For years, James Dick, a horticulturalist from Vermont in the Western Cape, researched better ways of growing food on a micro scale. “I came away from university with the idea, but it took a lot of brainstorming and prototypes before I got the concept,” he recalls.
In 2010, the idea of the HiGro Tower Garden System finally crystallised in his mind.
“It’s a system designed for high-density living environments in poorer communities, especially for the busy person with limited time for shopping. The idea is to have a full, healthy meal at your back door, free of high maintenance costs,” he explains.
HOW IT WORKS
The HiGro system is a vertically segmented column for growing flowers, leafy greens, peas, beans, herbs and strawberries, amongst other plants.
“Four to eight modules interlock to form the column. Each module is filled with 4,5â„“ of sphagnum peat moss and green fibre pre-enriched with a little fertiliser to get the plants started,” Dick explains. This growing medium has high water-retention and can last for as long as two years.
The system is designed to grow plenty of food with very little water and does not rely on electricity. Instead, it is irrigated by a hand-pumped 5â„“ compression sprayer that drives a water and fertiliser solution through the drippers and into the modules.
“The irrigation water is pre-enriched with fertiliser, which is added to the compression sprayer. Each module is irrigated and drained independently; there’s no percolation from the upper modules to the lower ones.”
He advises that the tower be irrigated once a day in summer and every third day in winter.
Denne historien er fra August 14, 2020-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra August 14, 2020-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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An agribusiness's dedication to community upliftment
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While the 2024 Conference of the Parties may have disappointed those who hoped for real progress, it's more important for South African agriculture to highlight its role in carbon mitigation
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More effort needed to protect vulnerable cheetah
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