Growing a vertical garden can spark interest for many reasons. Maybe you live in an apartment, or maybe you hate weeding. Perhaps you want to be able to bring your plants indoors if needed. Or maybe you just plain want to be able to grow more food! If you are like me and live on an acre or even less, you may be looking into the benefits of vertical gardening. Or maybe you’re simply asking: why take up precious land space when I could grow higher?
Trust me, I understand. Because we are raising a miniature jersey cow on our one acre homestead, having a large garden on our land would mean sacrificing precious pasture. We all are coming from various situations that would make vertical gardening a wise option.
My personal gardens and experience
Now, back to my personal homesteading situation… we do have a 2000 square foot traditional garden that we tend along with my mom and neighbors. We can do this because my mom has additional acreage just a skip away from our property. The traditional gardening method is how I first learned to garden, thanks to my dad. Side note: if you have a friend or family member who is a more experienced gardener, cherish that real-time advice you get! I really miss my dad. He taught me so much. Honestly, I wish I had paid more attention when he was here.
As you can see, I love gardening and trying out as many methods as I can. But I certainly recognize that a traditional garden is just not an option for some. You may be going alone on your gardening endeavors and want to make the work a little simpler. Or, you may live in an urban area with absolutely no land, but find yourself with a strong desire to grow your own food. Being able to grow plants up instead of out is just amazing for any one of these situations.
How I started vertical gardening
Vertical gardening seems like an obvious solution to a lot of problems. But for some reason, it’s one that I just didn’t think about. I wish I had come across the idea sooner!
I first got into vertical gardening last summer. It all started as I was following Madison Vining on Instagram. She was growing flourishing tomato, cucumber, and strawberry plants right outside her patio door. Her beautiful photos and videos instantly captivated me! She was using the Greenstalk Vertical Gardening System.
First, I dove head first into researching, as I often do. I started looking up how to build my own vertical garden. I’m frugal by nature and am always looking to save some money. I did find lots of great ideas. One of my favorites was the barrel system. This is a good example. My researching went on for a while, but honestly, I was just ready to jump in! Plus, by this time, gardening season was nearing a close. It was already time to plant fall crops.
Now, I love a good DIY, but I’m a homeschooling mom of 4 trying to build a business and run our homestead. The barrel idea is awesome, but in the end, I ended up purchasing a Greenstalk due to time constraints.
Benefits of vertical gardening
- It looks pretty on a deck or patio and comes in several colors.
- It is extremely easy to set up and use (watering is so easy, too!)
- I got an awesome deal by combining a sale with a coupon code.
- Honestly, I was influenced. And it was completely worth it!
I chose to try out vertical gardening with the Greenstalk planter for these reasons!
The watering system that the Greenstalk uses is the best. You pour or spray water in the very top and it trickles down to each tier. Every pocket gets properly saturated without you needing to water each individual plant. Hallelujah!
What can I grow vertically?
Really, pretty much ANYTHING! The only thing you want to keep in mind is that for vining plants or very tall tomato plants, you want additional support. Greenstalk sells plant supports like these or you can build your own trellising system. It’s also easy to stake multiple plants at once, since you’re already growing vertically.
As far as starting with what is easiest, I would recommend choosing greens like lettuce, arugula, spinach, and kale. The nature of vertical gardening is also great for plants that produce runners, like strawberries.
Don’t limit yourself to veggies, either! I have grown flowers in my vertical garden before. Try growing butterfly-attracting zinnias or brightly-colored nasturtiums.
Tips for vertical gardening
- Grow your tallest plants toward the bottom, that way they don’t block vital sunlight.
- Hand water your seeds until they sprout before moving on to a watering system, like with the Greenstalk. This isn’t an absolute must, but it does help with germination.
- Always remember to thin your plants if you are starting from seed. Yes, it can be a little sad, but it’s a must if you want thriving plants and an abundant harvest.
- Although it is nice to be able to grow lots of different plants at the same time, consider growing as much of the same type of plant as you can. It does make care a little easier.
- If you have kiddos, then include them in the process! It’s so valuable for little ones to learn about growing their own food. Not to mention those simple yard work tasks like operating a water hose and filling containers with soil.
If this post inspired you, click here to get $10 off your own Greenstalk purchase of $75 or more!
I hope you learned some awesome benefits of vertical gardening!
Read more gardening posts like this one:
How To Grow Blueberries in Pots
Start and Maintain a Community Garden
How To Plan A Small Vegetable Garden for Beginners
10 Quick Growing Vegetables To Plant in September
So intrigued with these vertical gardens!! I might have to get one this summer. 🙂
This is so cool! I would love to do this someday!