Using My Urban Cultivators
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, I'm fortunate to have my own vegetable greenhouse, where I can grow delicious and organic produce during the colder months. I also have three Urban Cultivator units that allow me to sprout greens in appliance-sized devices right inside my main greenhouse.
Urban Cultivator is a hydroponics company in Canada that creates amazing indoor gardening machines. There's no need to use any pesticides or chemicals of any kind, so we know we're nurturing the highest quality plants. My head gardener, Ryan McCallister, has started many vegetables in the Urban Cultivators over the last several weeks - all in preparation for this year's busy growing season.
Enjoy these photos.
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- This commercial-sized Urban Cultivator sits indoors between my head house and the greenhouse. The automated system provides a self-contained growing environment with everything the plants need to thrive. It weighs 545-pounds and can hold up to 16-flats.
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- Each of the 16 trays measures 10-inches by 20-inches.
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- Urban Cultivator provides seed trays and other supplies, but most seed trays will fit into the unit. When planting seeds, it’s best to use a pre-made seed starting mix that contains the proper amounts of vermiculite, perlite and peat moss. Seed starting mixes are available at garden supply stores.
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- The seeds that the Urban Cultivator provides have all been tested specifically for the machines. They are non-GMO (non genetically modified organism), organic, and come in a wide variety. However, all kinds of seeds can be grown in these units.
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- The seed trays sit over these reservoirs and are automatically watered from the back of the unit. The Urban Cultivator Commercial model uses only about 32-gallons of water a week to refill and clean the reservoir.
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- Once placed into the Cultivator, each tray is covered with a humidity dome. The humidity dome remains positioned over the seed tray until germination begins. Each tray receives about 18-hours of light a day. In between the trays, it is easy to see where the water comes out to fill the reservoir.
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- The water is absorbed through the holes at the bottom of each tray.
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- The large Cultivator has four grow drawers for the seed trays – well spaced so there is plenty of room for seedling growth. There are also 16-grow lights – four on every shelf.
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- The liquid crystal touch screen enables one to control the functions and monitor watering, lighting, temperature, relative humidity, and nutrient data.
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- The lighting imitates the sun’s rays on the growing plants.
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- Here is the temperature panel. The Urban Cultivator is pre-programmed for an average growing situation, but it can also be customized to fit various environments.
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- This digital system provides everything for the plants at the correct times and measures so greens grow all year round.
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- After a few days, Ryan checks in on the growing seeds. It is fascinating to see how much the plants develop from day to day.
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- Once the seeds germinate, the domes are removed.
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- This shelf has seed trays showing different stages of growth.
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- This Cultivator also provides the proper aeration and circulation for its plants.
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- And here is a tray after just two weeks in the Urban Cultivator. One of the hardest things about maintaining a garden in many regions is the vast change in the weather. Harsh climates can spoil crops in an instant. It’s so wonderful to be able to grow all these delicious lush greens indoors.
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- This process is so great to watch and allows us to start many seeds for the gardens. Here, one can see how much room the Urban Cultivator provides for growing.
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- I also have two smaller Urban Cultivator residential units in this head house. Those units each take up the same footprint as a dishwasher and are plumbed to water and electrical in the same way. I also have two smaller units in the head house. In this Urban Cultivator, Ryan is propagating begonias through a process of leaf layering – rooting cut leaves from the mature plants.
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- And this Urban Cultivator is emptied, cleaned and ready for the next batch of seed trays. Each residential machine has two grow shelves for the seed trays. Everything is well spaced so there is plenty of room for seedling growth. These smaller units are also have pre-set control centers to ensure greens get exactly the right amount of water, light, and humidity for what is growing inside.
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- And here’s Ryan at the big Urban Cultivator taking out another tray of seedlings ready to be repotted. We’ll be very prepared for the growing season this year – I am so excited.
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