waterside farms m lite

Waterside Farms

Indoor Garden

This space was once our pool kitchen but was eventually closed due to a decline in business.

In January 2011 our culinary team decided to use this space to grow our own produce to use in the restaurants.

We started off using this space for an indoor organic container garden but later decided to switch to a fully hydroponic facility that utilizes several different hydroponic systems and growing methods.

Indoor Garden – The Clean Out

Indoor Garden – The Construction

Indoor Garden – Organic Container Garden

Indoor fully organic container garden using custom hand mixed soil-less growing mediums and vegan nutrients.

Produced several different varieties of tomatoes including several rare heirlooms.

Also produced Jalapeno's, Habanero's, Snap Peas, and a variety of Herbs

Separate grow rooms with specialized lighting and night/day cycles for the different stages of growth.


Propagation/Vegetative Growth Room


Flowering / Fruiting Room

Rooftop Garden – Organic Container Garden

Our indoor organic container garden was quickly outgrowing itself and needed to be expanded.

This is when we decided to expand out to the rooftop and create an outdoor garden using the same organic growing methods we were using in our indoor garden

We started off with just a few containers growing only tomatoes but quickly expanded to where we have 52 containers and grow many varieties of herbs, tomatoes, jalapeño's, and habanero's.

Rooftop Garden – Organic Container Garden

Rooftop Garden – Rain Harvesting Irrigation System

One problem we faced with the location of our rooftop garden was that we did not have a source of water without having to haul it

With the expansion of the garden from just a few containers to 52 hauling water from the other side of the building was no longer an option

This is when we designed and constructed an irrigation system from mostly recycled materials that captures and stores up to 660 gallons of rain water and with the use of a time controlled pump delivers water to each container using water efficient micro irrigation sprayers.

Indoor Garden – Hydroponic Garden

Indoor fully hydroponic garden that utilizes several different hydroponic systems and growing methods.

65 Gal Deep Water Culture(DWC) system produces two large high yielding heirloom tomato plants.

Two Lettuce Raft systems capable of producing 129 heads of baby lettuce every 28 days.

Nutrient Film Technique(NFT) system that has 78 plant sites and produces herbs such as Basil, Mint, Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary, Chives, Sage, Italian Parsley, and Cilantro.


Deep Water Culture (DWC)Deep Water Culture is a hydroponic method of plant production by means of suspending the plant roots in a solution of nutrient-rich, oxygenated water. Traditional methods favor the use of plastic buckets and large containers with the plant contained in a net pot suspended from the center of the lid and the roots suspended in the nutrient solution. The solution is oxygen saturated from an air pump combined with porous stones.


Lettuce RaftsA Lettuce Raft is just another style of a Deep Water Culture system, the difference is that in a lettuce raft the plants contained in net pots that are fixed in a Styrofoam lid that floats on top of the nutrient solution where as in a typical DWC system the lid is fixed in place. This method allows the grower to use large shallow reservoirs or trays and multiple rafts containing larger numbers and multiple varieties of lettuce and other greens can be floated at a time.


Lettuce Rafts


Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) is a hydroponic technique where a very shallow stream of water containing all the dissolved nutrients required for plant growth is re-circulated past the bare roots of plants in a gully, also known as channels. NFT, because of its design, provides a system where all three requirements for healthy plant growth can be met at the same time. The result of these advantages is that higher yields of high-quality produce are obtained over an extended period of cropping.


Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)

Indoor Garden – Hydroponic Upgrades

We have since upgraded our indoor hydroponic garden with more efficient systems that produce much higher yields and maximize the use of our space.

Two Nutrient Film Technique(NFT) systems that have a total of 319 plant sites and are capable of producing 79 heads of baby lettuce a week.

Drip System containing 26 plant sites and produces herbs such as Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary, and Chives.

Indoor Garden – Hydroponic Upgrades

Harvests

waterside farms m lite

Documents

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rooftop garden rain

rooftop garden wasthat

italianindoor garden

indoor organic containergarden

hydroponic gardenthat

organic growing methods

plant roots