Why Buying a Tower Garden May be a BIG Mistake
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- Опубліковано 16 кві 2015
- John from www.growingyourgreens.com/ shares his opinions on the tower garden by juice plus. In this episode you will learn why purchasing a tower garden may be a big mistake. You will also learn some alternate ways to grow food at your home that is less expensive than the $500 Juice Plus Tower Garden.
After watching this episode, you will have a better understanding if you should spend your hard earned money on a tower garden or not!
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Last week I took a class at NASA in FL and saw Tower Gardens everywhere. They have 50 of them! The hydroponic experts at NASA know their stuff and they chose the best.
Because they ignore the production cost, in real life you must make profit
In business you must make profit, however, as a home grower there is experience cost and experience profit. Tower Garden reduces my experience cost (which would be my NOT having the ability to grow veggies in my apartment) and my experience profit is that when I host company and they are loving what I cooked I can say "I actually grew that in the other room."
Yes, NASA has great things to say about aeroponic growing...www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/technologies/aeroponic_plants.html
you need microbes that release excretions plant roots take in to be properly nourished. I study soil science and permaculture.
In a case of emergency, yes, tower gardens great. But the healthiest plants are grown in a whole ecosystem of healthy soil
Microbes facilitate decomposition of humus which releases ionic forms of nutrients which are available to plants roots. The Tower Tonic contains all those ions (minerals) that the plant needs. Soil gardens are amazing but it can take a lot of work to make them as nutrient dense as the Tower Tonic is.
"Salts" may be an accumulation of naturally occurring elements in local water supply.
Assuming the worst without doing a test of water independently of hydroponics fertilizer is a big error.
Tower Garden is amazing. We’re growing strawberries in my kitchen during a snowstorm!
TG Food grows 3X faster with a 30% bigger yield and documented as or more nutritious than conventionally grown. No soil diseases, no worms, no bugs, and lots of fun!
How long have you had your tower garden? I am thinking of buying an indoor garden system. We live in southern Canada, where it can get to -42C in the winter. So, as much as I like his idea of growing in raised beds, that's fine up til the produce runs out in Nov or Dec, and then what? Then we depend on trucks from California etc. So this looks like a nice option.
Yeah, it seems obvious his knowledge of hydroponics gardening is sorely, SORELY lacking here! I've had an outdoor garden with raised beds for over 20 years, so it's not like I hate gardening the traditional way. But I find it funny that he thinks fruits and veggies grown in hydroponics aren't "natural".
If you live in a climate that gets cold in the winter, the only way you're growing anything outdoors is if you have a greenhouse, which is expensive to build and you also have to heat it. Let's just say, "Good luck" to that!
Imagine it's January and it's 9F outside. In your kitchen, you have a tower garden that has lettuce, basil, cilantro, Swiss chard, cherry tomatoes, you name it, right at your finger tips for you to pick whenever you want. No weeding. No spending hours stirring the compost pile and it's actually way cheaper than tending to raised beds, especially if you don't have a compost pile and are buying your soil.
why does this have so many thumbs down? I'm appreciative of this video. very informative. thank you!
I understand how you feel , I felt that way also when the tower garden first came out, but this is what I found. Have you even looked at the back of the nutrient containers?? Its all earth minerals. No synthetic fertilizers like all the rest of the hydroponic fertilizers. This system uses 90% less water than traditional gardening. Its an aeroponic unit as well. Please do your research before you make a video like this.
+Brian Koeth There are also several brands of organic certified nutrients that could be used in these tower gardens. So the food produced would be "Certified Organic" and I bet John would still hate them. He has his preferred way and he puts out numerous videos bashing any competing growing method. I say "whatever growing method works for you, use it."
+Frank Offe John is a basher isn't he?
+Brian Koeth - How is this Aeroponics? It could be possibly considered to be a long distant Aeroponics two headed cousin but its still nutrient film technique just in a vertical method i'm not seeing a ultrasonic water atomizers or any kind of fogger setup ? Maybe do some research before posting such remarks ! or do you know something i don't ?
The Sophisticated Bogan!
' Blokes do it better downunder '
+Andrew Humphreys This is an aeroponic system. There's no soil or growing medium at all. the plants hang in the air. That's the definition of aeroponic.
Leah Brooks it is aeroponics for sure and not hydroponics. One question in aeroponics.. I read we need to create mist and not just simply spray the nutrient water.. Is mist more effective?
I love my tower garden. It is foolproof and has served as a gateway into starting my suburban homestead. The TG has raised my confidence as a gardener, and I now actually prefer to grow vegetables in the dirt. There are benefits to growing vegetables the old fashioned way. Beneficial microbes aren’t usually found in aeroponic/hydroponic vegetables as they are found in soil grown vegetables. Also, if the power goes out for a long period of time, you better have a backup power source for your TG in place, or you risk losing your plants. That said, I still find the TG very useful for leafy greens and herbs..where they typically do very well. I have no plans to get rid of it.
Can you grow carrots with it? or other root veggies?
@@rachelsingermacdonald THICK root veggies not a good fit. I have 9 of these. Wife has grown huge cabbage, cauliflower, Cucumbers, Tomatoes and our Swiss Chard is huge. Stringy roots work best. The Cauliflower "root" was thick, I practically had to "saw" off and pull out the basket. Produce/Fruit that grows "up" and away great, carrots, turnips etc. that will grow INTO the tower, you could get some results but a MASSIVE pain in the neck retrieving your items inside tower.
Im not even gonna watch the video i just needed to read the comments lol, Thanks guys of sane minds
the video is entertaining, if nothing else. it's like looking back at your first highschool presentation assignment, you know like, when you _know_ what information you should be presenting but not _how_ these information relate to one another.
Your video convinced me so much...I just bought me a tower garden😆
I think Tower Garden is also the solution for urban people who want to grow food plants but don't have time to nurture them.
You do still have to nurture them. You need to prune, watch and control pests that you get indoors (aphids), but yes it is convenient. But it’s not really a leave it and forget it kind of thing.
I've purchased two different tower units to run test on them for an urban farm project. The Garden Tower which is earth based with compost and worms and the Tower Garden which is aeroponic with a ionic natural earth mineral blend. I love growing in both, but the aeroponic Tower Garden just blow's Garden Tower out of the water in regard of production, versatility, low maintenance, ease of use and pest control. I was so impressed by the quality and taste of the products grown without harmful fertilizers that I decided to purchase more Tower Gardens. It is sad to ear so much disinformation (A.K.A. Bullshit) in this video... Personally, this guy has lost all credibility. I don't mind at all that you prefer growing in dirt, I do it myself, but spreading false information just because your affiliated with Garden Tower is unethical and nonprofessional. But some will use all means to mislead people and have more clics...
I wonder if you could use the Tower Garden with a worm tea solution? I have a worm farm and only want organically grown vegetables.
No, it will smell. Unless you use it out doors I suppose.
Worm tea does not smell
Where did you get the aeroponic towers from?
Well said. This video is an unfair embarrassment.
I have a been growing tons of healthy produce, teaching my kids about plants, growing, the food supply, nutrition and health, as well as saving money, using a Tower Garden by Juice Plus+ for over 1 year. Best purchase I have ever made and extremely economical/affordable. I especially enjoy growing indoors all winter and having herbs, greens, strawberries at my fingertips. The produce is superior to the grocery store, including organic and my family has benefited. It looks nice and is easy. I will have the unit for life! Can't say that about most things I've purchased.
I agree. I've built our aquaponic systems myself so I haven't used the tower garden personally but an aeroponic system is pretty fool proof and gives the plants the best access to water, nutrients, and oxygen if it's built right. I've seen great reviews for the tower garden system and if I wasn't building them myself I would probably buy theirs instead.
Melanie Drohan soil growing can do the same things TTG claims it can do, but better! Try teaching your children the art of composting, vermiculture, recycling, reusing, keeping organics from going to the landfill! Rather than being tied into some corporate entity for your growing materials and nutrients teach them to make it themselves! TTG deters people from all the stuff just mentioned!
Thank you for your feed back, I do not have a green thumb because I have so much going on due to my projects, work, family. So much I like to work on my volunteering for fun which most find it stressful. Therefore I am researching the lettuce grow and I’m going to give it a try. Thanks!
@@evegrowing7749 Youre assuming that everybody has access to land. That is not the case. Also, a lot of people live in colder regions and the growing season is short. I used to live in Germany. We had 400 sqf of raised beds. My husband taught himself every aspect of growing your own food, incl. hot composting. We used the no till Eden method. Do you know how short the outdoor growing season is in Northern Germany? It's super short and you are innundated with slugs due to the damp and cold climate. We recently moved to Florida. Now we have the great climate but the nearest organic community garden is 30 mins. drive away. That's not sustainable when you also have other things to take care of. We live in an HOA and won't be able to dig up our yard. The aeroponic system is our best option at this point in time. I also believe that a system like that will lower people's grocery bill, teach them about nutrition in a fun and easy way and make them reevaluate their eating habits.
