VertiGrove, a revolutionary facility to grow vegetables indoors developed by Maya Varghese, a woman entrepreneur based in Kochi, has been launched in Kerala.

As the name suggests, VertiGrove makes vertical farming a convenient reality and was inspired by Maya's own motto of Grow Your Own Food www.gyofood.com .

It is designed so as to grow vegetables vertically, even inside small houses and apartments. While conventionally it needs at least 200 sq ft of space for around 30 vegetable plants to grow, VertiGrow makes smart use of space and fits them in just 4 sq ft. An added advantage is the aesthetic appeal of the design, which makes it suitable for sitting and living rooms.

When the family is away for a few days, VertiGrow can take care of itself with its automated rechargeable battery, which can water the plants for up to seven days without human presence, she said.

VertiGrove units are available in three models, including pedestal type with compost column and castors; pedestal type without compost column, and hanging type without compost column. Though a unit is priced at Rs 6,500 with 30 saplings, VertiGrow now offers an introductory price of Rs 4,900 per unit.

According to her, VertiGrove is suitable for almost all our favourite vegetables, especially the much-needed leafy ones, including various types of spinach (cheera), amaranths, Swiss chard, kale, lettuce, paalak, pudina, oregano, coriander, celery and parsley.

The nursery production unit of Grow Your Own Food in Karumalloor, near Aluva, has started supplying the units.

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