#aeroponic-cultivation

#aeroponic-cultivation

In 2019, scientists found that balloons eaten by seabirds are more likely to kill them than other kinds of plastic yet they do not seem to have been earmarked in the same way as, for example, plastic straws.

More than 30,000 hectares of land are covered in plastic, a geometric labyrinth five times the size of Manhattan, where 3.5m tons of vegetables are produced every year from tomatoes to cucumbers, peppers to courgettes, aubergines to melons, enough to feed half a billion people and generate a turnover of more than 3bn euros.

Most water filter pitchers are made of BPA-free plastic. But as new research shows that bottled-water drinkers ingest tens of thousands of excess microplastic particles, wellness lovers have begun to look askance at water filters that are themselves made of plastic.

After 15 years, volunteers at a Bed Stuy farm found themselves locked out of the green space that has fed thousands over the years, and lately became a temporary home for asylum seekers.

Eddie Oroyan and his wife faced a devastating loss at LewaTerra Farm after two kona low storms hit Oahu, wiping out nearly all their crops and leaving them with extensive damage. The couple initially felt hopeful after the first storm but were met with even greater destruction from the second storm, which inundated neighborhoods and caused evacuations.

Seedlings are ambitious and will germinate and start growing once pressed into damp soil, shooting toward the nearest light source. However, if they remain in small containers without natural light, they can become root-bound and leggy, eventually collapsing under their own weight.

Enter the LeafyPod, a self-watering smart planter that utilizes AI to understand your leafy companions, and keep them well cared for. The system is simple: a connected app monitors hydration and nutrient levels, noting what's best for that specific type of plant. Recently named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2025, the hydroponic system allows users to grow herbs, greens, or flowers all year long. LeafyPod is adaptive, responding to plant health and to changes in environment.

For someone aiming to end the global livestock industry, Bruce Friedrich begins his new book called Meat in disarming fashion: I'm not here to tell anyone what to eat. You won't find vegetarian or vegan recipes in this book, and you won't find a single sentence attempting to convince you to eat differently. This book isn't about policing your plate.

You are not alone: social media is full of claims that soaking banana skins in water makes a fertiliser that will give you bigger leaves and better blooms. The hack Put banana peels in a jar of water, leave them to sit, then pour the liquid on your plants. Bananas do contain potassium and small amounts of other nutrients. The snag is you have no idea how strong it is or what's missing.

Instead of running to the store every time you need a handful of fresh basil (and inevitably letting the rest go to waste in your fridge), having an herb garden of your own allows you to only take what you need. While this in itself is a great sustainable practice, try taking it a step further by starting an herb garden in old plastic fruit containers.

Future Farm is a modular vertical farming system designed by Qing Duan for integration within urban architecture, proposing a model where buildings function as hydro-ecological systems. Rainwater is collected, filtered, and redistributed to support plant growth and domestic needs, establishing a closed-loop water cycle that combines sustainable agriculture with everyday city life. The project incorporates public greenhouse spaces, shared kitchens, rooftop farms, and educational zones to enable collective care, learning, and interaction with urban farming processes.

People grow asparagus from crowns because it shortens the long wait times for harvesting. From seed, you'll need to wait three years before harvesting asparagus. Some people consider that a waste of time. The tradeoff is that you can keep harvesting every spring for up to 15 years or more. If you plant crowns, you get a one-year jump on things. However, those crowns may have soil-borne diseases you don't know about, so there is a risk involved. Seeds remove that problem.

If you're cold, your outdoor plants probably are too - and it's time to bring those tender leafy greens indoors. Wintertime container gardening can be a satisfying, cost-effective way to incorporate more leafy green veggies into your daily diet, and few fast-growing veggies are as suited to the task as arugula. These seeds grow happily in your kitchen, thriving in countertop gardens and shallow pots even when the annual chill sets in.