@@nadjadavidson411 sorry, but again IMO whatever the soilless grower can do growing with soil can do as well only better!
ua-cam.com/video/fQvgS9agnZA/v-deo.html
I own a tower garden. It works great and uses little water. The nutrients cannot be considered organic because of a synthetic salt in the ingredients list. There are, however, many alternative nutrients that can be used that are organic. All in all, it’s a good product. In California you can grow all year round.
What are the alternative nutrients you can use? I’d like to use them for mine.
This information is so incorrect! Perhaps he should have done his homework!
The type of plant food that is used with the Tower Garden put out by Juice Plus, is made from minerals, and as such, cannot be labeled as 'organic' because minerals are non-living items. The plant food is completely natural though. I don't know what kind of plant food/fertilizer is being used at the O'Hare Airport. If it is the kind put out by Juice Plus, then it is not made of synthetic chemicals. They may be using another type of plant food and unless someone asks them what it is, we won't really know if it is natural or synthetic.
Melissa Hyde John clearly did his homework, maybe you should as well if you care at all for the Planet, and the Life that surrounds us!
Dude, you lost me at “trying to immolate nature.”
emulate.
@@Heliosvector 😂
You lost me at “immolate” 🙃
This guy is promoting his own stuff and does not know the details and how Tower Garden really works 😒 sucks to see people put down great products that can help a lot in this world only to push their own agendas...THUMBS DOWN to this video 👎
Certainly TTG will never help the people who need it most living in food deserts! Who could afford the thing, the power to run it, the expensive nutrients, PH up, PH down all to grow this so called “organic” food? Soil growing can do the same thing! I have several grow towers using soil, they look exactly like TTG. The nutrients are all the organics that would have gone to the landfill, and the Towers themselves are made from discarded buckets. Way better than TTG on many levels!
PianoMessage John’s right on with this video!
John shares his opinion -he doesn't sell Garden Towers. He grows gardens the old fashioned way in the ground or raised beds, and generously teaches people how to do that. I agree - growing plants in composted fungal and bacteria-rich organic soil in sunlight is more ecologically sound than growing TG's indoors using 'nutrient mixes' you must keep buying and requires access to an electric grid. Still, TG's are great for some, I just prefer the GT. Thumbs up!
Tower garden totally makes sense for certain crop but with more valuable crop like peppers tomatoes and non-leafy green type stuff Tower gardening really can’t produce good yields. For example growing cannabis in a tower garden is next to impossible and you’ll get a really bad and result. In my opinion you have to work with nature not try to control it.
Growing in soil sucks. These are aeroponic by the way-not hydroponic. The roots are not submerged as in deep water or thin film techniques. Organic fertilizers like fish emulsion, bone meal, and potash are much better for the environment than inorganic chemicals. I don’t agree with this guy about what he says.
Love your videos John. A simple of correction worth mentioning, the Garden Towers are aeroponically based not hydroponic, just like the aerogardens you and your girlfriend were recommending. I have used the garden towers, the tower garden project II, the agro-towers, organic gardening as well as the Mittleider gardening technique over the years and I have to say that the best tasting and highest yielding technique by far is the Mittleider technique for gardening. I had so many tomatoes growing with this technique that it bent the 4x4 posts I had used for trellising. Just my 2 cents with of experience! Keep up the great videos.
I WILL TRY THESE IN THE FUTURE SOMETIME THANKS FOR SHARING ! : )
I just want to point out that since this video (5 years ago) he has toured several hydroponic gardens and promoted the benefits of them including the minerals used in the water. Do your own research guys. I have a tower garden, love them.
The Tower Garden works, but growing with soil works far better on so many levels!
@@evegrowing7749 are you forgetting that the whole point of this is for people who dont have lots of free land, like indoors or for city buildings. Comparing it to growing on land doesn't really make sense, plus it is better than growing on land on so many levels for many crops anyway.
@@evegrowing7749 try buying good fertile land where i am from (Senegal), this makes a whole lot more sense and that's smth i'll be seriously looking at before i leave in a couple years.
EVE Growing Can’t grow during the winter so Tower Garden is a good option. Besides, growing in soil inside a house is a breeding ground for gnats.
@@n.g.s1mple29 EVE is doing nothing more than hawking his product. Just ignore him.
I LOVE my JuicePlus Tower Garden!! We had fresh, nutritious salad greens all winter with very little work on my part. My plants were very healthy and I had little to no waste. We hope to purchase a second one for strawberry and other plants. I’ve never heard of this UA-camr, but he seems like he has an agenda.
He does. The TG is an incredible tool for those on an limited budget and lack of accessible land
I love mine too
Too bad he doesn't have his facts straight and misleading people with personal opinion without the research behind him.
It’s clear John has indeed done his homework, he’s spot on with his assessment! Growing with composted soil can do everything The Tower Garden can, but better! Growing in soil is far better for the Planet as well! A soil grower doesn’t need to be tied into some corporate entity like those who use TGT are.
@@evegrowing7749 its well know that hydroponic produce 30-59% more than soil based crops and when leveled can quadruple the production, are more clean, dont need pesticides, use 90 to 95% less water, can be grown in al weather conditions with higher quality, customized tailored yields for each client, same day order delivery and reduces emissions by being inside the city (but the emissions footprint is still controversial and more researchis needed)
The structure is very versatile and adaptable, you can design your own, no heavy machinery is needed and new typs of shorter plants are being created to amplify the type of yields you can grow, like rice and wheat, just look at the hydroponic farms in japan
NovorSec no doubt on a commercial level soilless growing will be helping to solve the world hunger problems! Growing with soil can do many of the things you mention especially in urban settings. Many people especially the Juice Plus people are so convinced soilless growing is some kind of silver bullet for the average grower who just wants to learn how to grow healthy food for themselves. TGT is not for inner city poor people for obvious reasons.
With soil growing many more inner city people can afford to grow because everything is virtually free, growing machines too. All our organics can be turned into soil, or soil amendments so less goes into the landfill, soilless growing can’t make this important claim. Many reasons why growing with soil is all around better for the Planet.
Soilless growing on a residential scale you’re always buying stuff, tied into some corporate entity. Very hard to get real answers because most sellers of soilless machines/nutrients rarely give you the negatives knowing their livelihood depends on the consumer buying their stuff. This is especially true with these Juice Plus multi marketing people!
I grow with soil, never use pesticides, and can make the same water claims any soilless grower make!
@@evegrowing7749 you can use aquaponics if you dont want to be "tied" to a fertilizer company... and even qith that you always will be tied with somenthing...
It seems.you have a problem with companies, so there is no way around that
Love my tower garden. Growing cucumbers, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, kale, basil, watermelon and bell peppers. It's so nice to just go out to the garden and pick what I need for the day instead of having to run to the store.
Yum, that sounds delicious. Do you use it indoors or outdoors? Have you grown watermelon, cucs and toms indoors?
John, I just wanted to point out that those lights aren't HPS, they're Metal Halide.
still hid lighting?
$500 is nothing compared to the hours and hours of time saved, and the pounds and pounds of organic produce you can grow in a Towergarden compared to traditional soil gardening
Right??!! You're getting that huge tower with an amazing system that you can schedule on a timer that's programed into it. No soil....fill the water like once a week when it gets low, replace the water once a month....thats ONLY 20 gallons of water a month! How many gallons are used into soil and pots....and where does the water go mostly? doesn't stay in with the plant by itself....lol. This guy is a joke....this video he's throwing accusations and falsehoods out there just to make his system look better. "Where does all that extra salt build up go? Hmmm..." Seriously?! What a joke! LOL!
Totally agree!!!
Im interested in the garden, and I like Juice Plus, can you tell me what is in the nutrient solution they use? kristaljwyatt@gmail.com
$500 is matter if cannot cover production cost, let say $500 for a kilo of tomatoes?
Did anyone ever answer you about the tonic?
I think these towers are wonderful for anyone with a short growing season or limited space. You can place them outside in nice weather. Experiment and have fun growing what you can!!!!!🌱🌱🌱🌱 You can use natural organic fertilizers😉
They are definitely underrated
Where do you get the organic addittives? I'd rather use that than synthetics
@@rachelsingermacdonald Go to a grow shop near you. They'll have plenty of info and natural products.
