“ The vegetables taste completely different . I had no idea how much better it tastes when you literally pick it right before you eat it ,” Shim says . “ And I would eat tomatoes before , but I didn ’ t really like them . But when I grew them on the tower , I fell in love with them .” Still , these lifestyle shifts didn ’ t occur without a lot of hard work and a willingness to try something new . In Shim ’ s case , it was ditching the old planter boxes . When her family moved to their current home , she decided to give gardening a shot and attempted to grow tomatoes , zucchini , and squash in a few planter boxes leftover from the previous owners . To her dismay , plants didn ’ t take and the wood boxes started to rot . Upon further inspection , lying beneath it all was a grid full of weeds , bugs , and a snake . “ No wonder I couldn ’ t grow anything ; there wasn ’ t room for the roots to grow , and I didn ’ t know that at the time because I couldn ’ t see the gunk ,” she says . “ By that point , I was over it .” So , when she discovered aeroponic vertical gardens , she was ready for something different and her curiosity was piqued . Today , Shim not only grows the majority of her family ’ s greens using this system , but she is also a representative for the company that produces the vertical aeroponic gardens .
“ GOING TO THE STORE FOR PRODUCE IS NOW THE EXCEPTION RATHER THAN THE NORM .”
“ THE VEGETABLES TASTE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT . I HAD NO IDEA HOW MUCH BETTER IT TASTES WHEN YOU LITERALLY PICK IT
RIGHT BEFORE YOU EAT IT .”
The set-up itself is fairly simple . The 20-gallon reservoir that sits at the base stores water mixed with nutrients and holds a submersible pump , which pushes the solution to the top of the garden . The solution continuously trickles down over the plants ’ exposed roots while becoming oxygenated . There is no dirt , not a lot of space is required , and significantly less water is needed to grow plants than a traditional garden . Shim also keeps each vertical garden on a dolly for increased mobility , so it can be moved inside when the weather cools . “ It ’ s convenient and doesn ’ t require the maintenance a dirt garden does ,” says Shim . “ And I do believe in putting my hands in dirt , but we do that with flowers .” Maintenance of the system is pretty chill , you could say . Depending on the weather and rate of evaporation , water is changed every three to four weeks . Shim will check the pH once a month . The only thing she does every day is check on the plants ’ progress and sees if there ’ s anything ripe for the picking . “ It ’ s like a game for the kids — when do we get to eat it ,” Shim says . “ And to see how far we ’ ve come . They pick it off the tower and eat it , which is huge for us .”
The longer Shim sticks to eating what ’ s fresh and growing in her backyard , the more she notices that the food she was once drawn to just doesn ’ t quite do it anymore . When she got her wisdom teeth pulled recently , Shim was afraid she ’ d revert back to old habits and reach for comfort food . And she did , for a moment . “ I got a piece of pumpkin pie and tried to eat it , and it was extremely sweet to me ,” she says . “ I ate a couple bites and realized it didn ’ t taste good , and realized I was craving fruits and vegetables .”
Karen Wilkinson is a budding gardener with previous experience working in the hydroponics industry . Her background includes daily reporting , technical writing , marketing , and promotions . After spending years living along California ’ s northern coast , she made her way to Sacramento where she currently lives and breathes the yoga lifestyle .
“ THE ONLY THING SHE DOES EVERY DAY IS CHECK ON THE PLANTS ’ PROGRESS AND SEES IF THERE ’ S ANYTHING RIPE FOR THE PICKING .“
Maximum Yield USA | December 2016 139