Indoor vegetable gardening as a solution for a green future in the city
At the moment about 55% of the world population lives in a city, but this percentage will increase to about 68% in 2050. In the Netherlands, almost three quarters of the population lives in urban regions. Living in or around the city naturally has several advantages. Facilities such as businesses, schools and shops are always nearby. However, there are also disadvantages of living in the city, such as the lack of space and a reduced air quality. Fortunately, there are ways to make life in the city more pleasant and greener, for example by growing your own fresh vegetables and herbs.
In a small city apartment, vegetable gardening may not seem like the most logical solution to live a greener and healthier life. Because where do you get the space to do this, if you only have a small garden or balcony? Fortunately, you do not have to rely on your own garden or an allotment garden a few kilometers away to maintain a vegetable garden, because this can also be done indoors! Vertical farming is the solution for growing your own fresh vegetables and herbs on a small surface. In vertical farming, cultivation takes place not in width, but in height, namely by using different cultivation layers with LED lamps above them, which are stacked on top of each other. In modern vertical farms, even humidity, temperature and nutrients are controlled automatically. Such a large and automated vertical farm is of course not suitable for a city home, but the concept is also perfect for smaller solutions. Take our PlantHome, for example: an indoor vegetable garden with an automated LED panel to give your plants the right amount of light. With a size of approximately 32 by 33 by 38 centimeters, this is the perfect filling for that one empty corner in your kitchen.
You might be thinking: I am not at all interested in the mess of an indoor vegetable garden. Fortunately, this is not the case at all with the PlantHome, because growing takes place on water! You only have to fill the breeding trays with tap water and the enclosed mineral pills, so you don't have to get started with potting soil. Also, because no soil is used, the risk of pests and diseases on your plants is minimal, so there is no need to use pesticides or other harmful chemicals. That is a lot better for the environment and your own health!
Another advantage of indoor vegetable gardening has to do with the rising costs in recent months. Those who regularly do their shopping can no longer ignore it: prices are rising sharply. This also applies to the price of fresh vegetables and herbs, and the quality of these products sometimes leaves something to be desired. In a large supermarket chain, you often pay around 2 euros for a basil plant. This does not seem like a huge amount, but these plants often die very quickly, because these are quickly grown plants that are placed too close together in a pot. The plants that you grow in the PlantHome remain alive for at least two months after they are fully grown, so that you can enjoy your fresh herbs for less than €1.25 per plant cup!
