The Benefits of Vertical Gardening
When you think vertically, seemingly any space gains growing potential. This, therefore means that urban areas, decks, balconies, corner plots and even windowsills, among others, can play host a vertical garden. Because the footprint of your garden is small, you can additionally maximize your yield and your available areas. Speaking of yields, did you know that this kind of set up promotes the best airflow and can impact susceptibility to disease, mould and prevalence of pests? Harvested fruit and vegetables tend to be cleaner and in better condition than their ground-grown counterparts.
Julie notes: Often overlooked, the environmental impact from vertical gardens, should be remembered and considered. In urban areas they become small hubs for biodiversity, creating shade which even in the smallest degrees has a cooling effect on its surroundings. On larger scales, far fewer resources are used with less effort, producing more yields than traditional gardening techniques.
Tools of the Trade
Support, support and more support. Regardless if you’re growing foliage, food or flowers, as plants mature with production of fruits and flowers, they’ll need strong support systems to handle the extra weight. The kind of support your provide is determined heavily by the types of plants you’re growing. We can separate these supports into several main categories:
1. Large systems that have individual pockets, pots, or shelves for containers. Generally, you’ll see a larger frame with some options offering removable or permanent fixtures for the individual plants. With this kind of set-up, consider the size of your mature plant always to ensure you don’t run into issues later into your growing season.
2. Additions to boxes, containers or pots that plants grow directly on to. This can include trellises and cages and similar structures. Ideal for plants with vining habits and those with larger, heavier fruit that will need as much support as can be provided during ripening stages.
3. Additions to boxes, containers or pots that support, foliage, stalks or other plant parts. This can include stakes, spirals or triangular/circular basic cages. The latter are generally made with a few pieces and more so keep foliage up and out rather than providing any substantial support.
4. DIY – endless possibilities. Certainly, not an option for everyone, and this final category should be considered lightly, especially for beginners. But once you have a good grasp on the basic needs of a vertical garden and its particular requirements you can foray into recyclables and full-customizations to create something that suits your space the very best.
What to Grow
With many advantages, there is one significant disadvantage to mention: vertical gardening requires more vigilance when it comes to watering. Containers of any shape or size are always susceptible to drying out faster than that which is planted in the ground. So when it comes to your initial planning make your selections with watering needs in mind. Here are our favourites in the main growing categories:
Vegetables
- Natural climbers like: beans, peas, cucumbers
- Those that can easily be coaxed and trained: tomatoes, peppers, zucchinis and gourds/pumpkins
- Shallow root systems: lettuces and various salad greens along with herbs
Flowers
- Primarily we look to those with natural climbing habits: clematis, honeysuckle and bougainvillea
- Otherwise we look to annuals as they do not produce extensive root systems thriving for a single season
Foliage
- Again, vines/climbers like: Virginia Creeper, English Ivy and Bittersweet
As you think vertically this year and exercise your green thumb and your creativity, we wish you the best of luck. May your season be long and your harvest plentiful. As you plan and prepare, we invite you to peruse the Wild Blog to continue reading on all things home, garden and lifestyle. P.s., if you don’t already, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Pinterest!