Unfortunately his ego gets in the way of sound logic and experience. I live in a patio home with a small patio out back. Hey John, where do you suggest I place my raised plant beds? The tower garden has kept me in leafy greens for 4 years. When I harvest chard for example and place it in bags in the fridge, they last more than 2 weeks before I cook them. Your garden varieties may also do this but nothing from the organics section of the grocery store does. The food id healthy and delicious. Stop slamming one brand only to promote another.
Exactly
Right !
Saying that hydroponic food is not as nutritious as soil grown food is simply ignorance and not based in factual reality. Hydroponics can grow food using a mere fraction of the water required to grow a similar quantity of soil grown food. As you are probably aware, water is becoming a major limited resource in the world. Slamming technology that can provide nutritious food using less water simply because you "prefer" soil grown food is stupid. Hydroponics would be a great way to provide locally produced food to many of the arid regions of the world where people are currently starving.
Tron Hydroponic food is good for growing picture perfect looking food very quickly, but I'm beginning to agree with John about nutrition. Growing food outside in the sun exposes plants to more hardships than hydroponic indoor plants receive. When plants have to deal with things like high UV sunshine, insects, fungus, winds, etc they spend time growing tougher. That means more antioxidants and other protective compounds in your food, which in turn makes you more healthy.
I grew red leaf lettuce hydroponically indoors and organically outdoors. There was a noticeable difference in the resulting lettuce. The outdoors stuff took a lot longer to grow, but the resulting leaves were definitely thicker, beefier and had deep dark colored leaves compared to the indoor plants. Sometimes the indoor red leaf lettuce didn't even turn red, it came out mostly green colored with some slight reddish highlights.
zilym I agree, my indoor lettuce was crap. it would never get to the crisp crunchy point like normal lettuce does. I used the same soil mix and put the lettuce outside, and there was a big difference.
Tron Dr. Elaine Ingham, soil microbiologist, gardener, and soil/crop consultant of Soil Food Web would disagree with you. According to her research and practical experience in the field over several decades, plants grown in healthy, living soil will contain more nutrition and flavor - AND without watering or irrigation. Flavor, of course, is an indication of nutrient levels (in the absence of 'flavor enhancing' chemicals, additives, and refined added sugar- which can interfere with this natural feedback system). It is now widely recognized that plants need as many as 42 elements to fully thrive and express their genetic potential, or more. (This number has been raised from 3 within Dr. Ingham's lifetime, and she believes that in the tiniest amounts even more elements are required for plants to function optimally.) No hydroponic solution that I am aware of contains near that many. Plus, the plants are robbed of their opportunity to form symbiotic relationships with the huge number and range of micro and macro-organisms they evolved to co-thrive with. Aside from concerns about what synthetic chemicals and/or heavy metals could be leaching from the plastics hydroponic systems are made from, the toxic, energy, and water burden of the 'life cycle' of plastics must be considered: From sourcing raw materials (including petroleum), through manufacture, use, and disposal, plastics give off harmful substances - and there is currently to good way to return them to either natural elements/compounds or non-harmful states once their usefulness has passed.
+Jefferdaughter so your saying +Tron is showing their ignorance and lack of knowledge on the subject by bad mouthing John on something they knew shit about. Cause you should have just said so.
I do agree with Tron on this system being a viable system for aired areas. But saying water is in shortage around the world is not true. Last I checked the amount of water world wide has not changed. It is water, it moves, so its not where it was last time you checked, bye bye California, hello California Desert.
+Jefferdaughter I'm sooo surprised that a "soil microboligist soil consultant" finds that growing in SOIL is the best way to go. You don't suppose this person has a career to keep, a salary they would lose if everyone stopped growing in soil. Sounds like a case of "Oh, crap, I'll lose my job if I don't bash this growing system that never needs SOIL." Biased science is not science. And you produced no link so there is no way to verify anything you wrote.
PS, "AND without watering or irrigation" ??? Last I checked plants die if they never get any water.
PPS, I just did a quick search on the interwebs and... to my surprise... found that Dr. Elain Ingham has co-authored a book about improving the biology of both soil growing AND hydroponic growing. So if she thinks it's so terrible but she writes a book about it... well, that's confusing. Look it up for yourself: Adding Biology For Soil And Hydroponic Systems by Elaine Ingham, Ph.D. and Carole Ann Rollins, Ph.D.
Looked up the garden tower and that looks like a great system too. I like the compost feature but it’s over $500 as well before the lights - so not sure it’s any less expensive - the lights are $600
What do you think of the aquaphonic system that uses the fishes for producing nutrients ?
I was wondering if I could use my goldfish tank water in the tower garden. They are cold water fish and no chance of icily or other bacteria.
@@donnaellery3551 the poop is dirty and harder to clean. I'd just stick with the program, and build a separate little system to experiment with. It should be designed to be easier to keep clean.
what does chemical fertilizers in a closed system have to do with dead zones in the gulf? theres no runoff in a closed system.
He means when the leftover water and leftover nutrients/salts in the solution are disposed of. This is actually a big concern for major hydroponic producers, because it gets into the ecosystem and can cause dead zones that strangle the fish because it causes an overgrowth of algae and such. But it can also be handled by the hydroponic producers if they re-balance and reuse the wastewater, or by wastewater treatment plants.
Why are you telling people that this system uses a synthetic fertilizer? You obviously are misinformed. The nutrients come from earth minerals that are found in the soil. You should really do your homework before you post things like this. While raised beds are awesome, they aren't feasible for people who have no space, who want to grow indoors, etc. I recommend you do real research on the Tower Garden before you post your opinion on something where you are obviously missing facts.
It is an opinion. He does stress that. Move on if you don't agree with an opinion.
This guy likes to grow in straight compost and then amend the hell out of it with every trace mineral on the planet. Hydroponic is a good way to produce fast results that are clean compared to traditional farm grown crops. I grow lettuce in nutrient solution and in containers, you really can't taste the difference.
@@fadedglory1045 he is spreading misinformation about a system that could help bring good healthy food to more and more people around the country if not the world, his opinion is potentially harmful and so people will speak out against it. If you have an issue with that then I'm not sure what to tell you.
Midwest Mangos you know what you are right. I apologize.
@@heavymechanic2 since most people now are going notill in cannabis cuz improved flav,and cannabinoid content might disagree with you
thank you for your opinions. yes. dirt is probably the best for growing.
You may want to see all the reviews before taking his word as final on this one.
John Kohler you're absolutely right but some of us our Gardens are not doing great and we need to really start getting some vegetables growing we have a food shortage coming up within the next year or so so Hydroponics will work
john i hope my comment reaches u, i loved this video. to everyone saying he is misinformed, he might be about the fertilizer theyre using. if u go on my channel, ive worked in a hydroponic/aquaponic facility and uploaded videos, and although its all really cool, im saying from experience its unnatural. a lot of inorganic things, harsh chemicals, maintenance, money, time, labor, and a lot of water and energy go into hydro and aqua systems and its not worth it. the mother earth is made of soil, use it.
there's no run off John, the water and tonic is circulated and recycled. that's why I'm thinking about getting one of these, the automatic watering and plants grow super fast
How often have you changed your solution? 😂
We do a combination of planting in Raised beds and planting in our tower gardens. We have been trying to find an organic PH levelling system and plant food that is organic. Aside from the major salt build-up, evaporation has been one of our biggest battles. We are in a third or fourth year of drought and it is nice for growing because it only requires a refill once a week if we have it full of plants and there is no evaporation.
Have you found an organic system and plant food that is organic? Has salt build up been a problem in the Tower Gardens?
Why don't you put a cap over the ports that aren't in use to save evaporation?
@@rachelsingermacdonaldyou can make your own organic plant food.
Do an internet search
Unfortunately you do not know what you are talking about on this video. They do not use synthetic chemical fertilizers but earth-based ionic minerals, ideal for human nutrition. It is "beyond organic". Also there is no waste with tower gardens. None! This was developed by Tim Blank who spent 12 years at Epcot's Back to the Land operation, part of which he was the greenhouse manager. He worked on projects with NASA & the department of energy. Something tells me he's a bit more qualified than you to talk about aeroponic technology, not hydroponic as you mention. For optimal growing of plants, choose a tower garden!
That's my first thumbs down for a video ever!
Absolutely agreed. You have no clue what you are talking about and have no formal training or education to judge either way. I have a 13 ring tower now and it produces like crazy. And it is 100% organic...
Hey Richard, can I ask what kind of nutrients are you using? I am testing grow tower using just worm juice/castings but not sure whether that would be enough. Also not sure yet how much and how often to add. Having said that, the rocket I've got growing in there seems to love it. Cheers
Same here! I have never felt compelled to use the thumbs down on a video before.
I see someone did their homework.
While growing food in dirt is certainly the oldest method. Food production HAS to go vertical as the population increases.
