Method and apparatus for automated horticulture and agriculture

A method for continuous automated growing of plants utilizing a production line comprising first and subsequent growth sections, each growth section comprising a plurality of horizontal transport levels, each level of each section having a controlled source of light and liquid nutrient, and a plurality of growing trays, each growing tray being adapted to move horizontally and longitudinally into, along and out of one of said transport levels;

• whereby each said subsequent growth section has a greater length than the previous growth section to thereby receive a greater number of growing trays than the previous growth section so that as plants grow in said growing trays, the number of plants per growing tray is decreased but the number of plants per growth section remains generally constant, the method comprising:
• i) planting a first group of said growing trays with seeds, the number of seeds planted in each said growing tray in said first group of growing trays being selected according to the type of plant, the size of growing trays, and the relative number and lengths of said growth sections;
• ii) introducing said first group of seeded growing trays into said first growth section;
• iii) after a sufficient germination period, transplanting a first group of plants from the first group of growing trays into a second group of growing trays comprising a greater number of growing trays than said first group of growing trays and able to be received in the first subsequent growth section;
• iv) introducing said second group of growing trays containing the first group of plants into said first subsequent growth section;
• v) introducing a third group of seeded growing trays into the first growth section;
• vi) after the first group of plants have grown for a sufficient period of time in said first subsequent growth section, transferring said first group of plants into a fourth group of growing trays comprising a greater number of growing trays than said second group of growing trays and able to be received in the next subsequent growth section;
• vii) introducing the fourth group of growing trays containing the first group of plants into the next subsequent growth section;
• viii) transplanting a second group of plants from the third group of growing trays into a fifth group of growing trays comprising a greater number of growing trays able to be received in the first subsequent growth section;
• ix) introducing the fifth group of growing trays containing the second group of plants into the first subsequent growth section;
• x) repeating steps i) through ix) mutatis mutandis for a sixth and subsequent group of seeded growing trays and a third and subsequent group of plants planted in said sixth and subsequent seeded growing trays;
• xi) once the plants in each group of the growing trays are in a final of said subsequent growth sections and are ready to harvest, removing the group of growing trays from said final of said subsequent growth sections and harvesting said plants.