Kickstarter

For more than 40yrs hydroculture has been the predominant growing method used in Europe.  Hydroculture is a method of rooting plants in water, anchored in a clay aggregate, eliminating soil all together.   

The benefits of hydroculture plants versus soil plants include: faster plant growth, easier maintenance, longer life span, better air purification, and eliminates soil-borne mold & pests. 

GreenSpacers hydroculture houseplants include a water-level indicator, making care of the plants virtually fool-proof.  

Three Easy Steps:

Studies have shown hydroculture houseplants are more effective at removing airborne Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).  The porous nature of the expanded clay medium allows oxygen to pass more easily to its roots. 

Why Care?  VOCs are chemicals produced by every day household items (Examples: paints, disinfectants, air fresheners, dry-cleaned clothing) that can cause short and long-term adverse health effects. The EPA has found that VOC levels can be up to ten times higher indoors than out. 

No Dirt or Odor – Hydroculture plants grow in water and LECA, a clay aggregate formed into pebbles that, if spilled, are quick and easy to clean up with no odor. 

Faster Growth – Plants grown in soil must be spaced farther apart so their roots don’t compete for water and nutrients. Plants grown hydroponically don’t waste energy growing extensive root systems, resulting in faster-growing greenery. 

Ease of Maintenance – Each hydroculture plant comes equipped with a water level indicator gauge, making it virtually impossible to over- or underwater your plant. 

Less Frequent Watering – Depending upon the species of plant, its recommended lighting and the size of the container, watering frequency will range from as little as seven days to four weeks or even more. 

No Soil-Borne Pests/Mold – Hydroculture plants are hypoallergenic. While unlikely, there are a few pests that can develop on a hydroculture plant, but they are easily preventable or curable. As for mold issues, hydroculture plants live on water rather than soil, erasing the problem completely. 

No Disease – Bad fungi spores are very common in soil, and most plants are susceptible to their pathogens. No soil = no bad fungi spores. 

No Repotting – Hydroculture plants do not use soil and seldom need repotting. If you ever do need to repot your hydroponic plant, the LECA is reusable and easy to transport. 

Fertilizing – Fertilizing a hydroculture plant is a cinch. We use a slow-release fertilizer you can apply once every four months.

GreenSpacers’ mission is to kickstart the trend of hydroculture in the USA.  We want everyone from plant experts to gardening novices, to be able to grow their own fresh air. This is where your pledges will help make it happen!

More Pledges = More Container Options Available

Each time the project surpasses a certain monetary achievement goal, it will unlock another option of ceramic containers you can choose for your reward. And with a variety of choices from shiny bordeaux to matte slate gray, there’s a container for every personality.

NEW - Download and browse through almost 700 potential plant and container combinations available to be unlocked.  Please click GreenSpacers Catalog to download (File Size 8.8mb, so it may take a few minutes to download).   It’s a fun way to find your perfect combination whether you want to decorate your home, brighten your office, or find gifts for the holidays.

I’d been searching for years to find a company that could provide high-quality containers that would also fit our hydroculture plants when I found SK, one of the world’s leading plant container companies. Founded in Germany in 1893, SK has been producing watertight, environmentally-friendly ceramic containers for more than a century. SK uses entirely natural local clay to craft their containers, which are then fired using the cleanest energy, natural gas and a closed water circuit system using rainwater. Normally, alone, containers range in retail price between $15 and $25, come in more than 50 colors, and numerous styles.

GreenSpacers adds standard shipping costs. The Lucky Bamboos will be shipped USPS.  All pledges $35 or greater will be shipped FedEx Ground.   We have worked with FedEx to get the lowest rates possible, the costs are calculated based upon weight and size. And the more you purchase, the lower the shipping cost per plant. 

**If you are in the Maryland, Virginia or DC area, you can choose to pick up your Kickstarter package from our warehouse in Columbia, Maryland for free.  Pledges for Free Pick-up start at $149.00!**

My Story; I admit it. I’m a murderer.

I’ve killed again and again. I know the crime scene well. I walk into my home and there’s the victim – my latest soil-based houseplant. Crisp brown leaves, a pool of dark water, and a withered, shriveled pile of roots and stems. And disposing of the body is the worst part – the feeling of failure as I realize I’ve overwatered or underwatered, fertilized too little or too late, or simply placed the plant in the completely wrong light. 

My name is Noah Berk, and when 2009 rolled around, I was tired of killing my houseplants. So I set out to find a way to stop the madness. I’ve finally discovered that it IS possible to have thriving, lush greenery in your home, even if you don’t have a green thumb. The answer to your houseplant problems lies in what you may incorrectly think is the lifeblood of all plants – the soil. I want to erase it.

So you were probably thinking, “Dude, what are you talking about? Plants and dirt go together like PB and J, mac and cheese, Sherlock and Watson. How does that even work without soil?”

Sure, soil and plants are okay together. But conventional planting with potting soil is really only ideal for greenhouse professionals to use in a closely controlled environment. When you go to your local big box retailer and take one of those plants home, the plant’s growth schedule is interrupted, more often than not resulting in sickness or death.

On my quest to find a better way to keep my houseplants alive, I stumbled upon the hydroculture houseplant.  The Germans began using hydroculture as the predominant way of raising indoor plants more than 40 years ago and vast majority of indoor plants grown in Germany, Holland, and other Northern European countries today are grown hydroculture.

Hydroculture provides a nearly fool-proof system that maintains the plant’s health as well as extending its shelf life. Expanded clay not only provides a sturdy support base for a plant’s roots, but also allows oxygen, water and nutrients to diffuse throughout the plant quickly and effectively.

Best of all studies conducted in the late 80’s and 90’ by NASA scientist Dr. B.C. Wolverton proved that plants possess the ability to remove VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds, from the air. VOCs consist of a variety of chemicals produced by everyday household items that can cause adverse health effects. Other research has shown that hydroculture plants are more effective at removing VOCs due to the porous nature of the clay medium, which allows oxygen to pass more easily to its roots.

Armed with this knowledge, I founded GreenSpacers, a green technology company, with the intent of producing and selling hydroculture plants to commercial properties. Headquartered in Columbia, MD, and a graduate from the award winning Emerging Technology Center in Baltimore, GreenSpacers offers expert advice, design planning, plant leasing and sales, and professional care and maintenance for hydroculture greenery.

The natural air purifiers were a hit as they required substantially less maintenance than traditional indoor soil plants.  We were one of 15 recipients of a technology product development grant from the University of Maryland MTech Maryland Industrial Partnership Program, named one of Baltimore’s 15 hottest technology companies in 2010 by the GBTC and one of the Top Green Entrepreneurs of the Year in 2011 by the Baltimore Business Journal.

That said, the more money we can raise, the faster we can kickstart hydroculture in the USA. Surpassing our goal will allow us to offer more plants and container options online to commercial and residential clients. It will also allow us to develop hydroculture showrooms where consumers can browse plant and container options in person.

Thanks for your support!

Keywords: Plant, Plants, Hydroponics, Hydroculture, Green, Air Quality, Dirt Free, Soil Free