A method and system for continuous automated growing of plants utilizes production lines each comprising a number of growth sections, each growth section comprising multiple horizontal transport levels, each level of each section having a source of light and liquid nutrient, and plant growing trays which move horizontally into, along and out of each transport level; whereby each subsequent growth section has a greater length than the previous section to receive a greater number of growing trays than the previous section so that as plants grow, the number of plants per growing tray is decreased but the number of plants per growth section remains constant. A group of plants is thereby broken out into an ever greater number of trays as it proceeds through the growing sections from germination to harvest, with the ability to simultaneously start the growth cycle for additional crops.