Container Farm：40 ft Vegetable Container Farm Basil, Mint and Culinary Herbs Programme
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Leafy green prices swing mainly because harvest dates are uncontrollable. In the container, Basil, Mint and Culinary Herbs moves from transplant to harvest in 25 - 35 days, and with tiered lighting and CO2 control the harvest date can be fixed weeks ahead and orders fulfilled weekly.
At 3,300 - 5,800 plants per cycle, the schedule can be split weekly - plant one batch, harvest one batch - producing continuous supply instead of a single glut.
Multi-cut herbs with low yield per cycle but high unit value, well suited to direct restaurant supply.
Urban and rooftop projects have little space; the unit occupies one container footprint yet delivers 10 - 14 Basil, Mint and Culinary Herbs cycles a year to a community distribution point.
CROP AND OUTPUT DATA
Variety | Basil, Mint and Culinary Herbs (Specialty green) |
Growing cycle (transplant to harvest) | 25 - 35 days |
Unit weight | marketable weight |
Plants per cycle | approx. 3,300 - 5,800 |
Yield per cycle | 100 - 180 kg |
Cycles per year | 10 - 14 |
Annual output (estimate) | 1,000 - 2,520 kg |
Propagation | Seed or cuttings |
Crop difficulty | Moderate |
Figures follow the 40 ft standard container baseline with about five growing tiers. Yield per cycle and annual output are estimates; actual results vary with tier count, light recipe, CO2 level and crop management.
KEY ADVANTAGES
· The unit can be shared with other leafy varieties on a weekly rotation for a more flexible product mix.
· Per-tier LED recipes give more uniform leaf colour, plant shape and head weight.
· CO2 held at 800 - 1,200 ppm keeps photosynthetic efficiency stable.
· About five tiers lift output per square metre to roughly five times open-field levels.
· Seedlings account for roughly 5 - 12% of operating cost, keeping the cost structure transparent.
· The 40 ft ISO shell ships on a standard flatbed and is lifted into place on site.
· Rated Moderate in difficulty and run from process cards, the crop is workable by general staff.
· Batch records of temperature, EC, pH and light trace each harvest back to a specific tier.
CONTAINER CONFIGURATION
Footprint | 12.19 x 2.44 x 2.90 m (40 ft ISO container) |
Growing system | Approx. 5 tiers, hydroponic or aeroponic |
Scale per cycle | 3,300 - 5,800 plants |
Temperature | 18 - 24 °C, set per variety |
Relative humidity | 60 - 75% |
CO2 concentration | 800 - 1,200 ppm |
Lighting | LED recipe, dimmable per tier |
Nutrient solution | Closed loop with automatic EC and pH control |
Energy reference | 0.8 - 1.2 kWh per kg of fresh greens; electricity about 60 - 70% of operating cost |
Control and monitoring | PLC, touchscreen HMI, remote monitoring and alarms |
Delivery | Pre-commissioned at the factory, set and connected on site |
CLIMATE AND CONTROL
Nutrient solution runs from the tank through pumps and manifolds to each tier and returns via filtration, disinfection and inline monitoring. EC and pH are corrected automatically against the recipe, removing manual mixing drift.
The controller stores recipes by variety - temperature, humidity, photoperiod, irrigation frequency and nutrient targets - called up as a set. Changing crops loads a new recipe while batch history is retained.
CULTIVATION AND SCHEDULING
Planting density is held at 3,300 - 5,800 plants per cycle, with spacing and tier height matched to plant habit; harvest is graded to marketable weight per cut.
The standard schedule assumes a 40 ft unit with about five tiers: plant one batch and harvest one batch each week, giving 10 - 14 Basil, Mint and Culinary Herbs cycles a year. Adjust to order structure and harvest labour.
DELIVERY, TRAINING AND SERVICE
Commissioning covers nutrient mixing, EC and pH probe calibration, per-tier light measurement and climate interlock tests, confirmed item by item against the recipe.
Quarterly preventive maintenance covers filter changes, probe calibration, pump inspection, light-output measurement and alarm testing.
