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PRODUCTION ESTIMATES
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GREENS
How often should I harvest?
You can harvest as often as you want; the frequency will depend on whether you use
a conveyor system or not. Since most greens are grown on a 5-week turn (10.4 turns per
year), you can use a conveyor system with 5-tower rows, and harvest every week.
You can increase production, however, by growing on a 6-week turn.
Complete Harvest
Crop
Selected Lettuce
4-6 lbs
1.8-2.7
6-8 lbs
1.7-3.6
Bok Choi
6-7 lbs
2.7-3.2
8-9 lbs
3.6-4.1
Kale (Winterbor)
3 lbs
1.4
4 lbs
1.8
Tatsoi
3 lbs
1.4
4 lbs
1.8
Chard
4 lbs
1.8
5.5 lbs
2.5
Mustard Greens
3 lbs
1.4
4 lbs
1.8
*These values are for complete harvests although gradual harvests are possible for many of these
crops. Transplant size is typically 2-3 inches in size with one to two sets of true leaves.
Mustard Greens
Tatsoi
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Romaine Lettuce
HERBS
How should I harvest?
Most herbs cultured in towers have longer and more gradual harvest schedules.
Basil, for instance, is cut three times and at three week intervals before being replanted, and
each cutting yields more than the last.
Slow growing crops like oregano, rosemary, and sage often are cultured for 9-12 months with
increasing harvests. When the production of the tower begins to decrease again, the tower is
replanted.
Herbs
Week 5
(lbs)
Week 8
(lbs)
Week 11
(lbs)
Week
14 (lbs)
Week 17
(lbs)
Week
Week 23
20 (lbs) (lbs)
Week
26 (lbs)
Sweet Basil
(3 cuts)
3-4 lbs
4-5 lbs
5-6 lbs
New
Cycle
Oregano
(Spanish)
1 lb
2.5 lbs
2.5 lbs
2.5 lbs
2.5 lbs
2.5 lbs
2.5 lbs
2.5 lbs
Rosemary
.5 lb
1 lb
1 lb
1 lb
2 lb
Sage
.5 lb
1 lb
1 lb
2 lb
2 lb
Fennel
5-7 kb
New Cycle
Parsley
3-4 lbs
3-4 lbs
New Cycle
Cilantro
3-4 lbs
2-3 lbs
New Cycle
Herbs
Week 5
(kg)
Week 8
(kg)
Week 11
(kg)
Week
14 (kg)
Week 17
(kg)
Week
Week 23
20 (kg) (kg)
Week
26 (kg)
Sweet Basil
(3 cuts)
1.4-1.8
1.8-2.3
2.3-2.7
New
Cycle
Oregano
(Spanish)
.45
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
Rosemary
.23
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.8
Sage
.23
.45
.45
.45
.9
Fennel
New Cycle
Parsley
1.4-1.8
.9-1.4
New Cycle
Cilantro
1.4-1.8
.9-1.4
New Cycle
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Complete Harvest
Crop
Selected Lettuce
4-6 lbs
1.8-2.7
6-8 lbs
1.7-3.6
Bok Choi
6-7 lbs
2.7-3.2
8-9 lbs
3.6-4.1
Kale (Winterbor)
3 lbs
1.4
4 lbs
1.8
Tatsoi
3 lbs
1.4
4 lbs
1.8
Chard
4 lbs
1.8
5.5 lbs
2.5
Mustard Greens
3 lbs
1.4
4 lbs
1.8
Watercress
3 lbs
5 lbs
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Production
(kg m2)
Production
Period
For Comparison:
kg m2
Study
Zipgrow
Aquaponic
9.4
5 weeks
post-transplant
1.88
Storey, 2012
Raft
Aquaponic
13-42
52 weeks
post-transplant
.25-.81
Savidov et al.,
2007
Raft
Aquaponic
23.4-25
52 weeks
post-transplant
.45-.48
Rakoey et al.
