. Each NAFC device additionally controls the flow of the aerated nutrient solution to the grow tank and the nutrient reservoir. The vertical position of the end of the nutrient return line in each grow tank may be adjusted to adjust the level of the nutrient solution within the grow tank.

A system for vertical hydroponic plant growing. The system, and associated apparatuses and methods, may include or use sprockets, a sprocket drive device that is connected to at least one sprocket among the sprockets, a first continuous loop chain that is mounted on the sprockets, a second continuous loop chain that is mounted on the sprockets, and trays. Each tray includes a first end and a second end that includes a drain hole. The trays are attached to the first continuous loop chain and to the second continuous loop chain. The system also includes a fluid-dispensing device that is configured to dispense a fluid into a tray that is moved by the chains to a position adjacent to the fluid-dispensing device. The chains are configured to longitudinally tilt a tray downward towards the drain hole while the tray is near the position adjacent to the fluid-dispensing device.

The specification discloses a hydroponic nutrient aeration and flow control (NAFC) device and system, which both aerates and controls the flow of the hydroponic nutrient solution. The NAFC device has no moving parts. Each NAFC device mixes and aerates the nutrient from the nutrient reservoir with air and/or nutrient from one of the grow tanks. Each NAFC device additionally controls the flow of the aerated nutrient solution to the grow tank and the nutrient reservoir. The vertical position of the end of the nutrient return line in each grow tank may be adjusted to adjust the level of the nutrient solution within the grow tank.

The urban vertical garden of this realization is formed by a structure with a modular system of scaffolding, a wood or other structural system formed by pipes, preferably of galvanized steel and that makes up a set of cultivation modules placed vertically, where each module has at least a bench terrace filled with soil and connected to an automated drip irrigation system, at least one wall for vertical cultivation normally hydroponic formed by horizontal trays situated at different levels; possibility of including two aeroponic towers with an internal irrigation system, at least one water tank situated in the upper module, and at least one pump in the bottom level.

This invention is a hydroponic appliance that allows users to grow sufficient yields of fresh produce with relatively little maintenance. The appliance incorporates multiple features required for hydroponic plant cultivation into a plug-and-play system with a feedback loop to manage optimal growing conditions, comprising a growing area, a processor, a mixing chamber, and, in embodiments, more than one reservoir. In aspects, the grow area is divided between two or more reservoirs allowing users to stratify their crops or plant different crop types simultaneously. The apparatus and associated method provide the overall system with increased versatility, including removing aspects of day-to-day maintenance. The system automatically regulates the environment in response to various sensor readings. This includes automatically regulating the temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide level, pH level, and/or nutrient concentration. Accordingly, the plants have more optimum conditions for growth. The system utilizes, for example, pre-seeded trays, a single mixing chamber, a processor, and a plurality of reservoirs.

A grow system. The system includes growing plants in grow modules that are individually moveable. The plants grow in trays where roots never touch the water supply. The plumbing to the grow modules is a low flow, one way flow continual drip system that is hands free. A mobile robot can navigate around a growspace, bring any grow module from one location to another, and perform growspace operations. The growspace is a control space with data source zones and a control space manager. The control space manager can collect data and control different variables across different data source zones in order to determine optimal policies and conditions for data source growth and generation.

An automatic plant watering device includes a thermoelectric module with a cold face that can be energized to drop its temperature below 32 degrees F. A condensation member is thermally connected to the cold face and has a wall exposed to ambient air for water vapor to condense on and freeze when the module is energized. A water collection chamber positioned below the exposed wall is configured to hold collected melt water from the exposed wall until a collected melt water temperature has risen above 32? F. A moisture sensor is used to initiate a chilling cycle controlled by a controller to energize the thermoelectric module for a period of time in excess of an hour to cause a build-up of frost on the exposed wall and thereafter to deenergize the thermoelectric module to permit the temperature of the exposed wall to rise above 32 degrees F.

A rotary garden apparatus, method and system for growing plants comprising an open rotatable cylindrical drum mounted within a structural frame is provided wherein said apparatus comprises an accessible front area permitting access to the drum and grow trays mounted on said drum from the front of the apparatus. The rotating drum portion comprises metal bars which form struts round the periphery of the drum on which grow trays can be mounted. The grow trays are inserted by sliding them along the struts of the drum and they are held in position by arms which extend below the metal struts over which the grow trays slide into position. The inverted T shaped fit between the tray and the strut holds the tray in position during rotation without further securing mechanisms required. The operation and most routine maintenance of the apparatus can all be done from the front of the apparatus thereby permitting multiple apparatus units to be placed side by side in a grow facility or against walls. The apparatus may be stacked one above the other all of which maximizes the number of units which can be present in a defined floor space in a grow facility. A light source comprising a holding tray, a sleeve and at least one bulb as part of a rotary garden apparatus is present in the rotary garden apparatus providing light for growing plants.