The Grove Ecosystem is an intelligent indoor garden that enables people to grow fresh, flavorful, and healthy food year-round. The ecosystem contains an aquarium, where fish eat food and turn it into waste. Bacteria take that waste and turn it into nitrates, which is a critical fertilizer for plants. A plumbing system pumps the nitrate-enriched water through the plant beds, creating a self-enclosed ecosystem. This symbiosis between fish, plants, and bacteria is called aquaponics. The ecoystems contain two gardening beds. Instead of soil, they contain expanding clay pebbles, which also act as a biological filter. The plants are nourished by LED lights, which can slide up and down to adjust to the height of the plants. The ecosystem is controlled by an intelligent operating system. It even comes with a vacation mode, so you won’t need to rely on a neighbor to water your plants.
Aquaponics is a portmanteau of aquaculture (raising aquatic animals) and hydroponics (any soil-less plant-cultivation technique). It describes any system that combines the two into a symbiotic whole. Such a system typically consists of a fish tank and a grow bed. Water containing ammonia-rich fish excreta is pumped up to the grow bed, where nitrifying bacteria make short work of the ammonia, breaking it down into plant-sustaining nitrates and rendering the water clean. In short, your plants get organic fertilizers and the fish clean water (ammonia is toxic to them in high concentrations).
The Ecosystem leverages a gaggle of onboard sensors, air temperature, humidity, water temperature, and water level to keep you informed at every step. This way, you can visually track your progress, monitor plant growth, and identify any problems or imbalances in the system. The readings are relayed to you over Wi-Fi via a companion app called Grove OS. Grove Labs co-founder and CEO Gabe Blanchet tells us the app is what truly sets the Ecosystem apart. He claims there’s not much for you to do beyond planting seeds, checking plant health, and adding water and fish food when notified. Simply tell the app what you’ve planted, and it will automate the fans, lights, and water pumps accordingly. Of course, you can also use it to control these components manually anytime you like.
For more information please visit: www.grovelabs.io
