My two-level food growing experiment

5 plant vertical growing unit

When you say the word 'city,' it automatically implies space constraint. But plants need space to grow and we must find ways to meet this challenge of maximizing growth area per sq. ft. floor area. World over many innovative ways have been tried for the maximum number of plants per sq. ft. floor area and I have also learnt from these experiments.  To grow well plants need enough nutrition (and therefore less growing competition near their root), enough sunlight (and therefore must not be shaded by other plants) and enough water.

To meet all these needs, one such design is what you see to above  where 5 plants are growing in in a 5inch x 5inch floor area. I already have 2 more growing units ready for this wall and another 3 for the opposite wall giving me 30 plants in all just on the walls (I am growing tomatoes, basil and lettuce in them, so I call them 'salad sticks').

I am also trying another experiment to give a two level planter system using bottles. Since the bottles have their own earth and nutrition, my logic is that the lower level and the bottle level will both grow well. For sunlight, I am ensuring that that the ground plant is already well grown so that the bottled plant will not block the sun of the other ground plant. I am also growing the shorter plants like herbs in the bottles for this reason and also to maintain the balance of the bottle (they are placed inverted in the earth so too much weight may move their center-of-gravity).

Inverted bottle planters interspersed between plants

In the picture to the left there are spinach seeds planted in two bottles  and there's a third bottle in the direction of the caption growing methi or fenugreek (it may seem like the bottles are broken, but the glass has been specially cut and smoothened  to give it that jagged look on purpose). The tall plant you see next to the furthest bottle is of baby potatoes. To the right of this plant (see picture) is  a white name tag which has scarlet radish written on it. I expect to grow about 15 of them interspersed around this small area because they don't seem to need too much ground space.

If all goes well, in this small 2ft x 2ft floor space I would have 2 bunches of spinach, one bunch of fenugreek, 2 baby potato plants (which should give me about 15 potatoes each) and about 15 scarlet radishes. Not bad, huh. That's not all, the wall above it (to the left) will carry 30 plants in 5 plant growing units which are going to be put up this weekend.

Don't gasp just yet. Look to the left of this picture and you'll the trunk my fragrant chameli (jasmine) creeper which is now in full bloom and makes my living room come alive every evening. Now perhaps, you can say not bad!

Will keep this space posted on the progress of the growing food.