Always a Fresh Salad with the Living Wall
Facing a steadily increasing rate of chronic diseases and the rising premiums for healthy food, many are choosing to supplement their diet with home-grown vegetables. Far from being impossible in the city, there has been a major increase in the number of backyard and community urban gardens. With a blend of modern and traditional methods for building soil fertility and conserving water, most of these gardens see higher levels of production than industrial farms. The only problem standing in the way of mass urban cultivation now is space and education.
The Living Wall Increases Productivity for Small Spaces
With little more than PVC tubing and a pipe saw, apartment dwellers and others with small spaces or a lack of soil are turning urban gardening on its head. vertical farms are an adaptation to the demands of city life, capable of providing enough greenery for a daily salad by utilizing the light from a south-facing window, balcony or patio. Some systems are stubbornly designed to maintain a reliance on bagged soil, but others are venturing into newer soil-less methods, like hydroculture, hydroponics and even aquaculture.
What Type of Design is Best for Growing Salad Greens?
Hydroponic systems will outperform soil in the production of salad greens and other vegetables, yet these require a dependable electrical source for water pumps. Hydroculture systems rely on the capillary action of water and are the best for water conservation, yet growth will likely not be as fast. Aquaculture offers a way to maximize use of nutrients and electricity, while retaining the growth speed of hydroponic. Vertical aquaculture allows harvest of greens and fish with minimum inputs.
The vertical garden market is exploding. Whether you purchase a system or build your own, living walls make it possible for anyone to enjoy the benefits of healthy food.