Why the UrBin Grower?™
The UrBin Grower™ is a compact self‐watering organic growing
system perfect for the urban family. It can be used anywhere, anytime – a
patio, balcony, fire escape, backyard, greenhouse, or even inside
during the cold months. Its innovative design allows for portability,
yet also encourages a bountiful harvest. By utilizing the Square Foot
Gardening Method, the UrBin Grower™ allows you to grow endless
vegetables in a manageable container.
The UrBin Grower's™ unique sub‐irrigation watering design waters plants the way nature intended ‐ from the bottom up.
The UrBin Grower's™ unique sub‐irrigation watering design waters plants the way nature intended ‐ from the bottom up.
Watering into the UrBin Grower’s™ visible reservoir allows you
to monitor the water much more effectively than in other self-watering
containers, in which you must water through a tube into a hidden
reservoir. The soil system wicks moisture up to the roots, drawing
nutrients with it. The soil system also air prunes plants to keep the
root growth constant and prevent root circling. With the constant
exposure to oxygen you no longer need to worry about over watering
either. The fresh air prunes the tip of the roots which causes them to
branch off, creating an even healthier root system.
At A Glance
With the UrBin Grower™, you can grow almost anything, anywhere:
tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, lettuce, herbs, squash, cabbage,
onions, strawberries, ornamental plants and much more. The UrBin Grower™
is a complete kit, including the container, soil separator, and
watering tray, an instruction booklet, and a set of seed starter trays.
How the UrBin Grower™ Works
The UrBin Grower™ is uniquely designed to use capillary action to
draw water up through soil and to take the guesswork out of watering.
Plants take the water they need out of the visible reservoir. This way,
you can see exactly how much or how little water your particular crops
desire. This is a healthy, sustainable way to water your plants. As the
water is drawn upwards through the soil into the root systems, it
delivers essential nutrients to your plants rather than those nutrients
being washed away when you water from above.
In traditional plastic plant pots, roots grow until they hit the inner edge, and then the roots start circling around the pot. Roots that are circling around a pot are more susceptible to the negative effects of excess heat, drought and disease. To encourage strong, healthy roots the UrBin Grower™ utilizes air pruning, a physical technique that keeps root growth from extending beyond its nutrient-rich growing media, or circling around its container. This is achieved by exposing the root tips to relatively dry air and stopping their growth. The layer of air between the water in the reservoir and the soil separator, air prunes the plant roots. This stimulates further growth of secondary roots that branch out within the growing medium. More roots means more water and nutrients.
In traditional plastic plant pots, roots grow until they hit the inner edge, and then the roots start circling around the pot. Roots that are circling around a pot are more susceptible to the negative effects of excess heat, drought and disease. To encourage strong, healthy roots the UrBin Grower™ utilizes air pruning, a physical technique that keeps root growth from extending beyond its nutrient-rich growing media, or circling around its container. This is achieved by exposing the root tips to relatively dry air and stopping their growth. The layer of air between the water in the reservoir and the soil separator, air prunes the plant roots. This stimulates further growth of secondary roots that branch out within the growing medium. More roots means more water and nutrients.
Simply place your UrBin Grower™ container on the watering tray
and then place the soil separator in the container. The soil separator
ensures that your soil is not saturated and you will never experience
root rot. In two corners of your container, the soil will dip down into
the water reservoir and wick moisture up to your root systems. Add your
preferred soil mix and plant according to seed packet directions.
Soil Amendments Add-On
Most garden soil and potting mixes are not perfect. If your soil has too much clay in it, is too sandy, too stony or too acidic, don't despair. These soil amendments promote plant and soil health, beneficial bacteria, and microbial activity, and will improve your soil.The add‐on soil amendments for the UrBin Grower™ include pumice, chunks of coconut husk (coir), ground coir mixed with trace minerals, and coir mulch.
- Pumice is a lightweight volcanic rock that is chemically inert and has a high silica content. Pumice provides excellent soil aeration and larger pieces are provided for this purpose in addition to the finely ground particles in the coir mix. Full of microscopic holes, each piece of pumice can hold and release water and nutrients to growing plants over time. Pumice is so durable that you’ll never need to replace it in your potting mix.
- The chunks of coir provide aeration, excellent wicking and moisture absorption qualities, while the coir mulch prevents weeds and retains moisture on the surface of the soil.
- Coir provided in the UrBin Grower™ has been combined with glacial rock dust, olivine and finely ground pumice. They provide your plants (and you) a broad range of trace minerals, including 14 of the body’s essential and minor (trace) minerals needed for optimum physical and mental health—boron, calcium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, nickel, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, silicon, sodium, and zinc.
Why are Trace Minerals Important?
Both plants and animals, including humans, benefit from a regular supply of trace minerals, which are best transferred to the human body through vegetables grown in soil rich in trace minerals.Today nearly all commercial agriculture land is depleted of trace minerals, due in part to the exclusive use of chemical fertilizers and ground water pollution.
By mixing the ground coir with trace minerals into the soil mix for your UrBin Grower™ and growing your own food, you ensure that those essential nutrients are added back into your diet.
Wire Rack Add-On
The perfect companion to the UrBin Grower™, the Wire Rack measures 4 ft. tall, is made out of galvanized steel, and is sturdy enough to handle all of your climbing vegetable growing needs. The Wire Rack folds in fourths for easy storage in your garden, shed or garage.
All the vegetables I’ve tried have grown better in self watering containers than in traditional containers. Many actually grew better than in the earth garden.
‐ Edward C. Smith, Author, The Vegetable Gardener’s Container Bible
Air is as important to root growth as water, accelerates plant growth, increases plant vigor and creates non‐circling roots.
- Elsie K, Master Gardener
Circling roots are ‘burned’ off or pruned when exposed to AIR, causing the plant to constantly produce new and highly branched roots.
- Washington State University
circling roots (in potted) plants have difficulty getting enough water and nutrients shortening plant’s life span.
‐ Oregon State University
How to Get Started!
