Tonight:
9°c
Nasa's mini-allotment can help you grow rocket salad
Miranda Bryant29.07.09
A "mini allotment" designed by Nasa scientists to grow fruit and veg in space will go on sale today.
The gadget will allow people in the smallest of flats to grow their own herbs and flowers without the need for a garden - or even soil.
The Power Plant Growing Machine uses hundreds of tiny jets to constantly spray nutrients on to the roots of plants. Scientists say this leads to far quicker growth than normal.
It is suitable for fruit, vegetables and herbs, and just needs an electricity socket and a window sill.
Users add water to a nutrient mix, pour it over a spongy strip, sow the seeds on the strip and place it in the machine, which resembles a toaster.
An internal microjet system constantly sprays the roots with oxygenated nutrient water. As the plant grows, the owner tops up the gadget with water and nutrients.
The growing technique, known as aeroponics, was first designed by Nasa scientists to help astronauts make sure they still got their five-a-day of fruit and vegetables on missions.
Oakthrift, supplier of the £34 device, claims it not only does away with the need for soil, but also makes a bigger and stronger crop than if it was grown outside.
Guy Barter, head of horticultural advice at the Royal Horticultural Society, said: "It looks rather fun. Some people don't like the thought of dirt and insects in their home, so this could be a good way of overcoming that.
"It's got a futuristic look to it. I think a lot of people will be amazed that they can grow plants like that."
The system is already used on a bigger scale by commercial growers.
A drawback is that the produce is not organic. "If you're feeding something on a nutrient solution it wouldn't be organic, but it would still be completely wholesome," said Mr Barter.
"Home-grown food is good because people like the taste and it's good for kids to learn."
Growing food at home or in allotments is become increasingly popular - but there are huge waiting lists for allotment space in many parts of London. The Evening Standard's Grow Your Own campaign is backing ideas and policies that help make Londoners more self-sufficient.
Reader views (3)
Good fun (yes it does look like the basil is growing out of a toaster), but let's face it on planet Earth it's a gimmick. £34 plus electricity (& associated CO2 emissions)? = very expensive veg. In an atmosphere which is 21% oxygen we don't NEED to "oxygenate" the stuff that plants grow in. Nor is soilless growing anything new--I ate hydroponic tomatoes (grown organically btw) 15 years ago.
What's wrong with a plain old-fashioned window box? Anyone who's got a phobia of "dirt in their home" (ie earth--how do they get on with buying veg in shops then?) needs psychological help, not some overelaborate gadgetry.
I liked the "rocket" pun though.
- Liz, London, UK
How much electricity does it use? Probably a false economy.
- Mark, London
My current 4 batches of rocket are slowly being devoured by caterpillars, I don't mind though, I'll flog the butterflies to Damian Hurst for £500.
- Bob, Cheam