Soil growing does grow vertically and can do everything TTG does. Growing with soil can do it cheaper, less chance for failure, better for the Planet.....
@@evegrowing7749 yet the ground is depleted a LOT and you have to supplement in order to get even 1/4 of the nutrients from your food compared to just 100 years ago.
HisServant77 why is the ground depleted when you’re adding new composted soil containing vermiculture, sometimes watering with fish water to soil based Towers each grow cycle?
@@evegrowing7749 You didn't mention adding those things to the dirt that you use.That's why I said that we have to supplement the soil. You only mentioned growing in soil, not adding the supplements the way I mentioned we need to do
HisServant77 I think what many people don’t realize commenting on John’s post here especially the Juice Plus people who’re attacking him hard in my opinion is growing with soil can easily do the things their precious Tower Garden can do, and more! The key word was “vertically” in my first comment to you, but I should have initially said growing in composted soil, sorry.
There’re many people including John and myself using unique soil growing systems that are far better than The Tower Garden on many levels! In this video John talks about “The Garden Tower” (never to be confused with The Tower Garden) and how much better it is than TTG, and he’s right, TGT is better than TTG in my opinion as well!
Have you seen the nasty comments coming from The Juice Plus people just because John has a different perspective of their Tower Garden?
So glad I came across this video right after setting up my Tower Garden in my house for the first time! I got a good laugh. I've been taking care of this Tower Garden in the office it used to live in for about a year and a half now, and it was quite entertaining to see how little truth you know and how far you are willing to go to bash something. Next time do your research, although you wouldn't have enough content for a video if you did that. 😂
What about insects ??
Yes you can get aphids. You just need to control them. Spray, pick off leaves. Just don’t ignore it. Give it some tlc a few ones a week and it will do very well. Just don’t bring outdoor plants or seedlings into the TG
@@ML-ov7wo not sure how you could get aphids if the tower garden is indoors.
Having owned and operated an indoor Tower Garden to grow lettuce (Blacked Seeded Simpson is my favorite) over the past year, all I can say is that I enjoin tending to it (not much work) and it produces 8 to 10 ounces of great tasting fresh lettuce every day, for around 5 months at a shot. Every 5 weeks, I empty out the tub of water and replace it with fresh water and add in fresh nutrients. This keeps the lettuce from browning. I pull a pod out and eat it everyday and I replace it with a new pod. There are 32 pods on my machine standing in a 8' room. After 5 months, I shut down everything and take it all apart and clean it out totally. This system works way better than dirt and it pays for itself quickly if you actually eat a lot of lettuce.
This was very informative. Thank you. I have a question. I moved from relatively sunny Colorado to dark and cloudy Oregon. I'd love to do some indoor plants. What is recommended when there isn't much sunlight, where a window sill doesn't see hardly any sun for months?
This post was not informative. It’s crapping on an actually incredible product
You can purchase grow lights. I plan on using my tower in the garage attached to my house. Last winter my blueberry bush was producing blueberries before being moved outdoors in the spring. The only windows on my garage face north, so you know those grow lights will be on a timer. If you are growing outdoors a greenhouse can suffice provided the temperatures do not drop too low. Many people move/keep the towers in their homes where the temperatures are kept stable.
I'm sorry but this video is rather bashing at the account of a lot of "probably's." The fact is, you state that the deposits are salt which in fact is not accurate completely. It may be some mineral build-up but certainly not harmful. This is the possibility in any type of hydroponic setup. Also, your estimation of the nutrients being chemicals is completely false. If you're going to give your advice that's one thing but since you have such a following (I have watched several of your tutorials and videos in the past), I suggest you go about the videos with a little more research than probabilities. Did you even take the opportunity to look at Tower Garden's nutrient bottle? That would have shown you much. Also, why is hydroponic growing in the Tower Garden more nutrient dense in a study from NASA? Just saying. That is all.
I would suggest that you investigate what the "Tower Tonic" is that is being used with the Tower garden. It is in no way, shape, or form "synthetic fertilizer". It is just minerals. Check the label. It was designed to maximize nutrition in the end product, and Tower Garden produce has been studied to see if it stacks up to garden produce. It came out as good OR better than garden produce. Why do you think this isn't organic? That is up to the grower. Pick organic seeds. The Tower Tonic is by definition inorganic as it is just MINERALS, which are inorganic. Just like the ones plants pull naturally out of the soil. Take the time, sir, to look at what Tim Blank and others are trying to do with these towers and I think you will find that we are all on the same page.
+Jennifer Corbet would you recommend a good video about this type of fertilizer so I can learn more about it? thanks
that worries me too. but then almost all my current plant pots are also plastic and many people use pressure treated wood or plastic wood for their raised beds too. hard to get away from using some plastics
The TG is made out of food grade plastic.
Where do you think your water supply comes from? The water distribution system is primarily plastic pipe. Unless you are pulling your water directly from a lake or stream, chances are you get from a plastic pipe.
the plastic used in a Tower Garden is food quality pvc
What do you think about doing this with aquaponics? Will it work better/worse?
Please help. started a compost bin about 2 weeks ago and it is not hot. I have leaves grass clipping and food scraps. It is in a 55 gallon drum with 3/4" holes all around it. I have a lid on the top. I have seen others with bins that are steaming and were started less than a week. I did water the contents of the bin and turn it regularly.
I really was watching this with an open mind until he said some of the food looks anemic... lmao what
NO WEEDING The Garden either!!
I just bought a Tower Garden for a couple reasons. We moved to Colorado almost a year and a half ago from NJ where I always had a garden (it IS the garden state after all), but because #1 we are still renting in CO, and #2 the crazy bipolar weather here (yesterday is was 75 degrees, this morning it snowed 5", and by 1pm is was nearly 50 degrees again), an in-the-ground garden will take quite a bit of infrastructure that I just don't have the ability to build right now. So, in order to not have to go another summer without a garden, I decided on the Tower Garden. Also, you've got to consider people who live in apartments, or other places where an in-the-ground garden is impossible. While I do generally agree that your system is probably the best, it is not always the most practical, so you should broaden your mind, and teach us how to make our particular situation (and if that happens to be Tower Garden, so be it) the best we can make it instead of dismissing it straight out of hand.
Cassandra Miller Welcome to "Springtime in the Rockies!". :)
Having lived in various parts of Colorado for well over 40 years, I can attest to the challenges we see that most people will never have to deal with. I commend you for looking at whatever means you can to achieve your gardening goals.
Cassandra Miller this comment is four years old, and wondering what your thoughts are in regards to TTG?
I agree on using organics however miracle grow now has micro nutrients in it which only organic fertilizers used. Hydroponics used to use only guana a.k.a. bat poop the fertilize. You can still use organic but hydroponics is the way to go in the garden tower Is the best method for hydroponics. PS I’ve been gardening since the late 60s and into organic gardening long before most people even heard of it.
I use rockdust water along side kelp meal water in my tower garden along side other organic nutrients to feed my plants.
the main reeson i got one is because I have little access to the sun to grow anything.
Can you explain more on your use of rockdust water and kelp meal? Do you use the other minerals supplied initially with the Grow Tower?
Another youtuber, MHPGARDENER, has excellent videos explaining his hydroponic growing success. He doesn't get kick backs from anyone either, just tells the good and the bad and gives a really thorough explanation of the how's why's and the end results. He also grows in soil and is honest about which crops should continue to be grown in soil as well.
thanks mate.. i have been seaching for those infos
Tower Garden is not hydroponic. It is aeroponic with an organic nutrient solution. It uses 1/10 the water, 1/10th the land. This will be important in the near future. Oh, yes. The food grown is naturally superior in nutrition also. Best source for all that the Tower Garden is and is not is to go straight to the source. That’s where the studies are.
I agree, Jack. The water/nutrients are contained and recycled within the system, not sure what he means by wastewater. Also growing in soil (even organically) runs into problems with bacteria in the soil like listeria. The airponic and hydroponic systems produce well with rockwool instead of soil pods which can contain those bacteria.
I must say I really like my tower gardens, I use them with Spectrum King SK403 full spectrum LEDs. But I only use Omri listed fertilizer for hydroponics and pest sprays. I have outdoor gardens and plan for numerous raised beds, but I needed an all-year round food production. I am looking at using Neptune’s harvest omri fertilizer in my towers. Furthermore, I live in a town that has restrictions, so I have to be careful.
Are there a lot of pests? I would think i fyou put it outside, the pests will eat the plants and live in them and in the tank. Then you bring all that indoors.
