THE architect behind AllotMe – a platform described as the “Airbnb for gardens” - has invented what has been hailed as the world’s most sustainable hydroponic planter.
The GrowPod allows people to grow fruit and vegetables in their own homes with no need for soil or electricity, and Glasgow School of Art-trained Conor Gallagher believes it could help save the planet.
The new low-tech, grow-at-home kit has everything home gardeners need including seeds.
The 30-year-old said the GrowPod uses 90 per cent less water than traditional indoor growing methods.
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Its innovation comes in a hydroponic growing method that uses a body of water instead of soil, which helps plants grow bigger and more frequently. It is claimed the method is more sustainable than vertical farming – where crops are grown indoors in stacked layers also using hydroponics - because it doesn’t use artificial light on its plants.
Mr Gallagher said: “By growing even a small bunch of salad herbs at home, every household can have a direct relationship with the food they eat and where it comes from."
Penny Macbeth, Glasgow School of Art director, said the design "is particularly important because it addresses two key issues facing society – access to affordable, healthy food and climate change".
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