


You’ll need to research carefully to develop appropriate nutrient solutions for the plants you’ve chosen to grow.

You’re also going to need to plant them in something. Plant nutrients and growing mediaįinally, you’re going to need to feed your plants. You’ll also want an automated system to run your climate control, lighting systems, water systems, and other aspects of your vertical farm. However, if you want to grow a variety of crops, you’ll need to find a way to control the climate so that each plant has its own optimal temperature and humidity. If you plan to grow only one crop at a time, you can use a simpler climate control system, as the entire area will be at the same temperature and humidity. Additionally, many of today’s vertical farms tend to be fairly high-tech, so they embrace automation and use it to good advantage. Indoor farms have the benefit of not needing to match crops to the season or climate outside, but that means they must control the climates indoors. In this system, plant roots get their nutrients primarily from the waste produced by the fish. AquaponicsĪquaponics is a subset of the hydroponic system in which plants and fish grow together. These roots are then misted with nutrient solutions and water, providing everything the plant needs to grow. AeroponicsĪn aeroponic system is very similar to a hydroponic system, except the plant roots are left hanging in the air rather than directly in water. The water is typically circulated through the system to ensure root systems remain healthy, and hydroponic growers must design their systems carefully to avoid root rot. Nutrient solutions are added to the water to give the plants everything they need to thrive. In a hydroponic growing system, plants are grown with their roots suspended in water rather than soil. If these terms are foreign to you, you’re not alone. Vertical farming systems may be hydroponic, aeroponic, aquaponic, or (more rarely) soil-based. Most leafy greens and some other crops can quickly adapt to vertical growing methods, but other crops still require soil-based methods. Vertical farms also can’t produce every type of crop. Some vertical farm designs require significant power to run grow lights for the plants. Yet vertical farms are not a perfect solution. Indoor vertical farms can protect their crops from pests without toxic chemicals and are far less likely to face recalls due to contaminants. Generally, they do not contribute to topsoil degradation and use far less of our natural resources. Vertical farms are typically far more sustainable than most soil-based options. Such farms can thrive in nearly any climate or surroundings, even in the most inhospitable parts of the world or in dense urban settings. They’re also not tied to the ground, which means they can be built in greenhouses, indoors, on rooftops, or even underground. The advantages of such a farm design are many, but the most obvious is that you can have a much larger output in a much smaller space. Vertical farms are a big deal in the AgTech world right now. Advantages and Disadvantages of Vertical Farming Vertical farming reimagines this setup by stacking plants vertically in either trays or towers. It’s a traditional way of doing things, but it takes up a lot of space. Most farms are row upon row of plants, stretching out for acres.
