How the Food Rising Mini-Farm Grow Box works:
The Food Rising Mini-Farm Grow Box was created by Texas inventor Mike Adams (aka the "Health Ranger"), who is also an atomic spectrometry lab director, award-winning investigative journalist and holder of multiple pending patents.The invention owes credit to the teachings of Dr. Hideo Imai of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) and Dr. B. A. Kratky of the University of Hawaii, both of whom studied innovative non-circulating plant growth strategies developed in Taiwan. Additional credit is due to Christian Berg, author of "Guide to Non-Circulating Hydroponics," and Terry Moore Cadle, author of "The Secret of Non-Circulating Hydroponics."The Food Rising Mini-Farm Grow System is a bottom-fed, constant-height, self-watering, non-circulating hydroponics system that has been streamlined and simplified with modern manufacturing automation and 3D printing innovations created by Mike Adams.
The system works as follows:
1) After initial assembly, the Mini-Farm Grow Box is filled with nutrient water (made by dissolving Ultraclean Super Plant Food into water).
2) Net pots filled with coconut coir grow medium are placed in the holes of the precision-cut lid. Sprouting seeds are placed in the coconut coir to begin sprouting.
3) When the seeds sprout, their roots grow into the water and begin to use the nutrient solution. The water level begins to drop.
4) As the water level drops, the plant roots "chase" the water down to lower and lower levels inside the grow bin. This causes the production of "air roots" which hang in the air and become oxygen diffusers, replacing the need for electric air pumps.
5) When the water level drops below the level of the installed float valve, the valve automatically opens due to gravity, allowing new water (and nutrients) to flow into the grow container at a controlled rate. This float valve keeps the water maintained at a fixed height for the remainder of the plant grow cycle.
6) Some plant roots stay suspended in the water, pulling in water and nutrients for the plant. Other roots remain suspended in the air and adapt themselves into air absorbers. This is called "root specialization" and is a key reason why the Mini-Farm Grow Box works so well.
7) The plants continue to grow and produce, using water and nutrients. When the water reservoir gets low, additional water and nutrients are added. This only needs to be done rarely, often as little as once a week (depends on temperature, humidity and plant species).
8) Once the crops from one growth cycle are harvested, the Food Rising Mini-Farm Grow Box can be rinsed out, sanitized with sunlight, and used again to grow a whole new batch of fresh food or medicine!
