01.07.2025
The garden, which has recently floated at Marina Düsseldorf, makes do with little: no soil, no pesticides, no fertiliser, no irrigation water, no CO2 pollution. Just a zero garden. Nevertheless, lettuce and tomatoes grow in the disused shipping container. How does that work?
The magic word is hydroponics: The plants grow in water that is obtained from humidity. This water is enriched with a precisely dosed nutrient solution. Gardening is therefore easy and possible regardless of location and weather. Periods of drought or heavy rain no longer matter. Fresh vegetables, herbs and strawberries are suddenly available right in the middle of the city. What's more, it's climate-neutral.
Another advantage of the Zero Garden: It protects rivers and oceans. Conventional agriculture pollutes water bodies through over-fertilization (eutrophication). At Marina Düsseldorf, we feel the consequences every year, especially during the warm summer months: poisonous blue-green algae (type of bacteria) spread, the fish have too little oxygen and die, biodiversity decreases. Nutrients reach the sea via rivers and cause the same problems there. It is estimated that 80% of marine ecosystems are already affected by eutrophication!
The Zero Garden is a pilot project that we developed together with the Fraunhofer Institute IGB. The power supply for the water generator and LED lighting is provided by photovoltaics and green electricity. If necessary, the Zero Garden can be expanded with plant islands that create shade areas and improve water quality.
