How to Build a Vertical Garden
December 8th, 2009 | Posted by in LusheA “How to Guide” for a vertical garden from Alyssa in Washington
Q: What is the wall built of?
A: The structure of the vertical garden is built of three things:
- posts to support the wall
- chicken wire
- Typar(Geotextile).
The posts were cemented several feet into the ground to support the large structure. On each side of the posts, a foot apart, the sides of the wall were erected. After the sides were thoroughly wired to the posts and to each other, the wall was filled dirt.
Q: How do you plant in the vertical garden?
A: It is very simple to plant in the vertical garden. You need three basic tools: a razor knife, a shovel, and wire cutters. I would recommend wearing gardening gloves because the wires can be rough on the hands. Simply cut the wires and bend them back making ample room for whatever you are planting. Then slit the Typar the appropriate size. Shovel out the dirt and gently place your plant inside. Within a few days your plant will begin to grow skyward. It is very exciting to see watch it grow up!
Q: How long did it take to plant the vertical garden?
A: There are two vertical garden at the farm, each is planted on both sides. It took me approximately 8 hours to plant each side. Keep in mind there were probably hundreds of plants for each side. Because there are more steps than normal gardening it does take longer. But it is well worth the effort when you see your final result!
Q: Is it possible to make a smaller version of your Vertical Garden?
A: Yes! It is very feasible to make a small Vertical Garden for those who don’t have enough space or time. You could even build a small cube with the primary goal of growing salad greens. The possibilities are endless!
Q: What kind of plants grow well on the Vertical Garden?
A: I found so many things that grow well, particularly salad greens. Any sort of mustard, lettuce, kale, pac choi, etc. does exceedingly well. I have grown many herbs (Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano, Parsley) and flowers. Petunias are perhaps the best flowers to plant in the wall. They do a great job of covering and flowing. Any climbing vines or flowers are fabulous! I haven’t experimented AS much with vegetables, but tomatoes have done great, as well as Chard.
Q: How do you fertilise the vertical garden?
A: I have found it easiest to use liquid fertilizer (MiracleGro) and to pour small amounts into each hole using a watering can.
Q: How do you water?
A: We have placed a soaker hose at the top of the wall. Actually, I have found that the wall very rarely dries out. Because it is shaded it stays very wet. The top foot or so dries out but the soaker hose does a good job at watering that. As I plant I water them in to keep them from going into too much shock.
A bit of a time line of the build
The beginning of the first wall.
Plant Usage
The list of plants are:
- Lettuce (Many varieties, ask for more info)
- Kale-Winterbor
- Swiss Chard- Bright Lights, Ruby Red
- Alyssum-wonderland copper, deep purple
- African Daisy
- Petunia
- Pansy
- Parsley- darki, Italian Flat Leaf
- Strawberries
- Tomato
- Iceplant-harlequin
- Dianthus- Pinks
- Mustard
- Chinese Cabbage- Joi Choi
We have figured out that if we water it in 30 minute increments periodically during the day that it will settle quickly. I am hoping that by this weekend the second wall will be completely ready for planting. After the last catastrophe, I have decided that I would rather wait a little longer than risk the wall’s hunger for more parsley.
Second Wall
I decided that doing it in blocks would be fun! So it will somewhat resemble a patchwork quilt. Not quite so random as the other one!
follows: Alyssum, Petunias, Parsley, Phlox, Mustard, Joi Choi.
Plants included: Various Red Lettuce, Hybrid Phlox, Redbor Kale, Mustard and Endive, Alyssum (Wonderland Deep Rose), Swiss Chard (Bright Lights).
On to the second side
Yesterday I finished my third side of the Vertical Garden. It is very time consuming because you have to cut the wire, slit the typar, dig the hole, then find a way to fit the plant in the hole. Up until now other gardens have taken a priority, but I have finally found the time to complete this one. I have to say I am very satisfied with its outcome.
Only one side left! Now I have been paying very close attention to the plants as they grow in this strange establishment and several have just thrived! I think one of the most interesting is the strawberry plant. You’ll see why in the picture. The petunias are doing fabulous! By far the best plant for the wall. Pansies also seem to like it. I planted them a few weeks ago when they were smaller and now they are starting to bloom .YAY! As far as veggies go, I think the lettuce would get first place. I didn’t think it would get so big! It really just fills out. I love it! Let’s see….what else is doing well. Actually I can’t think of much that isn’t loving it. Except maybe the Coleus. I don’t think get as much shade as they would like.
