My New Urban Cultivators
For me, few things compare to the joy of growing my own fresh and nutritious herbs and micro-greens all year long. I use them in my green juice and share them with my daughter and grandchildren.
Fortunately, I have a large indoor vegetable greenhouse, where I can grow lots of delicious and organic produce. I also have three Urban Cultivator units that allow me to sprout greens in appliance-sized devices. Urban Cultivator is a hydroponics company in Surrey, Canada that focuses on creating these amazing indoor gardening machines and all the accessories and seeds that go with them. There is no need to use any pesticides or chemicals of any kind, so we know we’re growing the highest quality plants possible. Not long ago, I received two new models to replace the older ones I’ve been using at my Bedford, New York farm - one large commercial machine and one smaller residential unit. These new machines have the same great easy-to-use design and are already filled with lush green sprouts.
Here are some photos - enjoy.
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- This is my new Urban Cultivator residential unit. This home model takes up the same footprint as a dishwasher and is plumbed to water and electrical sources in the same way. http://www.urbancultivator.net/
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- Each residential machine has two grow shelves for the seed trays. Everything is well spaced so there is plenty of room for seedling growth.
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- Urban Cultivators have pre-programmed control centers to ensure greens get exactly the right amount of water, light, and humidity for what is growing inside.
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- The two machines sit side by side in my head house. The older model is filled with plants in different stages of growth. One of the few differences between the two is the location of the programmable menu bar – on the new unit, the touch bar is on the outside. On the older unit, it is on the inside of the door.
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- This is a collection of various pre-seeded grow mats, which fit perfectly into a cultivator tray.
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- Urban Cultivator provides several options for growing seeds. For this option, we chose to use these pre-seeded grow mats filled with mustard seeds.
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- Ryan opens a pack of pre-seeded grow mats – there are four in each pack.
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- The mats are made from hemp to anchor the plant roots. The seeds are already set into the surface of the mats.
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- The mats come pre-cut to the exact measurements of the tray – and no soil is needed.
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- Ryan places the grow mat into the tray.
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- The Urban Cultivator trays are made with indentations for adequate and equal water flow.
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- It’s that easy – all the trays are ready.
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- Meanwhile, Ryan tests the water feature in the unit. Water comes out of the back of the Urban Cultivator and is absorbed through the holes at the bottom of each tray.
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- Urban Cultivator provides humidity domes for each tray. Ryan secures the dome on top of the tray and keeps it on while the seeds are germinating – about five days.
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- Ryan places the tray into the Urban Cultivator and follows the specific seed information to set the pre-programmed growing conditions.
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- Ryan does the same for all the trays – covers each one with a humidity dome and places it into the machine.
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- After a few days, the grow mats are filled with sprouts. One dome was removed to show the development.
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- Look how lush and green they are.
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- The older unit is also filled with plants in different stages of growth.
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- The unit is programmed to do everything needed until the plants are harvested in a couple of weeks. Each tray receives about 18-hours of light a day. I am so happy with my Urban Cultivators – they provide so many delicious greens for me, my family and also my canaries! In another blog, I’ll share photos from my new commercial Urban Cultivator – you’ll love what we’re growing!
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