A vertical pole (2) holds plant growing containers (3, 50, 54), at multiple heights. Some containers may be mounted at a given height (H1-H9) in a circular array around the pole. Each container may occupy a V-shaped region about the pole in a top view. The pole may be moveable by a conveyor system (4, 5). The pole may have a fluid reservoir (30), and a fluid distribution system (31-35) extending from the fluid reservoir to plant growing containers at different vertical locations on the pole. Each plant growing container may integrate a soil containment portion (51), a bottom drain portion (61) that collects fluid draining through the soil, and a bypass drain portion (64, 70, 72, 75, 79), that interconnects with higher and lower like containers on the pole and bypasses the soil in the containers for rinsing the soils individually.

A system for germinating seeds according to a germination recipe is disclosed. The system for germinating seeds for a grow pod includes a plurality of germination sub-tanks configured to receive seeds, the plurality of germination sub-tanks receiving different species of seeds, respectively, a master germination tank configured to receive seeds from one or more of the plurality of germination sub-tanks, and a controller. The controller includes one or more processors, one or more memory modules storing germination recipes, and machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to: determine a ratio of the different species of seeds based on a germination recipe, operate the plurality of germination sub-tanks to provide seeds to the master germination tank based on the ratio, and provide the seeds in the master germination tank to one or more carts.

An object handling system is described, the system having two substantially perpendicular sets of rails forming a grid above a workspace, the workspace having a plurality of stacked containers. The system includes a series of robotic load handling devices operating on the grid above the workspace, the load handling devices having a body mounted on wheels. The robotic devices can move around the grid under instruction from a computing device, the robotic devices being moved to a point on the grid above a stack of containers and then, using a lifting device, engage and lift a container from the stack. The container is then moved to a point where the objects in the container can be accessed. Modifications to the workspace and grid are described that allow vehicles and roll cages to be used to move stacks from the workspace to a point outside the workspace or from outside the workspace into the workspace.

A vertical farming system comprising: a plant storage frame including a plurality of horizontal guiding members; a plurality of plant receiving trays received on a corresponding horizontal guiding member for receiving a plurality of plants, the plant receiving trays being disposed adjacent each other and being laterally movable along the horizontal guiding members towards and away from an open front end of the storage frame, the plant receiving trays being connectable to each other such that movement of one of the plant receiving trays in a lateral direction moves the remaining plant receiving trays in the same lateral direction, the plant receiving trays being detachable from each other to allow each plant receiving tray to be removed from the storage frame through the open front end to be tended individually from the other plant receiving trays.

A gutter assembly is provided that is configured to collect water passing through a plurality of vertical hydroponic towers, the assembly minimizing leakage while simplifying gutter maintenance. The gutter assembly includes a gutter pipe from which an upper portion has been removed to form a pair of mounting ledges. The gutter assembly also includes a gutter cap that is attached to the gutter pipe via the mounting ledges using a snap fit system.

A modularly constructed column element is proposed for the vertical cultivation of plants which are nourished by wetting the roots with an aqueous nutrient solution, the individual parts of said column element being able to be stacked in a space-saving manner and transported, assembled, disassembled and cleaned very easily. The modular structure of the column element includes a lid part, a base part and at least one wall ring between the lid part and the base part. The wall ring is composed of a plurality of ring segments, in which the planting openings are formed, in which plants can be positioned such that their roots grow into the interior of the column element. The lid part is arranged on the end side on the uppermost wall ring and the base part is arranged on the end side on the lowermost wall ring.

An object handling system is described, the system having two substantially perpendicular sets of rails forming a grid above a workspace, the workspace having a plurality of stacked containers. The system includes a series of robotic load handling devices operating on the grid above the workspace, the load handling devices having a body mounted on wheels. The robotic devices can move around the grid under instruction from a computing device, the robotic devices being moved to a point on the grid above a stack of containers and then, using a lifting device, engage and lift a container from the stack. The container is then moved to a point where the objects in the container can be accessed. Modifications to the workspace and grid are described that allow vehicles and roll cages to be used to move stacks from the workspace to a point outside the workspace or from outside the workspace into the workspace.

A horticulture apparatus and method for planting, growing, and harvesting plants may include a platform having a width axis and a length axis, a gantry sized to straddle and move across at least one of the platform's width and length axes, and a controller. The gantry may comprise a frame, a motor mounted to the frame, a container bin operatively connected to the frame, and a modular tool operatively connected to the frame. The controller may engage the motor of the gantry to move the gantry across the platform, thereby providing the modular tool with access to different locations on the platform.

A Vertical-Hive Green Box (or V-Hive Green Box) is a modular cultivation system utilized in a modular Vertical Farm or Plant Factory, as well as a warehouse-type or greenhouse-type of vertical farm or plant factory. The V-Hive Green Box includes growing boards, lighting boards, and an irrigation system arranged within a frame structure to maximize the quantity of crops that can be grown within an available volume of space in a modular Vertical Farm unit, warehouse or greenhouse per unit time. The V-Hive Green Box can also include aquaculture boards that can be used for aquaculture of aquatic fish and plants.

A conveyor system (4, 5) moves vertical poles (2) in an agricultural facility between a growing area (20) and a workstation (W). Each pole carries plant growing containers (3) at multiple levels (H1-H9). An irrigation reservoir (30) may be mounted atop each pole. Irrigation lines (31-33) from the reservoir may be individually metered (35) at each level to compensate for differing water pressure with height. Sensors (40) in the reservoir and at each level of the poles may provide a controller (36) with data input. The controller may impose different growing conditions in different areas of the facility, including vertically different grow areas (20A, 20B), and controls pole movements and locations selectively to provide a sequence of poles at the workstation ready to harvest on a demand schedule. The workstation may have multiple heights (W1, W2, W3) for tall poles that increase plant density per facility footprint.