One thing I am looking for as I watch these plants grow are plants that really fill out. Even though some are surviving and doing ok, they aren’t really covering as much as I would like. Plants that I have noticed to fill out are Petunias, pansies, lettuce, chard, alyssum, and Mimulus. So those are definitely keepers. Well, I think I have spoken enough. Now I will allow you to see for yourself. ENJOY!
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 You can leave a response, or trackback.
This is rad! I am impressed that they have the space to do it.
Hello Lushe!
I am inviting you to take part in a round table style discussion about creating “Abundance Gardens”.
Abundance Gardens is, if you’ll pardon the pun, totally grass roots. It is not a commercial product. Abundance gardens are home gardens in urban, suburban and rural area where individuals or families chose to grow their own healthy, organic fruits and vegetables. Your interpretation of vertical garden walls is exactly the wonderful and imaginative kind of gardening that can be recreated in backyards, side yards or front yards anywhere!
The concept of Abundance Gardens takes its seed, if you will, from the Victory Gardens of the past when people had the need to grow their own vegetables to provide for their families and share with neighbors and friends. Today’s Abundance Gardens have the advantage of the ability to share information and ideas on a wider scale than ever before. Information on gray water, vertical gardens, greenhouses and heirloom seeds are easily accessible online. You are already part of that.
My libertarian politics aside, in this time of global economic and political transition, it seems only prudent to prepare for the potential of food transportation slow-downs and escalation of food prices, but that is only part of the story. We have an opportunity to re-learn the skills that our grandparents taught us as children, to value the experience of tilling the soil, of planting a seed and nurturing a garden to full and joyous harvest. It seems a simple thing, but it is so important. It teaches us to value the purity of water, the richness of the soil and the connection we have to the natural abundance of the land. It is an opportunity to share what we learn with our families, become SELF RELIANT and share our harvests with our friends.
I would propose that the creation of home Abundance Gardens be brainstormed by people and companies with experience in organic home gardening, greenhouses, gray water usage, vertical gardening, heirloom seeds, water purification and related issues. The process, indeed, has already begun. I would like to invite you to be a an even more active part of this process.
We have lost many of our local nurseries over the years and with them, the classes and personal experience we came to count on. We must find ways to fill that void and reach out to a new generation of true abundance gardeners. I have asked our local nursery chain to get involved. I hope many nurseries will join in as Abundance Gardening spreads.
I have searched for a long time for a vertical gardening solution that would work for most urban and suburban gardeners. One of my requirements is that the systems do not use plastic containers that can leach chemical into the vegetables grown in them. While your cloth product is not organic or natural, it is a huge step forward in a healthy living garden. Bravo! Your vertical garden approach, combined with other creative watering ideas helped me to realize that there was a solution at hand and now is the time to get to work.
Please join in the discussion. You can email me at wisdomseeker@comcast.net.
Thank you.
V. M. F.
I would love to build a labrynth of flowers and herbs! This year I will one wall up around the garden.
How wonderful!
Aliecia
loved your gardens. Mine are similar except they’re in layers with drip systems. I’m mostly vegetarian, poor, and can’t wait for first harvest. I’ve put in four walls and hope to put in another six. i’m trying for self-sufficiency.
Hi, I really like your creation. I’m just trying to get a feel of how this works. How many posts do you use per wall?
I just love your vertical garden and I want it for my own garden. As soon as yje weather is better, I’ll start on t.
One thing has me wondering, though.
When your salads or watever are ready to harvest, how do you do this. Just cut it off? Will the roots then just die and become compost. Will the dirt then have to settle again risking the other plants?
I really hope you will answer this as I am very curious and happy that I found someone I can learn from
My first vertical garden cropped about 70 edible plants. I started wrapping the next set of verticals and the worst wet season in my memory hit. (I’m 70). My yard is perpetually under about 6 inches of water so things are on hold. My first garden, though is still cropping. Mostly herbs at present. Now the rain has finally stopped I’ll be able to get the next lot of gardens filled and planted in one to two months. I Live in tropical north Queensland Australia and it is now our winter and growing season. Hopefully I’ll be able to post some photos before xmas. Would like to see the latest developments in the featured garden
Has anyone from Australia built something similar to this garden? Did you also use typar?
email me at kunoir@gmail.com
Hi – love your ingenuity and industriousness. Can you make a comparison for us regarding the cost of your system vs the commercially available vertical gardens?