19.11.2015 - Posted by Pasi Lindberg, inventor of ZENGROW®
ZENGROW Window Farm and Lettuce Per Day® -concept
We have been developing Indoor Gardening solutions since 2007 and we have been among the first companies in Europe to introduce a small scale Table Top Gardening device for home use. After our first product launch in 2008 we have been developing many different concepts and size of products.
We are now proud to announce our latest innovation for Indoor Gardening market and in home food production: ZENGROW® Window Farm and Lettuce Per Day® (LPD) -concept!
This is a game changer in fresh food production in home! There are no other companies that have promised the consumer to have the possibility to grow and harvest one lettuce per day indoors all year round and offered a turn-key -solution for an affordable price.
Mass production in greenhouse
Large scale greenhouses produce our lettuces and culinary herbs. It takes around 25 days to grow full matured lettuce head by using hydroponic NFT-method. There are three main stages in this cycle:
- Sowing the seeds
- Growing the seedlings
- Growing the final product
These stages are nowadays automated and one hydroponic gardener can run hundreds of thousands (100 000) of pots in this cycle. There are of course helping hands in all stages but one educated person can run this organic and living beast!
Lets go deeper in the process and let's say there is a regular size greenhouse that produces 1000 lettuce heads per day. Lettuce head grows into a fully matured plant in only 25 days by using hydroponic NFT method in gutters. This method is widely used in greenhouses and is far among the best method for growing a small size plants like lettuce and culinary herbs.
We need to sow 1000 new pots each day during the next 25 day period to drive the production cycle up so that we can harvest 1000 lettuce head per day. There are then over 25 000 plants growing in the cycle same time!
Two thirds (2/3) of the plants are in the propagator area and one third (1/3) of the plants are in the final stage area.
When greenhouse produce regular leafy lettuce variety they sow three (3) seeds in one pot. Always there are some percent of seeds that do not propagate and therefore some extra pots needs to be sown in the first stage. To the final stage where plants are being matured to full size only pots that have 2-3 seeds propagated will be moved from the propagation stage and others will be discarded.
How to apply and use the professional methods in a small scale and in a home indoor environment?
This is where our new ZENGROW® Window Farm and Lettuce Per day® -concept is there to help you! We will help you in each step to buy, build and maintain your own production line in your home by using ZENGROW® Home Gardening -products and instructions.
Lets start! When we plan to harvest one (1) lettuce per day we need to sow one pot every day during the next 25 days to be able to harvest one fully grown lettuce head per day. We also need to sow some extra seeds just to be sure we have enough plants in our final stage just like the large scale greenhouses do. Right? Actually we have simplified this process for you and you can propagate five (5) plants every five (5) days. Continue reading to learn more.
This calculation gives us amount of 25 plants in the cycle at the same time! This is the amount that will define the size of the production line in your home.
You need to follow these simple steps to maintain your home production line.
STEP 1: ZENGROW Propagation -stage setup and process
STEP 2: ZENGROW Production -stage setup and process
STEP1: ZENGROW Propagation -stage setup and process
Buy and setup your ZENGROW 6 (ZG6) Table Top Garden and ZENGROW Plantlight and you are ready start your propagation process.
All you need to do is sow and plant six (6) plants in your ZENGROW 6 (ZG6) Table Top Garden every five (5) days. One extra pot in this stage will ensure you will get needed amount of good quality seedlings to move in your production line. Choose five best seedlings and discard one extra plant in this stage.
Sowing the seeds is simple. Take your ZENGROW pots and ZENGROW growing medium and plant three (3) lettuce seeds each pot. Watch a video about how to sow the seeds to our growing medium/pot. Add fresh water in your ZENGROW 6 (ZG6) Table Top Garden and plug in the unit. We do not need to use fertilizers in the propagation process. Watch a video about how to place the pots to ZENGROW 6 (ZG6) Table Top Garden.
After five days your first set of seedlings are ready to be moved in your production line in your ZENGROW Window Farm. Then the propagation process starts all over again.
STEP 2: ZENGROW Production -stage and process
Buy and setup your ZENGROW Window Farm in front of your preferred window. Add water and ZENGROW Fertilizer into the vessel, plug in your pump and timer and your production line is ready to grow!
Water needs to be changed every production round after 25 days. During the middle of the production you add more water and some more fertilizer according to the instructions on the fertilizer bottle.
Once your ZENGROW Window Farm is ready, you can move first set of five (5) plants from propagation line to your production line. There is three gutters in your production line. One gutter has ten (10) place for plants with tight 3 cm spacing. This is the place for your first five (5) plants.
There are two other cutters with five (5) place in each gutter for plants with totally 20 spaces (10+5+5) in your ZENGROW Window Farm.
Continue propagating five plants in your propagation line and fill in the first 10 spaces in your production line. After the first ten spaces are used, move first five (5) plants forward to upper level and then fill in again the lowest gutter with the next five (5) plants so that you have again all ten places full.
After 20 days, your ZENGROW Window Farm is now fully housing 20 plants. Now wait five (5) days and you can start harvesting one lettuce from the top row every day. Continue this process now and you can harvest full grown lettuce every day as long as you keep your process going!
What you need to buy to be able to build a large enough system to grow and harvest one lettuce per day?
Items to buy to set up a propagation line:
- ZENGROW 6 (ZG6) Table Top Garden
- ZENGROW Growlight for your ZENGROW 6 (ZG6) Table Top Garden
- ZENGROW Propagator plate (growing medium 48 pcs for refills)
- ZENGROW Pots 24 pcs
Order your ZENGROW products here.
With these products you can grow six (6) seedlings simultaneously in the propagation stage. This is the stage that will define the amount of plants in your system.
Items to buy to set up a production line:
- ZENGROW Window Farm
- ZENGROW Fertilizer
Order your ZENGROW Window Farm here.
ZENGROW Window Farm includes three (3) NFT-gutters with end caps, three (3) T5 lights, Irrigation lines, pump, sewer pipes and connection parts. There are place for housing 20 plants in three layers in your production line in ZENGROW Window Farm. Buy large container separately or use excisting container.