Do you want to grow your own vegetables but don’t have the space for a garden? Are you tired of spending a lot of money on groceries every week? If so, then you should consider growing your vegetables in a vertical garden in your outdoor space!
Vertical gardens are gardens that grow up and not out and can be set up almost anywhere. They are perfect for growing small or large amounts of vegetables.
This blog post will discuss what vertical gardens are, why you should grow them, what to plant in them, and which ones I recommend.
We will also talk about the benefits of growing your own vegetables with a vertical garden, such as saving space, saving money, and living a healthier lifestyle.
What are vertical gardens?
A vertical garden is one that grows up, not just out. Because there is height to the garden, you can grow an entire garden’s worth of flowers, herbs, and vegetables in just a few feet of space.
Vertical gardening is achieved by using plastic vertical planters, wall planters, or hanging pouches usually made of plastic.
All of these options work well when you have a small amount of space to work with, but you still want to grow your own food.
Plastic Vertical Planters
Plastic Vertical Planters are very popular right now for good reason. They allow you to grow up to 40 individual plants in about a 20″ footprint.
You could grow your family’s entire lettuce crop in one vertical planter that only takes up 2 feet on your porch. Or, you could grow your entire bush bean crop in a single vertical container!
Wall Planters
Wall planters are a more aesthetic way to grow your vertical garden. They come in many different shapes and sizes, but all allow you to grow plants on a vertical plane. These vertical living wall gardens are often seen in curated spaces, like museums or parks.
Wall planters are also very versatile. Living walls are a fantastic way to bring creative ideas into your garden space. If a wall garden is small enough, you could hang it on the side of your house, or even inside on a sunny wall.
Grow pouches
Grow pouches are a great way to get into vertical gardening because they are the simplest way to grow plants vertically. All you do is hang the pouch on a hook or nail and fill it with soil.
The pouch has small holes in the bottom that allow for water and air circulation, so your plants will thrive.
You can grow a wide variety of plants in a grow pouch, including flowers, herbs, and vegetables.
Now that you know what vertical gardens are and how to set them up, let’s talk about the benefits of vertical gardening.
What are the benefits of using vertical gardens?
Saves Space
Vertical gardens are a great way to use vertical space. If you have limited space, vertical gardening is the perfect solution. Vertical gardens can be set up in your home or apartment, on your patio, or even on a balcony. They take up less room than traditional gardens and produce more vegetables per square foot than ground-level gardens.
How do vertical garden plants save space? A vertical garden saves space by growing vertically instead of outwards as most traditional gardens do.
This means that you don’t need as much horizontal area for planting because vertical plants grow upwards instead of outwards; this leaves more room for other activities such as walking around the garden and harvesting the produce!
Another benefit of vertical gardening is that it requires less maintenance than traditional gardens. Vertical garden plants don’t need to be weeded as often.
Saves money on your grocery bill
It’s no secret that vertical gardens can save space and make your home feel more alive, but did you know vertical gardens can also help you save money on your grocery bill?
Growing your own vegetables and fresh herbs is not only an easy way to stay healthy, but it’s also a great way to reduce the amount of money you spend at the store.
By growing vertical garden plants in small spaces like patios or balconies, you’ll be able to have fresh food all year long without having to pay for expensive organic produce from grocery stores.
Saves Time
Save time by growing vertical garden plants instead of going shopping every week!
The best part about vertical gardening is that it doesn’t take up much time. Instead of going out every day or week to buy fresh produce, vertical gardeners can simply walk out to their patio or balcony and harvest their own food.
This means that you’ll have more time to enjoy the things you love without having to worry about meal planning or grocery shopping.
What types of plants should you grow in a vertical garden?
The ideal plants for growing in vertical containers are those that are fast-growing, don’t have deep taproots, and have manageable water requirements.
Fast-growing
Plants that mature in 30-60 days are perfect for an outdoor vertical garden. These herbs and vegetables include:
- Asian Greens
- Beans
- Chard
- Lettuces
- Carrots- especially shorter Parisian carrots like the Atlas variety.
- Cucumbers
- Squash
- Peas
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Turnips, and more!
Have shallow roots
The best plants for vertical growing are those that have rather shallow roots, or don’t need a massive taproot to be successful. Since the roots don’t have an unlimited growing space in container gardening, having enough room for the roots is best.
Have average water requirements
When choosing plants, be sure that your plants for vertical gardens don’t have excessive water requirements. The compartments are small, and can dry out quickly. The best plants are those without excessive water requirements.
Important growing tips for your vertical garden
Soil
Make sure you purchase the best potting soil possible for your garden. Well drained soil is a must for a container garden, since the growing containers are somewhat small. Fertile soil is also a must, because the nutrients can leach out of the containers quite easily.
Water
Plants in your beautiful vertical garden will dry out faster than those in the ground. For this reason, keep an eye on the water levels in all the compartments so that you know how the planter absorbs water at different levels. In many cases, the water in lower levels will drain to the bottom. This leaves the plants in the upper levels without adequate water.
Fertilizer
Just like water, fertilizer can drain to the bottom of your planter, especially if you use water-soluble fertilizers. If you notice certain plants are yellowing while others aren’t, you may have an issue with un-even fertilizer application.
Planter should be easy to move
Make sure your planter has wheels or is easy to move around so that you can follow the sun if you need. If you are gardening in part-sun, this will allow you to increase the amount of sun your garden receives. You can almost get the same amount of light as a full sun area. You can’t do THAT with an in-ground garden!
Grow these vegetables to make the biggest impact on your grocery bill
If you are gardening to save money, here are some of the best plants for vertical gardening in a small space:
Lettuce
Lettuce is something almost everyone eats and most people usually buy it at the grocery store every week. You can save BIG on your grocery bill by planting an entire vertical planting tower with all your favorite lettuce varieties.
Lettuce is a fast grower and doesn’t take a lot of nutrients out of the soil. It is one of the best plants to grow in vertical planters.
Two packs of seeds (less than $5 total) will fill that vertical container with greens and lettuces for MONTHS.
Scallions
Scallions or green onions are at least $1 every time you have to buy them, and they don’t last long in the refrigerator. They are another one of the best money-saving plants for vertical gardening.
I grow scallions all spring and summer long for just the cost of the seeds. A package of seeds is $3 dollars. I love these bunching onions from Botanical Interests.
Herbs
Hands down, some of the most expensive items in the produce section are herbs. I save at least $100 per year by growing herbs from seed myself. I grow:
You can’t go wrong with adding herbs to your list of plants. Many are low maintenance, and they will save you a lot of money when you grow them yourself.
How to harvest from your vertical garden for months
The key to harvesting a ton of food from your planters is to succession plant the varieties you are growing.
Instead of planting all your seeds for a single variety at the same time, stagger the planting.
Plant 1/3 of the seeds now, then wait 2-3 weeks and plant the next 1/3, then wait 2-3 more weeks to plant the rest.
This way, you will extend your harvest period to get the most harvest and save the most money with your planters.
The Vertical Planters I Recommend:
Conclusion
Vertical gardening is a great way to maximize your space and save money on groceries.
By growing vertically, you can fit more plants in a small area and harvest vegetables for months at a time.
In this post, we shared some of the best plants for vertical growing, as well as tips on how to get the most out of your vertical garden.
