Vertical gardening and container gardening have been pretty hot topics lately. And rightfully so. Did you know that 1 out of every 3 homes has attempted to grow their own food? With the increased focus on sustainability, organic, and home grown fruits and vegetables, gardening has been a must-do! So, are there other benefits of vertical gardening you didn’t know about? Sure is!
There are plenty of vegetables, fruit and herbs that grow successfully in vertical gardens and garden towers. From lettuce, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, basil and kale, the options are virtually limitless.
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Vertical Gardening Saves Space
Gone are the days where one would be limited to a windowsill herb garden because you lack a backyard. Garden towers are now the name of the game. You can grow an entire years worth of harvested vegetables when you use a garden tower.
The Garden Tower 2 from the Garden Tower Project has 50 slots available for a variety of planting options. The way it works is super interesting too – absolutely genius really!
“The Garden Tower® 2 is a revolutionary vertical self-contained garden / composting system that redefines home gardening, urban gardening and vermicomposting. Utilizing 6 cu.ft. of potting soil, the garden tower® vertical container gardening system allows for the abundant growth of 50 plants vertically in a minimal footprint and eliminates weeding, electricity, nutrient loss and most water loss associated with conventional gardening.”
The Garden Tower Project
You can grow 50 plants in just 4 square feet of space, nearly anywhere – no back yard needed! The compact tower easily rotates so you can adjust sun needs and access your vegetable garden from any angle.
Then, there is a center tube, which is home to where your composting red wriggler worms will live. You pack the center tube with these composting crawlers and they can travel between the center tube and your plants, continuously aerating the soil, and allowing nutrients to reach the roots.
Just add 1 part compostable non-meat kitchen scraps to 3 parts “browns” (like shredded paper and cardboard) from your kitchen to the worm composting tube about once a week. Your hungry red worm army will eat the kitchen scraps and browns and stay near the fresh compost mix.
*These are the worms I recommend. The seller does a really nice job with packaging and shipping and my orders have always arrived healthy and ready to start eating!
This design allows them to be protected from drying out, excess moisture, too much heat or too much cold. The stability offered in this worm habitat is why the Garden Tower™ is much easier to maintain than typical vermicompost bin or tray systems. (Believe me, I’ve tried them all!!)
This genius tower not only ensures even watering throughout all 50 compartments, but the composting core also allows the roots of your plants access to the freshly made black gold! At the bottom of the structure is a 2 gallon drawer that collects the nutrient rich water from the plant root runoff. This mixture can be used to water other plants in your garden. The drawer is also where you can collect your finalized compost about every 3 months to transfer and use elsewhere in your garden.
No Weeding Saves Time!
One of the most fabulous things about having a vertical garden, or a garden tower, is the ability to manage weeds. You are able to maintain the garden beds so much more easily by having control of the smaller space.
There is less ability for weeds to survive. Each space or compartment is being fully utilized by the flourishing garden. With a smaller space, you can quickly nap any rogue weed that pops up!
Vertical Garden Towers are Easily Accessible
A great trade off to a phenomenal garden is the condition of our backs and knees! It’s difficult ignoring the aches and pains that come with getting down and dirty in the garden. We’re constantly thinking about the appropriate gloves, footwear, and tools. Let’s worry about one less thing!
Many vertical gardens and garden towers are waist high, meaning no bending! This means less wear and tear on our bodies and more time enjoying the fruit of our labor (pun intended).
Save Space
Wouldn’t it be nice if we all could homestead, or live on acres of land with sprawling vegetable patches? It would be. However, that isn’t reality for some so we need to make due with what we have. Those who struggle most are often in rentals, or apartments, or other small spaces that don’t have the ability to craft a traditional garden.
For those of us who need to get creative, vertical gardens and garden towers are the answer to our prayers. You can place them on a small balcony, porch or patio area. As long as you have some fresh air, sunshine and water, you’ll be set for a successful crop!
Vertical Gardening Indoors and Outdoor
Vertical gardens aren’t limited to outdoor space either. This is especially true for plants that don’t need deep root systems, like herbs and houseplants. Try an indoor herb growing system like AeroGarden with a stackable planter like this.
