The present invention may relate to Aeroponic Systems and their individual elements. More particularly to automated systems capable of monitoring and adjusting some if not all of the light, nutrient, water quality and environmental factors required for the propagation and sustained growth of all types of plants. It may also describe methods to support the plants during propagation from seeds and for growth and harvesting. It may describe various methodologies for reducing space requirements and for increasing plant density without detriment to the growth cycles.

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.

Assembly line grow pods, watering stations, and seeder components that include robotic applicators are disclosed. An assembly line grow pod includes a tray held by a cart supported on a track. The tray includes a plurality of sections. The assembly line grow pod further includes a watering component providing fluid and a robotic applicator including an articulating robot arm having one or more outlets that selectively dispense the fluid therefrom. The articulating robot arm is positioned to align the one or more outlets with a corresponding one or more of the plurality of sections such that the fluid is dispensable into each of the plurality of sections independently.

Provided herein are systems and methods for the automation of seed planting and analysis comprising automated planting of the seeds, germination, and analysis. The methods generally comprise conveying containers containing seeds to an automated seed planting station, wherein each container includes a machine-readable tag, planting at least some of the seeds in the container onto respective planting trays, wherein each planting tray includes a machine-readable tag, allowing the seeds to germinate, and analyzing the germinated seeds. The systems generally comprise a seed planting system and a planting verification and correction system. Also provided herein are backlit templates comprising a light source and a power interface configured to connect to a power source to power the light source.

Panel for floating cultivation of plants on water, includes parallel grooves at a top side extending longitudinally, adapted for receiving a substrate and a number of plants or precursors in the substrate, each groove extending through the panel from a first top plane to a second parallel plane. The panel includes air chambers at a lower side extending substantially below the second plane, each of the air chambers allowing therein formation of air roots of plants supported in the substrate of the grooves. At the second plane, each groove is spaced apart from the circumferential side wall of the air chamber it debouches in when projected onto a plane normal to the longitudinal direction, each of the grooves including at least two side support surfaces extending parallel to the groove and below the top side, the side support surfaces adapted for substantially completely supporting the substrate in the groove.

A garden seed planter that displays a color for identifying the type of garden product that will be produced by a plant from a seed contained in a capsule of the garden seed planter. In a preferred lollipop form embodiment at least a portion of the garden seed planter capsule has a colored coating that is substantially the same color as the garden product produced by the plant to be grown from the seed, and there is a planter stake attached to the seed capsule having a portion that also displays substantially the same color as the garden product.

There is discussed a method of picking and placing bulbs, in which bulbs are supplied on a supply surface of a bulbs supply system; the bulbs being identified and picked from the supply surface with a pick-and-place head; wherein the bulbs are reoriented about a minor axis before being placed.

There is discussed a method of picking and placing bulbs, in which bulbs are supplied on a supply surface of a bulbs supply system; the bulbs being identified and picked from the supply surface with a pick-and-place head; wherein picked bulbs are transferred from the pick-and-place head, shoot-first and roots-last to a transfer-receptacle comprising at least one bulb-receptor, wherein the bulb-receptor temporarily clutches said bulb.

A sowing unit is provided including water-absorbing material, an enclosure and a seed. The water-absorbing material is vermiculite, which is a hygroscopic negatively-charged material capable of binding a positively charged nutrient ion selected from NH4+, L-arginine, L-lysine and L-histidine. Further, there is least one hole in the water-absorbing material arranged to hold one or more seeds.

A sowing unit including water-absorbing material, an enclosure and a seed, wherein the water-absorbing material includes a hygroscopic negatively-charged material capable of binding a positively charged nutrient ion selected from NH4+, L-arginine, L-lysine and L-histidine; and optionally a nutrient including a positively charged nutrient ion selected from K+, NH4+, L-arginine, L-lysine and L-histidine. Methods and uses of the sowing unit are described.