Tower Garden is an aeroponic system, a variant of hydroponics. (The studies at the University of Mississippi show that plants grow better/faster with an aeroponic system.) There is no soil (soil in standard gardening simply holds the plants up). Tower Garden uses rock wool to hold the plant. In both types of gardening the plants pull the minerals out of the mineral source. In soil gardening, it is the dirt holding the minerals. In Tower Garden, the plant receives mineral nutrition from the water it drinks.
one thing you lack with hydro/aero systems is beneficial bacteria. Our gut has a microbiome and bacteria in our gut helps us digest food. To get better gut health we eat yogurt and kambucha which have living bacteria in it. Gardening in fertile living soil is a great way to get healthy bacteria which keeps the bad bacteria in check.
I have a master's degree in environmental engineering from Penn State. The author of this video is obviously not a scientist. He is just a guy with a video camera who believes some crap he read or a video he watched. Someone who thinks that manure-based fertilizers somehow magically wouldn't crystallize when water evaporated... well I wouldn't listen to that person.
Anyone putting down a REVOLUTION in farming that can provide food to hundreds of millions of poor living in areas where they cannot grow food due to water shortages.. when this method saves 95% of water usage???
well......
you can imagine what that person's opinion is worth to me.
But are you an expert in soil science? I'm currently studying soil science and permaculture, the experts tell us otherwise.
Compared to this guy? Yes. I have had a master's level course in groundwater modeling and BS level Geology, environmental Geology and meteorology, as well as Botany and environmental biology.
we knew he was an idiot by that terrible lighting and presentation.
he spot on and you are wrong
@@linfinity1138 what experts, aeroponics have been known to outclass soil growing by IMMENSE margins since the initial research done in the 80's and that research has been refined and improved upon many times over by now. Soil is nowhere near as effective at growing plants compared to a proper aeroponic system.
Nice to say that you should do raised beds outside but when you live in an urban city like Vancouver, many, many people live in condo's with tiny balconies. This system looks ideal for condo dwellers.
It really is ideal for your condo dwellers, Jim.
Jim Nielsen ii
Really it's ideal for anyone wanting to increase their production both in space and yield, due to the better availability of both nutrients and oxygen at the roots the plants in an aeroponic system will almost always grow way faster and bigger and most importantly healthier. Given the horizontal growing space you can increase the number of crops you can have in a given space as well.
Jim Nielsen soil growing can do everything TTG can do and more! Towers can easily be moved around because there are no plugs, or pumps!
No eve they cannot. TG yield is much faster and efficient
These i here use 90 percent less water consumption though? Is there an alternative solution that can be used in combination with these that is healthier?
Not sure what you're basing your information on, but the Tower Gardens by Juice Plus use an all natural earth & sea mineral tonic blend. This blend was developed in partnership with Epcot & NASA specifically for the Aeroponic system to produce the highest nutritional quality produce.
well your wrong it's synthetic
Hey
@@denverdenver82 one ingredient is synthetic from what i read
I agree w/ Leah & Emily & Brian .... (and others of the like)
My 2 cents: John, Some of your information in your video here is Very inaccurate.
For example, as mentioned already: The tower Tonic is Not synthetically made .... if you buy the tonics (minerals) the company creates/sells For their Tower Gardens. (They are minerals from the land & the sea.. not chemical ones made in a lab)
Also note - it's an Aeroponic tower... (Clarity for those asking: they roots are in the air (in the middle of the tower) & not submerged under waters.... the water is poured over the roots of the plants (rains down over them) for a period of time. (The Tower system waters on/off/on/off at timed intervals) .. this way the roots get MORE air & helps the plant grow faster.
Anyway John, You apparently Don't have one of these & have no personal experience with the tower garden. (I can tell by some of your comments) .... I do own a Tower Garden, in fact I have 2, on my back deck... Been using them now for 3 years! I grow ORGANIC produce & use organic nutrients. The Tower Garden is amazing & grows better than anything I've seen. Best money spent! It paid for itself the First Year! I would Highly recommend The Tower Garden by Juice Plus, to anyone wanting to grown their own produce & herbs!
+Joan Riley
Almost all his information is always wrong... Most of the time he just runs off at the mouth with bad info... Or with info that is his opinion... And not necessary the best way to do something... I watch some of his videos just for laughs... I like to link them on garden forms to show people what NOT to do... He makes videos about other companies products and runs them in the ground... Even when he has never used it... Then some he talks up that are just JUNK... It's sad what he gets away with...
+ Joan Riley really? I find him informative. Love hearing his input on juicers. Bought several for myself and my daughters. Keep up the good work John.
Have you had any problem with the pump. We cannot get the water to go up past the 3rd level?
1) he's making money on views (this the ads) so controversy gets clicks and money
2) amazing how he says he prefers soil based yet in viewing some other videos From his channel I noticed he doesn't speak negatively like he does about this. Not sure if it's just that he didn't know enough about the system (in which case I think he should correct his false statements) or if he is just against the product and didn't want to outright say it- it's sometimes easier to convince people when it's subtle or gentle
3) some just prefer hydroponics/aeroponics/aquaponics. The TG allows for less horizontal space, less water usage, and less time watering, weeding and tending to plants attacked by pests. It's also can be moved to the shade or covered on days when frost or extreme heat may be an issue. And as in this video can grow indoors year round with lights.
So this may be a great option for those of us who don't seem to have a green thumb with soil gardening. :)
I do like many of his other videos despite the inaccuracy of his statements in this one.
and something else I noticed... three years ago he made a video of this exact location and raved about this project. so it isn't like he hasn't had time to do research before making a follow up video to comment about mineral buildup on the tower. and if he had done research he would find that the tonic is minerals are not synthetic. they cannot be organic (which a lot of people ask about) because minerals are not living organisms. I respect this man, and like many of his videos, but I do wish he would do his homework on this first.
I study permaculture design. He's on the right track. Soil is a symbiotic system with microbes that feed off and excrete minerals crucial for proper plant nourishment.
Salt from many store bought fertilizers that end up in ground is not sustainable and depletes our Earth's topsoil (the fragile layer of fertile earth that sustains all life). Fertilizer is full of nitrogen. Plants can only take up 10% of that fertilizer and the other 90% (salt) is lost to earth and ground water destabilizing topsoil dramatically over a span of a few years.
In a case of emergency, yes, tower gardens great. But the healthiest plants are grown in a whole ecosystem of healthy soil
Although studies have revealed non-organic and aquaponic methods often produce bigger yields, fuller bellies does NOT equate to healthier person.
**Also, the University of Illinois studied the health of organic topsoil and the aggregates hold together like 90% better when rained on for a half an hour verses non-organic. In conclusion, better soil means, healthy micro ecosystem and a healthy, properly nourished plant = properly nourished person.
@@linfinity1138 an aeroponic system allows the plants to absorb so much more than that minute 10% of soil grown plants. Try doing some research on the topic, you'll find that a properly setup aeroponic system with always outclass even the best soil grown plants by a huge margin. In addition you use significantly less fertilizer and water which is significantly more sustainable for our environment.
Thank you for doing this. I was just on the juice plus website looking at this and decided to youtube to see if anyone knew what was in this solution. I had a feeling it may be synthetic.
Its not synthetic at all. The airport seems to be using their own solutions for growing. Please continue your research on the tower. This guy has no idea what he's talking about. Unfortunately!
+Adero Prescott I agree with MArlene. do more research. The solution cannot be organic... has to be living matter to be organic... minerals are not organic. However that does not mean it's synthetic either :)
This channel had a video 3 years ago raving about this very same garden set up at this airport. And just because the minerals have deposited it seems he now thinks it's synthetic fertilizer and bad.
I love my tower garden. Highly recommend. I used it outside and now inside.
Did it bring pests inside? Is it organic or is there an organic version?
@@rachelsingermacdonald After being inside since Septenber I only now got a few aphids that I washed off easily with water in the sink. I use no pesticides. It was overdue for a trim and was a bit out of control. Just takes a few hours to pull them out wash and trim them and wipe down the tower.
This process was completed using jacks. The 2 55 gallon Kegs , One fresh water, one Nuit solution uses less then 10 percents of the water that growing in soil does. The Fresh water is in fact the run off of the Nuit solution being returned! It is filtered on the return and then fed back into the Nuit Keg. The same land mass equivalent (needed to grow the variety and abundance) would be 48 feet per tower. So lets do the math. You would have to trench 48 feet per tower.
Since you have a row, and a trench using the smallest most space efficient crop, (small lettuces. would require a row and trench of 10" by 36" or 2.5 Feet per grow site. Times 40 grow sites =100 square feet Times 28 towers =2800 square feet.
So your Land mass eq is 24" deep by 2800 sq feet for a cubic of 5800 .
5800 cubic feet of soil toil. 1400 sq feet of black plastic to cover each row, drip water feed line 48 sites x number of plants.
