An automatic vertical farming system characterized in that it comprises: a frame surrounding at least one growth area, the at least one growth area including a leaf side zone and a root side zone and configured to support a plurality of vertical plant growth structures within an area surrounded by the frame such that each of the vertical plant growth structures is arranged in a plane oriented vertically with respect to the frame, the plane defining, for each of the vertical plant growth structures, a growth surface area from which plant stems emerge on one side, facing the at least one leaf side zone, and a root surface area from which plant roots emerge on an opposite side, facing the at least one root side zone, wherein the at least one leaf side zone is shared by two respective growth surface areas horizontally adjacent to one another and the at least one root side zone is shared by two respective root surface areas horizontally adjacent to one another; at least one light (308, 322) coupled to the frame and configured to illuminate the at least one growth area; at least one liquid conduit coupled to the frame and configured to supply liquid to and from the at least one growth area; at least one gas conduit coupled to the frame and configured to supply gas to and from the at least one growth area; at least one robot disposed on a top side of the frame and movably supported by the frame, wherein the top side of the frame is above the at least one growth area and the robot is movably supported so that it is movable to traverse the at least one growth area above the at least one growth area, the at least one robot comprising at least one tool (700, 1406) configured to manipulate the plurality of vertical plant growth structures; and a control system including at least one processor configured to automatically control illumination by the at least one light, liquid flow through the at least one liquid conduit, gas flow through the at least one gas conduit, and operation of the at least one robot. a frame surrounding at least one growth area, the at least one growth area including a leaf side zone and a root side zone and configured to support a plurality of vertical plant growth structures within an area surrounded by the frame such that each of the vertical plant growth structures is arranged in a plane oriented vertically with respect to the frame, the plane defining, for each of the vertical plant growth structures, a growth surface area from which plant stems emerge on one side, facing the at least one leaf side zone, and a root surface area from which plant roots emerge on an opposite side, facing the at least one root side zone, wherein the at least one leaf side zone is shared by two respective growth surface areas horizontally adjacent to one another and the at least one root side zone is shared by two respective root surface areas horizontally adjacent to one another; at least one light (308, 322) coupled to the frame and configured to illuminate the at least one growth area; at least one liquid conduit coupled to the frame and configured to supply liquid to and from the at least one growth area; at least one gas conduit coupled to the frame and configured to supply gas to and from the at least one growth area; at least one robot disposed on a top side of the frame and movably supported by the frame, wherein the top side of the frame is above the at least one growth area and the robot is movably supported so that it is movable to traverse the at least one growth area above the at least one growth area, the at least one robot comprising at least one tool (700, 1406) configured to manipulate the plurality of vertical plant growth structures; and a control system including at least one processor configured to automatically control illumination by the at least one light, liquid flow through the at least one liquid conduit, gas flow through the at least one gas conduit, and operation of the at least one robot.