They call it the Urban Cultivator, but I can see where it would be just as welcome in the suburban or rural home too. Sure, they may have space for growing outdoors, which makes it much easier to grow fresh herbs and greens than it would for someone living in a high-rise in the city. However, there are things like cold seasons and soaring temperatures that make outdoor growing an issue for many.
Martha Stewart has one of these Urban Cultivator indoor gardens, and everyone knows she has extensive gardens outdoors at multiple homes – for food, and flowers. It does provide quick access to a pinch of this and a snip of that while you’re whipping up dinner… no need to trek out back for a handful of herbs. Since this nifty automated garden is an enclosed system, there is no need to worry about insect and bird offal, or dirt splashed up from rains. If there is one thing I cannot stand about garden-grown lettuce, it’s trying to get all the soil out of the ribs and wrinkles… and then it’s water logged, which doesn’t make the greatest salad.
And then there is it appliance-like design. Unlike the standard hydroponic indoor garden, this one is styled to go under the counter like a dishwasher, or as a standalone unit, for those who cannot sacrifice any lower cabinet space. You have a choice of tops, including a gorgeous butcher block made of a selection of beautiful hardwoods, which turns it into a small work space or center of the floor display surface. You also have options about the glass used in the door, which allows you to watch the garden grow while adding greenery to the kitchen, or make it blend in better with the fixtures with black or smokey glass.
Okay, so it’s super convenient for any abode. Provides you with zero-mile fresh food, and allows you to grow spring crops year around – no more lettuce and herbs bolting because the temperatures soared. Lets not forget that it looks great in any kitchen too, as a built-in or portable appliance, which is a big plus considering that the average grow box or grow tent won’t do anyone’s decor any favors. But, what about how it works?
It’s a flood and drain system with pre-programmed grow cycle settings to deliver maximum performance at home or for the commercial chef. It can be hooked up to the waterlines in the kitchen, or manually refilled. The website says they have specially formulated fertilizer that you add just once a week. Air and temperature are computer controlled, along with crop irrigation. They’ve also put together tutorial videos for different things the gardener would need to know, so it’s not a grow system that requires a huge amount of horticultural knowledge to use successfully. The one drawback is that there doesn’t seem to be any thought given to growing larger plants like tomatoes, and peppers. Guess you’ll have to stick to the grow tent space for fruiting crops.
Got a lot of little mouths to feed? Want enough room to grow a wider variety of fresh foods? Have a daily menu to serve to a passel of patrons? This organic indoor garden unit comes in a much larger unit – like 4 times this size.
Learn more, and check out the techy stuff for both the residential and commercial model here on UrbanCultivator.eu