Not to forget , you can't reclaim your run off in soil. Forget about the fact that this is in a city. Forget about the fact it is using a Public space to educate the traveling public! All nutrients are " Naturally reactive." The formulation allows one to Target feed what is needed. Take Cal Mag or Sodium Nitrate. These aren't invented. They are salts mined and perfected. The Mass of these two Combined Nutrients when added to either soil or Hydro (4 Nuit Naturally) must be taken up by the plant it is feeding.
In a soil (any particulate) The roots must search out the food. This requires root travel, the nature of such being conversion and use of energy. In the Vertical mass either Particulate or hydro less energy is used by the plant to up tick. However, In the hydro based this uptick is is much more efficient due to the root mass being more dense and localized. Were as the media based (particulate) still has to use energy to seek out this nutrient. What we are really talking about here is efficacy. All energy used to arrive at the most effective level. This includes caloric. If we take the energy used in the production of the tower (mass produced) The energy used to supply the plants and the efficiency of the delivery method of the nutrients. We can get a more honest approach method of appraisal. This should also take into account the cost of acquiring the land mass in ether state. as well as it's best use. After all. We are looking for the truth first, Life experience 2nd (quality) and total cost last.
intersting. thnk you.
This guy needs to choose his wording a bit more carefully I encourage anybody who is watching this is do their own research on the tower gardens. It's aeroponic, not hydroponic, and there are no synthetic chemical fertilizers used.
+Emily Vangils Unless the chicago airport is doing things differently then people that have home tower gardens..
+Emily Vangils thats funny i dont see any of your growing videos that makes you seem like you know more then this guy.
and why do I need a video to prove that? Haha. If one even looks into these tower gardens they will see that he uses incorrect terminology and looks like a fool.
It's actually not true aeroponics. It's thin film nutrient. Aeroponics is a challenge to maintain because of potential clogs in the high pressure misters. This uses a clever design that allows water to drip over the roots while giving them ample opportunity to breath.
Salt and calcium buildup can be caused by excessive nutrients in the solution. I don't grow tower garden, but I had problems with salt buildup clogging pumps, hoses and vents. I now use a solution with less nutrient that the manufacturer. My plants are just as healthy and I no longer see traces of buildup.
@@patrickhenigin4805 Right Patrick.. It's just one of the many flavors or stops along the path of hydro.. Nothing wrong with aero..but..many of the garden set up tower gardens..produced are waaaaaaaaay over priced, but are totally geared for lazy people who are OK with the high over price scale.
Great informative video. came here to check up on James McCanney Grow Towers. Agree with you on the need to have natural fertilizers to ensure good quality. And also add the need for clean water. I doubt the airport has the best tap water there, probbly lots of noxious chemicals there as well. Otherwise, great idea for spaceship
He failed to mention that the towers use/promote organic, aka "natural", fertilizers and that it is a closed water system. His soil-based mini tower is not. I believe that in his own videos he uses the same, or similar, mineral supplement (with the fertilizer) as what these towers use to add micronutrients.
Great Job. Good info to know
I need an alternative so that I can grow indoors. I have so many bugs attacking my outdoor plants that it becomes more of a battle rather than a pleasure to grow.
Learn about trap plants, rotational gardening, beneficial bugs, both planting for them and buying them. You can get worse bug infestations inside than out. Lol look up Tylrsgarden on Instagram lol massive aphid issue.
the reason for the salt on the tower is the water that they are using also the fertilizer is all natural...so you goffed on this one
Ritta Slusher it’s also mostly calcium build up
Thank you John for another great video and for your honesty and concern for folks health. My concern for gardening with one of these towers or any plastic type growing containers is not only the chemical fertilizers but also the leaching of the chemicals in the containers themselves into the food. I whole heartedly agree with you that growing in a hoop house or using sprouts is the best way. Thanks again.
Honesty? Ha
Is the quality of the food the same between aerponics versus soil grown ?????
I got sad watching this video as I am so excited to get this Tower. Glad I saw the reviews before canceling! Thumbs down for video, up for Tower Garden!
+Dorliska Rivera I'm so glad you didn't.... you will love the product and this guy speaks from no factual basis, whatsoever. It's frustrating and annoying the ignorance this video has shared. Happy growing, from a happy Tower Garden owner! :D
Did you already order your Tower Garden? They're amazing!!
Dorliska, I love my tower garden, it's all organic, beautiful to look at and besides, who wants to eat store bought produce that has been possibly peed on and sprayed with deadly sprays. I would rethink your decision.
His dislikes almost match the likes for his video and a bunch of commenters noting how his words are off or incorrectly using terminology
did you end up getting it? do you still use it? i am watching videos to see if i should get one.
The thing is cool and does work. The problems are:
1.) You have to clean up the crystalization of the formula A & B produces. It creates like a salt crystalization.
2.) You have to trim the roots or they will seep down into the bin and can destroy the pump.
True but Those are extremely minor inconveniences. The salt takes a while to build and if you don’t ignore it you can easily clean it while it’s together. And do one big cleaning once a year where you take it apart. The roots is not a big issue. You can easily pull it out to give it a haircut with the net pot attached, and put it back in. Easier than cleaning the salts.
@@ML-ov7wo - Welll, there were several problems. I learned that the thing would have to be cleaned once every 2 to 3 months. The crystalations was a good build up. Then there was the root problem. You would have to take it apart because the roots would knott and tie into each other. The third part is stuff would build up and could destroy your pump. My small pump for the thing went out and that is why my system failed, and my plants died. It just stopped all of sudden.
Still all of those things can easily be fixed. You just have to take it apart to get to the roots. You will need a spray bottle to spray the roots with the solution and water, so they don't dry out. Then clean it, while spraying the roots every 30 minutes to an hour.
Fantastic video. They are all great. But hydro does have tons of draw backs.
Have you ever put steel dust on your soil? I go to a maker space where people cut a lot of steel, and they don't recycle the steel dust.
I have 2 Juice Plus Tower Gardens and grow on my deck and in my laundry room in the winter. To say buying one is a Big Mistake is a great marketing tool as it invites people to watch but truth be known this is an easy and convenient system that takes little to no time and effort. The Tower Garden Growing System comes with everything you need to start growing vegetables, herbs, and fruits at home-including our specially formulated plant food and gourmet seeds. This aeroponic 5-feet-tall vertical garden allows you to grow up to 20 plants in less time than it takes in soil. At $45.25 a month I think I will order my 3rd.
John I am so disappointed in you, those Towers are amazing!
He's unbelievably stupid!
I was just talking to a friend of mine who is considering one of these for a herb garden and Im trying to persuade him to simply buy a couple T5 lights and some trays to just grow microgreens.
Not the same. TG can give much better yields
Good work
I watched so many of his videos until he started bashing hydroponics, tried to market his stuff and talks nonsense about apparently "toxic" fertilizers. Everything in this world is ultimately some sort of complex chemical and there's no need to be so negative about chemicals.
I guess it's all in personal preference. I have used and indoor hydroponics system inside with great results. However I prefer to grow in soil with only compost and manure for fertilizer. Just my preference. But you do what you can with what you have, right?
Plants don't care how they get their ELEMENTS AND MINERALS (keep that in mind) "Organic" Aquaponic and mammal waste compost must use bacterial additions and worms to transfer biological compounds into those very same elements that are present in a water soluble component that include all the needed micro-nutrients for rapid and intense plant growth. Water soluble fertilizer can be tailored to your plants needs or be kept in a general range to supply the nutrient needs of multiples of crops.
Organic compounds using waste need expensive and constant testing to maintain optimal growing conditions. You're limited to "OK or not OK".
Science is not magic and there is not secret mojo in poop.
Either the PPM of about 15 different elements and minerals are in your water and soil or they are not.
If you have livestock or fish to provide that nutrient solution, then great...you have free fertilizer, as long as you understand that some of those elements may be excessive or in short supply for optimal plant growth and no elixir of Asian bat guano will magically give the plants what they need.
You would be better off spending some time learning basic plant botany and the chemistry involved in the entire eco-sphere of your garden than spending money on "organic" Teas and miracle additives.
Elements and minerals, PH and transpiration rates must be in balance or nothing will give your garden good growth.
I study permaculture design. He isn't wrong. Soil is a symbiotic system with microbes that feed off and excrete minerals crucial for proper plant nourishment.
Salt from many store bought fertilizers that end up in ground is not sustainable and depletes our Earth's topsoil (the fragile layer of fertile earth that sustains all life). Fertilizer is full of nitrogen. Plants can only take up 10% of that fertilizer and the other 90% (salt) is lost to earth and ground water destabilizing topsoil dramatically over a span of a few years.
linfinity, thank you for breaking it down. You are right.
