We now have a fully functioning vertical farm in the Lab employing a tower growing system using aquaponics.
With the delivery of the mint and fish our vertical farm is now fully up and running and we can share with you how and why you should have one too.
We are growing mint in our vertical farm and using an aquaponic system that works with fish, however the basics are fully adaptable to suit your own needs, with the ability to grow a host of various herbs.
Ed who built the system for us explains the basics of how it works –
‘The idea of the vertical wall was that it will fit in a small space and it’s a modular system that can be easily increased in size by adding more wall structures. The design behind it has been left open – I did this partly as an educational piece, it explains itself to the viewer, and can be easily replicated. The system could fit in a school or an office space and would allow you to grow fresh herbs and vegetables.
The system is aquaponic – it’s a circular system – you feed the fish which in turn poo, the bacteria then converts the ammonia in the fish poo into nitrates which are absorbed by the plants and used as nutrients, whilst cleaning the water before returning this to the fish tank.
The fact it’s a modular system means that it can be easily adapted – you can even run the system without fish, turning it into a hydroponic system instead, by adding nutrients to the water instead of using the fish poo.’
HOUSE YOUR OWN VERTICAL FARM
For more information on how to build your own aquaponic vertical wall or have one custom built for your space contact the team at Green Lab – hello@greenlab.org or attend one of our upcoming workshops.