Check out our Tower Garden demo at Maine Center for Natural Health!
Aeroponic Gardening
Aeroponic gardening, while new to consumer availability, is not a new concept. The term was first used in the late 1950s and studied until it was later made available for growing commercial food in the early 1980s. It is type of hydroponic gardening that supports the growth of plants without soil where instead of submerging plant roots in water (as with hydroponics), the roots are sprayed with mineral-rich water and exposed to air between watering. Aeroponic gardening is a fast-growing industry as a way to navigate water shortages in agricultural fields by reducing more than 90% water usage than standard farming practices. The Tower Garden by Juice Plus claims to use 98% less water because of how the system collects and recycles the water inside a fairly closed system, preventing excessive and unwanted evaporation.
With our short Maine growing season, it can be difficult to get fresh, quality greens year round. Even in ideal growing conditions, we get a burst of fresh greens for a while and then spells of heat that cause them to become bitter. Now you can grow an abundance of greens for salads, juicing, and cooking available when you want without worrying about eating it all before it goes bad. These systems are not limited to simply greens, but can grow most anything aside from root crops. Popular crops are tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, kohl rabbi, herbs (such as basil, cilantro, sage), kale, collards, broccoli, cabbage, peppers, etc. – pretty much all that one wants to grow in the garden.
What’s even more useful is that instead of spreading out with standard rows of vegetables, vertical gardening is saving more space than ever! Tower Gardens are being used in both commercial and residential settings – with the same units seen below.
While there is an initial startup cost, true of all hydroponic and aeroponic systems, maintenance costs are low enough that true savings can be seen in just a short time. Fewer trips to the grocery store, less wasted food due to spoilage, faster harvesting times, fewer risks of pest and disease meaning more goes on your plate than in the compost all add up to long-term savings.
For more information and to see Tower Garden options, visit this link: petley.towergarden.com.
Order through the link above to become part of a growing Tower Garden Community and take control of your food sustainability. Know where and how your food was grown!
There are two models offered by Tower Garden: FLEX and HOME. See a comparison chart to see which one best fits your needs. Both are suitable for indoor and outdoor use and both can be used with the LED full spectrum lighting system. The HOME model is more streamlined for indoor use and takes up less space. A two-foot square in the corner of the room is all that is required. The FLEX model is the original model with a larger reservoir (20 gallons versus 13 gallons in the HOME model) and this offers outdoor benefits of fewer refills even during extreme heat and the physical stability in wind. Both are ideal when there is limited growing space in and around the house or when hoeing and weeding are not ideal.
Monthly Tower Garden Lunch & Learn – AND MORE!
Maine Center for Natural Health hosts a monthly free Tower Garden Salad Lunch & Learn – build your own salad with fresh greens straight from the Tower all while learning about the benefits of aeroponic gardening. Maine Center for Natural Health also hosts periodic Tower Garden Dinners. Call or email the office for the next date!
Be sure to take part in our monthly seed swap. Because of the amazing yields from each seed, it takes a long time go work through some packets of seeds – so we swap seeds as a way add diversity and share experiences and stories so you can choose and adapt your tower to your preferences and needs. We support our growers by providing answers when possible and tapping into Dr. Petley’s long history of studying plants.
Restaurants, Schools, Offices, & More
If you are a restaurant owner and want to add local food to your menu, Tower Gardens can be scaled up to meet your needs. They are perfect for producing herbs and vegetables that are not consistently available. Tower Gardens are excellent for waiting rooms, schools, and offices!
Dr. Petley is available and happy to answer your questions about Tower Gardens and aeroponic gardening. Be sure to use the link petley.towergarden.com!
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