Growing Spinach on a Bicycle Wheeled Vertical Garden
July 6, 2012 by Robin Plaskoff Horton
Here’s another cool spin on recycled bicycle wheels for the edible garden, this time upcycled into an urban hydroponic vertical garden wall.
For his Bike Rim Planter, which extends from the wall by steel supports, Brian Carter replaced the bike’s rubber tires with rockwool slabs, a favored hydroponic growing medium. After wrapping the slabs with a porous fabric which he sewed to the wheel rim, he planted Red Malabar Spinach seeds every six inches.
Evaporation and Saturation Generate Mobility
The bike garden wall uses a single drip-feed hydroponic system that emits drips of water onto the top rim of the wheel between nine and twelve o’clock. As the planting media becomes saturated, the weight causes the wheel to begin turning and, as a result, the entire rim gets irrigated.
Shift Happens
Another benefit, claims Carter, is that the climbing plants respond well to the shifting center of gravity during the wheel’s rotation.
Carter designed the planted wall as part of his course study with The Horticultural Building Systems Lab, under Richard L. Hindle, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture at The University of Oregon. Professor Hindle’s research focuses on technology in the garden and landscape, with an emphasis on material processes and innovation.
Category: Creating, Edible Landscaping, Green & Sustainable, Green Walls, Reclaimed & Recycled, Urban Agriculture, Vertical Gardens
Enjoyed this post? Subscribe to Urban Gardens!
share | 
e-mail a friend | comments (9)
This is ingenious!
— July 12, 2012 @ 18:17
Now, if you need renewable power to pump the water for this system, add more bicycle components to make a wind powered water pump: http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Wind-Powered-Water-Pump/
— July 17, 2012 @ 13:58
What an ingenious idea. Great for city greening and water run-off projects.
😉
Josh Ward Garden Design
http://www.joshwardgardendesign.com
— August 10, 2012 @ 08:03
What an ingenious idea. Great for city greening and water run-off projects.
— August 16, 2012 @ 22:18
It’s beautiful. Thanks for share. I will try it next time.
http://www.bsled.com
— May 31, 2013 @ 03:21
Poro?ni?te szpinakiem rowerowe ko?a Pingback said:
[…] Zdj?cia i info na Urbangardens Web […]
— November 4, 2013 @ 02:05
What other vegetables would be suited for these kinds of growing conditions?
— November 20, 2013 @ 20:54
Bike Park Philadelphia Bike Parking Units Double as Urban Gardens Pingback said:
[…] The Bike Park units will double as planters creating a corner urban garden while providing riders with a safe place to hitch up bicycles. […]
— July 12, 2017 @ 16:18
Reclaimed Bicycle Repurposed As Outdoor Fountain in Public Art Installation - Urban Gardens Pingback said:
[…] transportation, American-born and Berlin-based artist, Brad Downey, mounted it on an equally rusty bike rack and then transformed it into a working […]
— June 28, 2022 @ 11:35