Vertical Gardening

Vertical Gardening is a process through which plants, fruits and vegetables grow in a vertical, upwards direction (on top of each other) instead of the horizontal, more traditional manner (next to each other on the ground). In summary, vertical gardening uses upright growth containers to make the most of your growing space.

Sometimes, a vertical garden is also referred to as a Green Wall and can be grown both inside and outside.

There are different reasons as to why you might wish to adopt a vertical garden system.

Space

For example, in gardens with limited space, certain plants can be grown over arches to maximise space. It also adds a special touch to the aesthetics of the garden. By doing this, the occupied footprint or space is reduced drastically.

This can be grown even in balconies or a small backyard, maximizing wall space. This system also enables floor or table space to be free from pots or containers.

Harvesting

Harvesting fruit or vegetables is also easier, mainly because these grow at a higher level, and you don’t need to harvest from the ground. It is timesaving, more efficient, and less strenuous.

Plant Wellbeing

Vertical gardening can provide certain health benefits to your plants.

In gardening, a trellis is a support structure used to grow plants upwards. Plants growing higher up stay drier easier, and you can avoid any infections or diseases caused by leaves and foliage staying wet for too long.

Instead of a trellis, or a free-standing structure, a fixed wall can also be used.

Air Purifiers

A vertical garden can help improve the quality of air wherever it is deployed. This is even more important in situations where it is being used internally. For this objective, incorporate air-purifying plants in your vertical garden.

They also help reduce carbon footprint and harmful toxins.

Temperature

When used inside, vertical gardens and help lower temperatures through the process of transpiration. Transpiration is the procedure of water movement through a plant and its evaporation from parts, such as leaves, stems, and flowers.

Noise reduction

Vertical gardens have proven to be effective against noise pollution in an office environment, as leaves reflect and absorb sound and help block traffic and urban noise.

Aesthetics

Vertical gardening provides you with better use of your space and helps in having a structured, stunning functional garden that can produce plants, flowers, vegetables, or fruit for you all year round.

Budgeting

Vertical gardening does not need to be expensive.

There are some high-end options, like everything else in life, which are well designed, researched and branded. There is also however a lot of do-it-yourself (DIY) work you can do in this area to improve the way your garden looks.

Lighting

When choosing the location, you need to ensure that the vertical garden will be having enough lighting throughout the day. Keep in mind that different plants require different levels of sunshine, and certain fruit and vegetables require 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Choose a variety of plants, if possible, to create biodiversity.

Watering

Depending on the type of vertical gardening being used, watering requirements will vary accordingly. If you are planting directly into the ground and nurturing the plant to grow around an arch or trellis, then watering normally into the ground is the right solution. Alternatively, a hydroponic system can be used where the use of soil is not possible, maybe in an office, inside a green wall.

Maintenance

Vertical gardens tend to be easy to maintain, and green walls usually have very efficient systems of watering and pruning.

Learn more about vertical gardens at Garden Tower Project and check out their Vertical Garden Planter. Happy Gardening!

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