Vertical farming of flowers refers to the practice of growing plants (and in this case, flowers) in vertically stacked layers, using artificial lighting and controlled environments to optimize plant growth and productivity. This method of farming is becoming increasingly popular for growing lettuce, spinach, herbs and other greens, and is starting to catch on for other types of plants.
Food Vs. Flowers
Food is the main focus of vertical farming, since the vertical farms are often placed in urban areas to reduce “food miles” (how far food travels from the farm to someone’s plate) and tackle the issue of food deserts, which are areas, typically in cities, where fresh food is not available. These benefits over traditional horizontal farming methods could also be applied to flowers and, though flowers may not be as important as food, they are certainly still grown in large quantities for flower shops and florists, hardware stores, grocery stores (a Kroger will typically have a florist, along with many other chains like Shop-Rite and Giant), and wedding venues.
So, there is certainly a market for flowers, and with vertical farming techniques, flowers could be grown under optimal conditions.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Growing Flowers in Shipping Container Farms
One of the main benefits of vertical farming flowers is the ability to control the growing environment. In a vertical farm (or other indoor farm), the temperature, light, humidity, and other factors can be precisely regulated to create the optimal conditions for flower growth. This can result in higher quality and more consistent flowers, as well as faster growth and increased yields on small plots or land or in unused warehouse space. Shipping container farms are a great way to create a micro-farm for flowers.
Another benefit of vertical farming for flowers is the ability to grow flowers year-round, regardless of the weather, and in the face of climate change. In a vertical farm, the growing environment can be maintained at a constant temperature, allowing flowers to be grown even in regions with extreme weather conditions. This can provide a stable and reliable source of flowers, and it can help reduce the reliance on imported flowers.
Vertical farming for flowers also has the potential to reduce the use of pesticides and other chemicals. Indoor farming has a growing environment that can be carefully monitored and controlled, which can reduce the need for chemical interventions. This results in flowers that are free of chemical residues, which can be especially appealing to consumers who are concerned about the environmental and health impacts of pesticides – don’t want to stick your nose in pesticides.
Additionally, vertical farming can be a more sustainable and efficient method of farming. In a vertical farm, the use of space and resources can be optimized, resulting in a smaller footprint and lower use of land, water, and other resources, but will result in an uptick in electricity usage, so solar panels are often used on the roofs of indoor farms to keep the HVAC systems running. This can help reduce the environmental impact of flower farming, and it can make the farming process more efficient and cost-effective.
Flowers Everywhere
Overall, vertical farming offers several benefits for growing flowers, including the ability to control the growing environment, the ability to grow flowers year-round, the potential for reduced chemical use, and increased sustainability and efficiency (an bigger flowers to boot). As a result, vertical farming will become an increasingly popular method of flower farming.
