Plants can provide both decorative and practical benefits to homes, workplaces, and elsewhere. The problem is that not every location is accommodating to them. This is where hydroponics comes in. This technology gets around the normal requirement for soil by relying on nutrient solution instead. While this has been available for decades, something new comes along now and then that makes this approach even better. Here’s a couple of them.
Breathe Deep
A lot of people add container plants to a room to help replenish the air. The traditional way has a few drawbacks, though. First, it takes a lot of plants to make any difference. Because plants in conventional soil are limited in how fast they grow, they don’t exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen very quickly. Finally, they only passively take in air that’s closest to them. The ANDREA air filter combines a fan with hydroponically-grown plants to overcome these limitations. As the fan pulls air through the system faster than it would flow naturally, the nutrient solution speeds plant growth, accelerating the plant’s respiration. In addition, the air also circulates through the grow medium, using it as an extra filter. The result is formaldehyde and particulate removal 1000% faster than with plants alone.
Carnival Ride
For the serious indoor gardener, trying to produce plants in a four foot by three foot space means using several layers, each with its own grow lights and watering system. This translates into a lot of money. The Omega Garden’s Volksgarden provides an alternative that saves space, lighting, and nutrient solution. Looking like a ferris wheel, this device can hold up to 80 plants in trays arrayed around the center axis. The plants are held in place by rock wool or a similar medium while a single light along the axis is all that’s needed for them to bask in. This arrangement allows over three times as much plant growth per watt as a regular layout produces. As the plants are rotated, they pass through a trough at the bottom containing the hydroponics solution. A complete cycle takes 45 minutes. Including the stand, the machine is six feet and four inches tall with a 48 by 30 inch footprint.
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