Yeah thanx man, it's tough fighting against Monsanto, Bayer,.. All these "round uppers", a lot of corporate propaganda and amounts of money that an average youtube viewer couldn't imagine surround our "consumental world".
You said they use synthetic minerals. I thought the JP systems use all natural minerals.
Yes, he is incorrect! Obviously he did not read the bottle with the all natural minerals.
Here we are 8 years later and these same towers have seen explosive growth and success. Looking back, you missed the mark on this one...
So I understand the wonderfulness that is organic really it's great but I live in Canada. A very snowy part of Canada so growing outside all year doesn't quite cut it here at all. Sure there are hardier crops but If I have to shovel my crops out then I'm fairly certain Aeroponics is a better choice. In the summer I have some raised beds (Yup we get frost here early spring and early fall) so I like to play in the dirt but for all year long growing I'm seriously looking at the Tower Garden.
You can build your own for just over $100 and use your own nutrients.
Rafael I printed a cup too weak for good roots bust bottom out. PLA for the LoLz. It could help to use 3D printing pen for vertical layering support.
Rafael
I have the instructions and parts list in a video. The Tower Garden people don't like me too well. :)
You talk positively about Hydroponics in some videos, and then negative in this one. I'm confused. I've seen tons of benefits to Hydroponics and Aeroponics.
Yes, does someone who pays him NOT like the Tower Garden???
its about the price and the fact that the way they use the fertilizer. i think for 500 dollars you can get a whole hydroponics set instead of just 1 tower
$500 and chemicals fertilizers vs $250 and soil using worms tea etc...kind of obvious why he would disourage this
I can make a vapor based aeroponic tower with 40 dollars excluding organic liquid fertilizers and electricity. This was a very poor black and white talk about tower aeroponics - suspicious even . . .
yea the mist based aeroponics have been proven to be much lower cost then traditional hydroponics, as well as saving a LOT of water, and to be much faster then traditional farming, as for the bullshit about we should be trying to emulate nature, I am pretty sure that plants grow everywhere, on rocks misted by water with no dirt, under the ocean next to lava vents, if it grows, you are emulating nature.
I've been thinking of having a hydroponics/aeroponic garden and this video gave me so much food for thoughts. I do like the practicality and dependability of hydroponics, but you are right, where to the buildups go? Will it be poisonous to our ecosystem if done on a large scale?
It is a self contained system for as long as you use it unless you knock it over. You aren't going to start destroying the Gulf of Mexico, as he suggests, just because you start using it. The mini tower he is promoting dumps water and leached nutrients out of the bottom that you have to make sure to catch with a barrel and hope that you do not make a mess on your floor (if indoors). This video is so full of ignorance and scare tactics.
....and there are so many other scary things that are done on a large scale than if there was one of these towers in every single household.
most hydroponics systems are recirculating. You don't ever drain it into the sewer period. I am doing sand hydroponics for 3 years now. I hand water the sand and grow everything in it. There are no drainage holes. I just water just enough and the plant drinks it rest evaporates. There is zero draining happening.
Good video. like your opinion on keeping it natural.
OK so I read a few replies. I realy just want to know what plants are better in soil compared to towers(hydroponic/aeroponics/aquaponics)!??. I'l be making my own towers. Mainly due to them producing green's, herb's faster. And I'm trying to make a travel trailer with a mini garden for traveling.
So I know roots and tree's can't be grown in towers. But what other plants should not be grown in tower's ? Tower's vs small pot(bag) ? Like; Tomato, broccoli/Cauliflower, pepper, tomato, cucumbers and squash ? Will all them be to big for pot(bag)/towers I can move in and out of trailer ? Again I will be custom making my towers for what ever I deside to grow.
there can be runoff with organic farming too
I very much agree. It's so important to expose as many people as possible to the idea of growing plants for food, and the idea that the chain between garden and table can be very short, even in as industrial a place as O'Hare Airport, but... what you said : ) They just about break even. If they'd constructed this where it could get at least part of its light from the sun -- there have to be some expanses of glass roof in any modern airport -- I'd say it's a positive, even with the chemical fertilizer.
Instead... this video (the audio, actually) is very evocative; if anyone wants to bear with me, I'll try to explain a thought about our lives on the grid:
I'm afraid this will sound fanciful to some people, but... I think, in reality, some of us are just highly sensitive to certain things -- in this case, energy, and the sound of energy emanating from its source. Everyone can hear electricity running, you just have to pay close attention. We modern folks have all learned to tune it out from birth, but if you start paying attention... actually, I became aware of The Sound in this way: I went to a cob building workshop in the middle of the woods in Oregon. We were probably two miles, as the crow flies, from any source of electricity -- power lines, etc. After a week there, I drove home (3-4 hours) -- then was busy, talking, and didn't notice my home surroundings that much; felt a little strange, but couldn't put my finger on it. Then I woke up in the dead of night. In addition to the house electric, there was a utility pole and street light outside my window, probably thirty feet away. And I was really startled to realize that I could *hear* the electricity humming/buzzing, quite loudly -- not only from the pole, but from the interior walls. I didn't like it much... But I was quite tired and soon fell asleep again. Now, what amazed me more was that, in the morning, I got up and -- didn't hear it any more! I think we just tune it out automatically. But I've been more aware of it since, which leads me to this video: the hum coming off all that electric running in a small area almost makes me feel ill -- seriously, just hearing a recording of it is stressful -- I want to say painful, but it's not properly pain, just distress. And one of the first things I noticed in the video is the odd 'posture' of many of the plants. (I don't mean the stems growing down and then up -- that's just reaching for the light source. It's more of an odd droop, particularly to the leaves, and the best way I can describe it is 'cowering'. (Okay, have to smile here, but -- I'm not crazy, honest : ) I believe if the poor things had hands, they'd be clamping them over their ears to shut out that horrible, low, heavy... buzz/hummm/zzzz/mmmwahmmm... There's no way to write it, It's a sound not found in nature. I just know that it can't be healthy, either for us or for plants. We cope, but I really have come to think it may be a source or a component of many modern ills, physical and mental.
Sorry that's so long. Great video.
Great review... thanks for sharing this. I GET So confused with the water systems. I use an indoor unit that I can grow my organic food just like it would in nature with soil and lights. Thanks for sharing - love your videos!
what do you use indoors that is organic? thanks!
I like how he says that the plants are looking anemic. Of course any plant looks anemic because anemia is defined by the lack of red blood cell in the blood. If you see a plant with red blood cells, call me right up, because I would be really curious to see how those work
Plant anemia, Iron deficiency
Well played John!
I've been watching a lot of these window, indoor, tower gardening... NEVER did they mention the waste of hydro-/aerophonics!
I've studied economics, so those are the first things I think about: the indirect costs we(the humanity) are paying for mass scale production. 500 dollar would've been a great price if the makers would've completed the product cycle(like for example take the broken towers back and recycle them 100% instead of burning it) Thanx for thinking about the Ocean too!
What do you think about growing plants UNDER the water?(maybe a new video idea..) I've seen some positive news about that!
Keep on Enlighting our Green minds!
Misguided, incorrect information especially about the fertilizer!
i use aeroponics with the npk raw soluble range is that range organic or not do u know?
I live up in northern Canada as in -15 to -50 from October to April...while that's enough of a window for canola or wheat/barley it's not enough for a lot of what I'd want to grow up here IE peppers, tomatoes, etc. I could spend 500 bucks on an outdoor greenhouse and all the gear needed only to have a shock weather system come in and destroy everything. Anyone think this would be a good alternative to use indoors in a spare bedroom?
I love my Tower Garden, it produces amazing plants and I have received my return of investment many times over. Not sure what your problem is. It's simple to assemble, it's a high quality product, it produces as promoted and then some. This is my fourth year growing and my tower garden is as good as the day I bought it. Best investment ever, absolutely NO regrets here!
I second that. One of the most rewarding products I’ve purchased.
I initially subscribed, back in time, but you have been going off on extreme tangents that are not sensible. The negativity you spout, video after video, about practices that do not align with your narrow viewpoint have turned me off. Over time I have watched your videos turn from informative and inspirational to negativity towards others and self-superior in tone.
sebern2 really this video stops you from subscribing to Johns channel 🤔! You’re saying John’s going on a “ extreme tangent that are not sensible” when all he’s doing is stating an accurate opinion of TGT? Most of you Juice Plus people are really none growers unknowingly I’m sure dedicated to the one present IMO, so sad! You can’t eat money, grow your food for yourselves the true\better way using soil!
john its 45 dollars a month....it averages out to 1.5 a day for 28 different fresh fruits and veggies. and the tower tonic is not a fertilizer.....please get all your fact straight! it would help you not look so ignorant...the people like myself, jan young, tim blank are truly changing the wrold an inspiring healthy living around the world.....
