A sub-irrigation bed includes a bottom, a side wall surrounding the bottom, a water inlet, and a water outlet. A plurality of support structures is arranged on an upper surface of the bottom, and tops of at least a part of the plurality of support structures lie in the same horizontal plane. By reducing the contact area between the cultivation container and the surface of the sub-irrigation bed to reduce local water accumulation caused by surface tension, the sub-irrigation bed and the cultivation apparatus using the sub-irrigation bed provided by the present invention solve the problem of water accumulation caused by incomplete drainage and the resulting problems that roots grow out of the cultivation container and seedlings grow irregularly, thereby achieving a good root control effect.

An automated farm includes a cloning room and an environmentally controlled nursery with a storage and retrieval system, child storage racks, and child conveyor trays. The automated farm has environmentally controlled grow rooms, environmentally controlled lighted and unlighted flower rooms, a trimming or pruning room, and a harvest room. The automated farm includes specialized parent plant pots with training devices, and tray and trellis systems with rotation plant holders and removable trellis combs. Plant tending robots are configured to clone, trim, prune, harvest, and maintain plants. The automated farm includes a transport mechanism configured to transport the child conveyor trays, the parent plant pots, and the tray and trellis systems between the cloning room, the nursery, the grow rooms, the flower rooms, the trimming or pruning room, and/or the harvest room. The automated farm also includes a farm control and data management system.

A hydroponic growing system is presented. The system can include multiple growing trays in a vertical arrangement, where a pump supplies the top-most tray and each lower tray is supplied by the overlying tray, and where the plumbing elements for supply and drainage are arranged to one side of the system. The system includes variations to support different crop types within the same system, including removable growing structures for root vegetable, microgreens and supports for vining crops. The system can monitor and adjust the nutrients and other features of the systems water profile to concurrently group multiple crops in differing developing stages.

The disclosure relates to technology for hydroponics. An aspect includes a hydroponic system comprising a tray having a drain opening in a bottom of the tray. The hydroponic system comprises a water re-circulation system configured to re-circulate water containing plant nutrients through the hydroponic system. The water re-circulation system is configured to provide the water containing the plant nutrients to the tray. The tray is configured to convey the water along the bottom the tray to the drain opening, the drain opening configured to drain the water from the tray. The hydroponic system comprises different types of removable growing structures that are configured to provide corresponding different vertical distances between a top of a hydroponic growing medium and the bottom of the tray.

The disclosure relates to technology for hydroponics. One aspect includes a computing system comprising a network interface, and a processor coupled to the network interface. The processor is configured to receive plant observations over the network interface from a plurality of electronic devices. The plant observations are for a type of crop being grown in respective hydroponic systems. The processor is configured is modify a technique for determining a water profile based on the plant observations, the water profile for growing the type of crop in a hydroponic system. The processor is configured to determine a target water profile for growing crops in a target hydroponic system based on the modified technique, the crops in the target hydroponic system include the type of crop. The processor is configured to provide the target water profile over the network interface to a requesting electronic device.

A hydroponic growing system is presented. The system can include multiple growing trays in a vertical arrangement, where a pump supplies the top-most tray and each lower tray is supplied by the overlying tray, and where the plumbing elements for supply and drainage are arranged to one side of the system. The system includes variations to support different crop types within the same system, including removable growing structures for root vegetable, microgreens and supports for vining crops. The system can monitor and adjust the nutrients and other features of the systems water profile to concurrently group multiple crops in differing developing stages.

Tray assemblies organized in a vertical stack with a grow light positioned above each. Plant nutrient solution flows into a feed reservoir positioned in a first end of the top assembly. When plant nutrient solution reaches the level of outlets positioned in a sidewall of the feed reservoir, it flows into longitudinal channels positioned on the tray assembly. A collection reservoir at a second end of the tray assembly collects excess solution from the channels. A lip positioned between the channels and the collection reservoir retains some of the solution in the channels so it is available to plants held by the tray assembly. Excess solution flows from the collection reservoir of the top tray assembly to a feed reservoir serving the next tray assembly in the stack. The pattern is repeated while alternating the orientation of each tray assembly such that solution is provided to each tray assembly.

A modular multi-tiered planter kit that comprises two support elements that are fitted for positioning on a surface, perpendicular to the surface and spaced from each other, a plurality of planter assemblies that are fitted for connection in a disassemblable mounting, with the two support elements in a multi-tier configuration, wherein they each extend in an essentially horizontal direction, in the gap between the two support elements, wherein the kit is characterized in that once mounted as stated, the planter assemblies each comprise a unified planter element that serves in each of the planter assemblies, and the planter assemblies comprise one or more from the group of various types of planter assemblies.

A system and method for growing and protecting tree seedlings is provided. The system includes potting tubes that may function as a pot for growing seedlings and additionally as a tree guard for protecting transplanted tree seedlings from pests. The potting tubes are open at both ends and may be secured to a bottom end cap for use as a pot. After a growth period, the end cap can be removed and the tree can be transplanted with the tube surrounding the tree for use as a tree guard. The system includes a tray with end caps attached to the tray for transporting and transplanting large numbers of tree seedlings.

The invention discloses a tray (100) for growing agricultural products (111), particularly for vertical farms, comprising a rigid single-block structure having a base (101) that is closed on all the perimeter sides by a containment edge (104), the base (101) and the containment edge (104) forming a hollow body hermetically sealed towards the environment outside the tray (100).