Following are drawings of a sub-irrigated planter (SIP) patent from 1917. It includes a water and air reservoir, fill tube and overflow drain hole. Sound familiar?
Avi Solomon sent me this incredible find. The patent description written almost 100 years ago describes all the benefits of SIPs that we have proven to be true today.
This is not just about a window box type SIP. These drawing describe a generic configuration for all SIPs that are capable of solving many of the food shortage problems we have in our cities.
It is little known in America that the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) teaches these methods around the world. It is known as micro gardening or simplified hydroponics in South America. Why do we not know about it?
For me the most astounding part of this archival discovery is a comparison to the planter in the photo at the bottom. It is a Fiskars planter box made into a SIP with the simple addition of a half-round section of plastic (HDPE) corrugated drain pipe. I made it about a month ago using basically the same method as shown in these prior posts. You can see that it is virtually the same method as the 1917 invention. We will have one of these SIPs planted with herbs at the introductory SIP seminar.
Finding information like this demonstrates once again that our horticultural education system has been in a long Rip Van Winkle sleep. I'm by no means convinced it's awake yet. We have paid a very steep price in our society for this long nap.
Contrary to the opinions of those who are still living in a long gone rural age, in my view the iconography of a dirt garden only on the White House lawn is a national disgrace. It is imperative that we also demonstrate modernity to our children and the world. Most of us now live in cities where land is scarce and very often contaminated. Using shovels, rakes and stoop labor as the primary means to grow food in the city is as dumb as dirt in my view.
Avi and others who are tuned in to modern horticulture will be at the seminar on Thursday. Try to be there and tell your friends. We disparately need people who get it or have open minds and are willing to learn. We also need people who are willing to spread the word in any way they are able. It all starts with a light that shines on truth.
Avi Solomon sent me this incredible find. The patent description written almost 100 years ago describes all the benefits of SIPs that we have proven to be true today.
This is not just about a window box type SIP. These drawing describe a generic configuration for all SIPs that are capable of solving many of the food shortage problems we have in our cities.
It is little known in America that the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) teaches these methods around the world. It is known as micro gardening or simplified hydroponics in South America. Why do we not know about it?
For me the most astounding part of this archival discovery is a comparison to the planter in the photo at the bottom. It is a Fiskars planter box made into a SIP with the simple addition of a half-round section of plastic (HDPE) corrugated drain pipe. I made it about a month ago using basically the same method as shown in these prior posts. You can see that it is virtually the same method as the 1917 invention. We will have one of these SIPs planted with herbs at the introductory SIP seminar.
Finding information like this demonstrates once again that our horticultural education system has been in a long Rip Van Winkle sleep. I'm by no means convinced it's awake yet. We have paid a very steep price in our society for this long nap.
Contrary to the opinions of those who are still living in a long gone rural age, in my view the iconography of a dirt garden only on the White House lawn is a national disgrace. It is imperative that we also demonstrate modernity to our children and the world. Most of us now live in cities where land is scarce and very often contaminated. Using shovels, rakes and stoop labor as the primary means to grow food in the city is as dumb as dirt in my view.
Avi and others who are tuned in to modern horticulture will be at the seminar on Thursday. Try to be there and tell your friends. We disparately need people who get it or have open minds and are willing to learn. We also need people who are willing to spread the word in any way they are able. It all starts with a light that shines on truth.
Awesome!
Posted by: meemsnyc | July 26, 2010 at 01:22 PM
I agree meems. When I looked at the patent drawings I almost fell off my chair.
Posted by: Greenscaper | July 26, 2010 at 02:04 PM
This is definitely a great discovery! It's awesome to know that this patent description that was written over a hundred of years ago is capable of solving the scarcity of food supply today. This is truly an ingenious discovery that can help make modern horticulture become highly productive. Thanks for sharing this great information. :)
Posted by: hydroponics_systems | July 28, 2010 at 01:39 AM
Forgive my ignorance, but how is the water wicked up in the system that you have built, using the drain pipe?
Posted by: twitter.com/BenCzajkowski | July 28, 2010 at 01:25 PM