The Biogarden is a novel hydroponics growing system. It is a durable, modifiable and supports a variety of soilless growing techniques including DWC deep water culture, aquaponics, vertical farming and soilless aggregate growing.
BIOGARDEN DESIGN FEATURES
18" Wide Concave Trough for Aggregate, NFT and Deep Water
The concave shaped trough wedges the raft into place so that as the water level rises and falls when using the module for deep water culture. An air layer is created at the upper root zone. With each rise and fall in water level nutrients, oxygen and hydration are provided to the microbes on the roots. With aggregate beds, the concavity assures full drainage of media between flooding cycles.
Vertical Stacking with Shade or Light Canopy Frames
When using deep water for plants, fish or both, vertical stacking is a practical way to double space utilization indoors or in a greenhouse. With the Biogarden, canopy frames support stacking beds, adding shade cloth and light fixtures. Lights can even be placed between levels of grow beds
Tanks Below Beds for Fish, Nutrients and Water Storage
When growing plants and fish together, tanks below the beds optimize space use and adds the benefit of modularity which means that varying plants, nutrients and techniques may all be featured within one greenhouse growing area.
Variable Dimensions in Length, Height and Width
Sustainability in agriculture means that the systems are accessible to everyone, affordable, scalable and good for the environment. Biogarden ranges in sizes from 3' in width to as long as 100' in length. With DIY BIogarden options growers can choose any range of size and cofiguration possible
The Biogarden May Be Used for Multiple Growing Techniques
The Biogarden supports all growing methods and is customizable in height and length. This gives indoor growing and greenhouse operations more options for optimization.
HYDROPONICS GROW TECHNIQUES
NFT and Aeroponics
Fast growing plants do well in NFT and Aeroponics. While we prefer deep water culture when water is abundant, NFT and Aeroponics is best for low water environments. In this case a small trickle of water carries nutrients below the root zone.
Aggregate Beds
Aggregate beds are filled with non-decomposing stones such as Growstone, biochar and Permatil. These provide an ideal porosity for microbes to colonize and a stable nutrient sink for long term plant growth.
Deep Water Raft Culture is our favorite growing technique for fast growing plants in the Biogarden. It requires no stones minimizing maintenance and allows for easy transfer and observation of root zone.
AQUAPONICS & AQUACULTURE
Growing fish with or without plants in a closed loop recirculating fashion.
Aquaculture Crustaceans
Crawfish and shrimp are filter feeders. They thrive on duckweed and suspended nutrients within organic liquid feeds. Giant Australian Red Claw crawfish grow fast, reproduce steadily and are fun to raise.
Aquaponics Integration of Plants and Fish
Fish tanks below the beds are ideal when space optimization is a priority. With flood and drain aggregate beds above tanks raising fish, no additional biofiltration is required.
Aquaculture Aquatic Plants
Duckweed and spirulina grow exceptionally well in the deep water troughs. We like to integrate adjacent troughs so that the water moves from size to side in continuous flowing raceway.
CASH CROPS: PLANTS AND OTHER ORGANISMS GROWN IN THE BIOGARDEN
Growing fish with or without plants in a closed loop recirculating fashion.
Lettuces in Deep Water, NFT or Aggregate
Lettuces, herbs and other fast growing plants do well in deep water trays. Trays holding 2" net cups are suspended over the water which ebbs and flows below. This is a very low energy process with no bubblers or mechanical aeration required.
Hemp and Cannabis in Aggregate Beds
Hemp and Cannabis farming are becoming more and more mainstream. The Biogarden aggregate beds are stable, never require soil replacement and support heavy feeding vegetation and flowering.
Flowers in Aggregate Beds
Flowers and seedlings are a big business in small and large scale agriculture. Direct sow seeds in aggregate beds and enjoy a bouquet of flowers throughout the growing season.
Worm Farming and Microbe Tea Brewing
Earthworm farming is ideal for several reasons. Worms are raised at waist level reducing labor. The watering of worms may be set on a timer also to minimize labor. When brewing microbe teas, which can be used in other systems and in soil, the leachate drains to the tank below, where it is constantly aerated and mixed with a vortex water circulation system. Earth worms are prolific growers in a Biogarden. If starting with 20lbs of worms and feeding 50lbs of waste on average per week, one may yield 500 lbs of worms in a year. Not bad when considering their importance as a feed and retail value of $20/lb.
Wheat Grass and Animal Fodder in Deep Water Rafts
Wheatgrass is a valuable crop when raised for juicing and human nutrition. It is also nutritious superfood for animals that may be grown year round and on vertical levels within a greenhouse without the need for soil. Livestock benefits from eating leaves, roots and all. Wheatgrass in a biogarden grows as much as 3-6lbs (with/without roots) per month per SF. Cattle and other livestock thrive on wheat grass and when raised as grass-fed, become more valuable to the farmer and end user.
Microgreens in Deep Water Culture
Microgreens are a favorite among chef's and restaurants with specialty menus. They are fast growing (12-45 days) and valuable. They are simply sheered from the base of the grow trays and sold in clam trays or in bulk bags. Growers can earn 10-$30/sf per month with most microgreens. Microgreens are nutritious, herbaceous and delicious.
General Biogarden Features
In an organic growing environment as pictured here within the Biofarm the deep water culture system requires a balance of organics and microbes. The released of inorganics by microbes, is much like with the function of fish in aquaponics,
Nutrient and water transport lines always remain clear in the Biogarden design while maintaining a sensitive ecosystem comprised of microbes and other organism facilitating the nutrient cycling process in harmony with the plants.
Prior to adding our organic liquid fertilizers to the deep water Biogarden trough, the nutrients from dry biomass blends are extracted via both anaerobic digestion and then into a Nutricycler, or aerotic vortex biofiltration.
If not set up for deep water, a Biogarden may be configured for aggregate beds. The liquid nutrients from anaerobic extraction require somewhat less prep with nutricycling or biofiltration as the aggregate beds and their robust colony of microbes, manage this process.
Biofiltration reduces carbon, nitrifies ammonia and creates more plant-ready nutrients.
Vertical Hydroponics System
Commercial growers can maximize space utilization with grow area/ indoor growing area upwards of 60% "square foot space utilization." By stacking grow beds the total area is maximized while still allowing plenty of space for working between beds and rows.
Bioponica customizes the Biogarden for larger growing operations depending on the type of plant raised, the preferred growing technique and the different weather and sunlight conditions.
- Techniques – Flood and drain, DWC deep water culture, NFT nutrient film technique and ALT air layer technique.
- Methods – Hydroponics, Aquaponics, Bioponics
- All Weather – Indoor gardening/Outdoor gardening
- Special Features – Trickle Valve, Bucket Vortex Aeration, ALT Trays,
- Vertical – from 1 level to 4 levels for space optimization and sun exposure
- Supports range of plants and fish – algae, duckweed, finfish, crustaceans and nearly all plant varieties and sizes
- Ideal for side by side research – compare conditions with control
- Utilizes organic nutrients – including inline bioponic biomass fermentation teas
- Easy to assemble, reassemble and move.
- HDPE food safe material – recycled/recycle-able
Vertical Stacking Options
- Fish Only
- Fish and Plants
- Plants Only
- One Level Beds
- One Level Beds with Tank Below
- Two Level Beds with or without Tank
- Three Level Beds with underground return .
- Single wide Beds and Tanks
- Double Wide Beds and Tanks
- 3' foot length, 10' foot, 20' foot and 40' foot, all the way up to 100' foot tables