2004
Hydroponic
Media Bed
6.26
5.7 weeks
post-transplant
1.1
Bradley and
Marulanda,
2001
Raft Hydroponic
25-50 plants
1.5 weeks
post 5 week
establishment
period
.4-.55 (1.7-2.4)
Micheli et al.,
2003
Vertigro Field
Hydroponic
6.2-7.1
15 weeks posttransplant
.41-.47
Hockmuth
and Leon,
1999
Field
Production
7.8
52 weeks posttransplant
.15
Rakoey et al.,
2004
Intensive Field
Production
2.5
7 weeks posttransplant
.36
Sifola and
Barbieri, 2006
To convert from
Kg m2 to lb ft2,
simply multiply
by (2.2/10.76),
or (.20446)
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Variety
Production
Method
Density:
Production
plants m2
Harvest
Period
Chandler
NFT
10.8
0.6-0.9
kg/plant; 6.59.7 kg/sq. m
6 months
1.1-1.6
Takeda and
Hokanson, 2002
Sweet Charlie
Hydroponic
Tower
32
.226-.368 kg/
plant; 4.5-7.8 kg/
sq. m
4.5 months
1-1.7
Durner, 1999
Elsanta
Hydroponic Peat
Bag
8.5
8 kg/sq. m
12 months
.7
Chandler
Aquaponic
Stacked Pot
Tower
28
195g/plant; 5.4
kg/sq. m
5 months
1.1
Takeda et al.,
1999a; Takeda et
al., 1997
Sweet Charlie
Aquaponic
Stacked Pot
Tower
28
167g/plant; 4.7
kg/sq. m
5 months
.9
Takeda et al.,
1999a; Takeda et
al., 1997
Oso Grand
Aquaponic
Stacked Pot
Tower
28
138g/plant; 3.9
kg/sq. m
5 months
.8
Takeda et al.,
1997
Chandler;
Hydroponic NFT
14
5.2 kg/sq. m
5 months
Takeda et al.,
1997
Sweet Charlie
Hydroponic NFT
14
5 months
.7
Takeda et al.,
1997
Oso Grand
Hydroponic NFT
14
5 months
.7
Takeda et al.,
1997
Chandler;
Hydroponic
Tower
40
500g/plant; 20
kg/sq. m
12 months
1.7
Resh, 2004
Seascape
ZipGrow Aquaponic
35.3
6.9 kg/sq. m
1.4 months
4.9
Total Production:
Storey 2012
Seascape
ZipGrow Aquaponic
35.3
6 kg/sq. m
1.4 months
4.3
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CITED STUDIES
Bradley, P. and C. Marulanda. 2001. Simplified hydroponics to reduce global hunger. Acta Horticulturae.
554:289-296.
Durner, E. 1999. Winter greenhouse strawberry production using conditioned plug plants. HortScience
34(4):
615-616.
Hochmuth, R. and L. Leon. 1999. Comparison of six soilless media in a vertical production system
(VertiGro) for basil. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Publication
99-05.
Lieten, F. and W. Baets. 1991. Greenhouse strawberry culture in peat bags. Advances in Strawberry Production 10:56-57.
Micheli, A., A. Moncada, F. Vetrano, and F. DAnna. 2003. First results on yield and quality response of
basil
(Ocimum basilicum L.) grown in a floating system. Proc. IS on Greenhouse Salinity, Acta Horticulturae
(ISHS) 609:377-381.
Rakocy, J., R. Schultz, D. Bailey, and E. Thoman. 2004. Aquaponic production of tilapia and basil: comparing a
batch and staggered cropping system. Proceedings of the South Pacific Soilless Culture Conference ,
Acta Horticulturae (ISHS) 648: 69-69.
Resh, H. 2004. Hydroponic crop production, sixth edition. Taylor and Francis, Boca Raton, FL
Savidov, N., E. Hutchings and J. Rakocy. 2007. Fish and plant production in a recirculating aquaponic
system: a new approach to sustainable agriculture in Canada. Proceedings of the International
Conference and Exhibition on Soilless Culture, Acta Horticulturae (ISHS)742:209-222.
Sifola, M., and G. Barbieri. 2006. Growth, yield and essential oil content of three cultivars of basil grown
under
different levels of nitrogen in the field. Scientia Horticulturae 108(4):408-413.
Stapleton, S. and R. Hochmuth. 2001. Greenhouse production of several fresh-cut herbs in vertical hydroponic
systems in north central Florida. Proc. Fla. Hort. Soc. 114:332-334.
Storey, N. 2012. Vertical aquaponic crop production towers and associated produce sales and distribution
models: design, development and analysis. (Doctoral Dissertation) University of Wyoming. University
of Wyoming ProQuest/UMI.
Takeda, F., P. Adler, and D. Glenn. 1997. Strawberry production linked to aquaculture wastewater treatment.
ISHS 439(2):673-677.
Takeda, F. 1999a. Strawberry production in soilless culture systems. Proceedings of the international Symposium on Growing Media and Hydroponics, Acta Horticulturae (ISHS) 481:289-295.
Takeda, F. and S. Hokanson. 2002. Effects of transplant conditioning on Chandler strawberry performance in a winter greenhouse production system. P. 132-135. In: S. Hokanson and A. Jamieson (eds.)
Strawberry Research in 2001. ASHS Press, Alexandria, Virginia.
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CONTACT US
We would love to help you get started. Call us and we can guide you through
the planning and ordering process as well as addressing any concerns you
might have with growing vertically with ZipGrow Towers.
307-288-1188
Info@brightagrotech.com
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