You can contact me directly if you havecan email id be more then happy to explain why this is the best
Is hydroponic growing organic? I thought that we should only be eating organic produce. What about organic fertilizers?
The short answer: Minerals (things like copper, iron, phosphorus, etc,) are, by definition, inorganic. The word organic actually means carbon-based, or living, which refers specifically to plants and animals. Hence, an earth mineral cannot be organic.
The long answer: In certified organic growing, the fertilizers used must come from a plant or animal base. In hydroponic systems, we use earth minerals, otherwise you’d have dead plant-or-animal matter floating around, and it would rot and stink. The thing is, plants have 16 major macro and trace elements that they require. Whether those come from earth minerals, or from minerals in plants and animals, is irrelevant. An earth mineral cannot be organic. The key difference between field organics and hydroponics/aeroponics is that we utilize earth minerals refined in their purest form so that we know exactly what’s going into the plants in the right formulation to get what we want to get out of the plant.
NASA worked to develop mineral solutions that would put more nutrients into plants so that they could grow a healthier plant (for astronauts in space, because their food sources are so very limited). The question must be asked: if we’re raising nutrient dense, healthier plants for astronauts, why aren’t we doing the same thing in agriculture? And the answer is, invariably, we’ve never done it because we don’t have to. Agriculture is very price-point based; whether it’s organic or conventional, farming isn’t a high profit venture, so farmers put the least amount that they can into producing a crop.
One of our key goals that inventor Tim Blank had with the Tower Gardens™ was to develop a system that you could open up and, without having a bunch of expensive electronic equipment (which you’d typically need to do with conventional hydroponics), set up in 30 minutes. And the one nutrient solution they’d use (as opposed to the dozens they’d need for different crops with conventional hydroponics) would work well for tomatoes, for flowers, for lettuces, for cucumbers - whatever crop they want to grow.
And that’s really what we did with the Tower Tonic™: rich, abundant, ionic earth minerals that are important for plant growth. And those minerals would be nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and trace minerals, like boron, chlorine, manganese, zinc - these are all essential for good, healthy plant growth. But in addition to that, we have a wide range of trace minerals that are also important to human health, and they’re in that nutrient solution in very small amounts, and basically the plant may or may not need to use those minerals but they are available for take-up to help aid in the nutrition, and the health of the plant.
Also, one of the key differences in the Tower Tonic™ (compared to any organic or conventional fertilizer that’s used in agriculture today) is that we stay away from ammoniacal nitrogen. Instead, we use nitrate nitrogen. A good comparison to human nutrition is the difference between white table sugar and a complex carbohydrate found in a grain or vegetable. Ammoniacal nitrogen used with food crops force quick, explosive growth, which is why modern farmers use it. The problem is that with that kind of explosive growth, you get a weak cell structure; the most important component to every plant and cell wall is calcium, and when a food crop is forced to grow quickly like that, it becomes more susceptible to insect damage and pest damage. Just like if we were to eat lots of table sugar: we get quick energy, and we crash later - our immune system is weakened, we feel tired, etc. But eating a complex carbohydrate gives our bodies longer-lasting energy that doesn’t take a toll on our health. The same is true for food crop plants that are grown with nitrate nitrogen.
There are several dozen differences between the Tower Tonic™ and conventional hydroponic solutions and systems, but how we feed our plants is just one of the key differences: it’s rich in calcium, and rich in trace minerals that are important to people. Balanced plant health and wellness, along with human health and nutrition, is at the center of what we’re about.
***** I haven't read your entire response yet, however, in the first paragraph you mentioned "to be certified organic, the fertilizers used must come from a plant or animal base..." I'm not sure that's true. If it is, then products like Azomite which is volcanic ash/rock based would not be OMRI listed, but they are, and they are mineral based, not plant/animal based. If the system used products like Cascade Minerals or Azomite to get the minerals needed, I would be interested, but I don't believe that it is. I'm sure you feel your "Earth Minerals" are natural and safe and that's fine. I would just personally choose to not use them if they are not OMRI listed. It's a personal choice, and nothing more. I'm not saying "my way is better than your way"...it's just my way and my choice. As I said before, I am sure there is a place for this product, but for the price (I don't care about the payments...they don't justify the total price), there are LOTS more economic options that offer similar results, with organic growing methods. Perhaps commercially this makes sense in some situations, but for the average home gardener, price is a large determining factor, and this one alienates a large part of that market, payments or not, in my opinion. if, in fact the solutions are all natural, then why not release an entire ingredients list? If you have released an ingredients list, then why not post a link to it so we can make our own informed decisions?
Again,. to be clear, I'm not saying it's a bad product, I'm just saying it's not something easily afforded by the average home gardener. While some may feel the payments option is a good thing, personally I think it's nothing more than an easy way to justify an astronomically high price.
but think about all things needed to garden...soil water, shovel tools...pots seeds...thats almost the price of the tower...just depends what you think is affordable....for us its just makes sense, we dont buy anymoe store produce...it payed for itself in about 4 weeks
how do you post pics on here...if not go to my facebook page hydroponics-aeroponics
How would people compare this to the zipgrow towers for commercial systems?
I’ve had my towers for five years they paid for them self in a very short period and I think you have no idea what you’re talking about. I also have a ground garden and It is only for my ground vegetables everything above ground I grow in my towers because the taste is unbelievable! Plus there’s no bending and no weeding which is a nightmare in my ground garden!
do you have the one from juice plus? how often do you have to restock the nutrient solution (or whatever it is called)?
This Video Is simple full of false information. the use of probably the fertilizer doesn't contain everything it needs, salt build up it is the mineral salts from the vapor of the minerals. those salts that would normally be in the soil are in the formula. The same thing happens in the country when you boil water down in a pot the iron and minerals show up on the pot lol Normal and natural the formula is not SYNTHETIC Chemicals as he calls them. John You should do real and actual essential research before coming against something he obviously does not understand...
What's to understand about the Tower Garden that John doesn't understand? It's soilless using man made chemicals that try to mimic Nature. Isn't this the very definition of synthetic? Are you saying Tower tonic is better than the elements it's trying to mimic? John is clearly saying in this video that it's his opinion, and it's my personal opinion he's right on. Many reasons why soil growing is far better than this Tower Garden many people could never afford in the first place.
Synthetic
1. (of a substance) made by chemical synthesis, especially to imitate a natural product.
It is not synthetic it is natural minerals in a liquid solution They are not. " Man Made Minerals". Its to bad even though he has a great product he feels it is necessary to slam another great product to make his look better. The point being is that a tower garden works well, saves space, saves water and as far as hus comments about synthetic mineral buildup on the tower connection that is also a misrepresentation as John well knows in evaporation minerals will crystalize. Even if you allow a pot to boil dry it will leave a mineral ring on the pot. Notice I did not say his product was bad or of a bad quality. I believe each product has its place. My comment had to do with his misinformation. Where in the Actual Tower Garden literature do you find Synthetic man made chemicals listed that is an error period. If Soil Gardening is for you or anyone else thats great I have done and still do both.. That does not diminish the value of the tower garden in the least way. As a matter if fact soil isn't cheap ether. However an individual can cheapen his own product. While trying to devalue another. Have a great day. You and John are entitled to you opinion but understand what he is saying is plain misinformation and that is fact not just my opinion.. Do your research.
+Larry Orchard I hear what you're saying, The Tower Garden is a good turnkey aeroponic system for those wishing to grow food for themselves on a small scale. But it is expensive, your chained in a sense to Juice Plus for your supplies, you must always have power, and pump working 24/7 so your always thinking about it.
It's my opinion as well that it is more work in the end, more chance for failure than soil growing. Like the Window Farm The Tower Garden will end up being a novelty in the Urban Farming world. Look at Amazon, why isn't anyone selling Tower Gardens there? It cost too much, other systems are selling spinoffs cheaper and none of them are really worth what these sale people commenting here make it appear. More useless plastic in our landfills.
it's synthetic!
@@evegrowing7749 if you actually tried growing with a good aeroponic system you would know that it is MUCH more reliable than soil growing, healtheir plants, and yes, you have the potential for a mechanical systems to go wrong but when you compare the risks of soils growing to the risks of aeroponic growing you'll find soil growing loses every time. Of course that's not even taking into account how much cheaper aeroponics is long term, how much healthier the food is, and how much less space it takes up. Soil growing with even the best fertilizers can't compare to the plant health of a properly timed aeroponic system with even just adequate fertilization.
Hi..
Are any health benefits lost from using lights instead of the sun..
I like growing lettuces and some other items indoors because I end up with so many bugs attacking my outdoors crops. So I end up tossing it - the indoor crops I actually get to eat.