Many people love the idea of growing their own food, whether if they are trying to be more health-conscious, knowing where your food comes from, or simply because you like whole foods. However, for many people, the harsh winters can make it challenging to grow food outside, so many people grow their food inside.
The problem that arises when making your food inside is that it can take up a lot of space and be in the way. But, do not fear; there is a solution – vertical farming. Vertical farming is an excellent option to grow food in the home and you can also work in colors and artistic patterns for your farms and gardens, designing areas within the home.
Not only does vertical farming indoors help you to save space and grow your own foods, but you can create beautiful artistic home decor at the same time. It is aesthetically pleasing and has the benefit of contributing to you and your family’s well-being.
WHAT IS VERTICAL FARMING?
So, what exactly is vertical farming, anyway?
An explanation of Vertical Farming by Bowery Farming indicates that it is the process in which crops are grown on top of each other instead of the traditional, horizontal rows. Growing vertically allows for conservation in space, resulting in a higher crop yield per square foot of land used. It is a way to grow food that is stacked upwards, to put it more simply. Utilizing vertical farming aims to produce crops in a small space and solve worldwide food shortages.
Having a living wall or shelf in your home gives your home more oxygen, and there are so many stunning vertical farming gardens and creations that you can put in the smallest of homes. Then, depending on your level of creativity, you can take some of these inspired and innovative vertical farming ideas and bring them into your own home.
Hydroponics is the most common method of vertical farming at home, probably because it is the cheapest method utilizing vertical farming aims and has an easy setup for beginners. On the other hand, aquaponics has setups that use pipes under plants that spray mists of nutrients, and no soil is necessary. Furthermore, Aquaponics uses fish to create their mini-ecosystem, having fish in the water to fertilize it and benefit plant health.
BENEFITS OF VERTICAL FARMING
Before diving into the home decor that you can use when vertical farming, it is essential to understand its benefits, especially if you are on the fence about whether or not you want to grow your own food at home. It can help to do your research and understand all of the advantages. So, here are some of the many benefits to developing a vertical farm of your own:
- Water Conservation – Vertical farming saves a large amount of water, about 95% less than traditional farming. In addition, your plants use less water because they are set up through flow hydroponics, so they are consistently getting the nutrients they need.
- Higher Plant Growth – More plants can be produced in a shorter time than traditional planting through the soil when using vertical farming. It also gives you the benefit of having more plants ready to eat in no time at all.
- Controlled Environment – Since you have total control over the plants, you can ensure they get exactly what they need, so you should have fewer plants dying off. In addition, you have the advantage of your plants not being exposed to extreme weather conditions or fluctuations.
VERTICAL FARMING HOME DECOR IDEAS
Vertical Salad Garden
A vertical garden of salad is an excellent resource for fresh greens whenever you need them, and you can avoid the waste of throwing away partially-used bags or heads of lettuce. In addition, the visual of being able to see what’s ready for picking and usage will help you control how much you need. You can quickly grab whatever you need right off the plant on your wall or shelf and have a beautiful interior design with your salad as the focus.
Vertical Herb Garden
Image source: Pinterest
Growing an herb garden gives you an array of seasonings to choose from for your meals. Herbs are sometimes so delicate when you buy them at the store, and they rarely stay fresh long enough once you bring them home. So no more dried spices in your spice rack – you can have access to the finest, tastiest flavors you want to season your foods and create fresh meals.
You can make it more fun for yourself by creating colors or a statement within your home. A vertical garden like this is unique and will have people complimenting your home decor choices.
Vertical Plant Wall
Image source: Ashley Homes Ohio
Some people choose to dedicate an entire wall to create a vertical farm or garden. You can grow plants indoors and create a beautiful, eye-catching centerpiece or accent. Many people who have trouble keeping plants alive might think that vertical farming will not work for them. However, many people find that they have an easier time with upkeep when they bring vertical farming into the home.
Many of them include automated irrigation so that you don’t have to be concerned with knowing when to water or over-watering. So you don’t run the risk of accidentally killing your plants. It also helps that the air in your home will be more oxygen-saturated, reducing air pollution.
Setting up a vertical farm within your home is easy and efficient. Since this is a relatively new method, the possibilities to create fantastic home decor with your vertical farm are limitless.
Depending on which type you go for, there can be a little more work involved, but you can create some spectacular home decor to show off with some of these innovative creations, or make one of your own, while simultaneously producing organic foods, herbs, and beautiful plants.
