Let us go through vertical gardening techniques and ideas.
A vertical garden is the one which grows in a vertical direction i.e., upwards by making use of a trellis or any other system of support, instead of growing on the ground. Anything which grows on a trellis including a fence will be considered to be a part of a vertical garden. This particular technique is used for the creation of living screens in between several different areas by providing some sort of privacy for your yard or balcony in your home. In recent days, vertical gardens can also be used for growing flowers and vegetables too. Following the vertical gardening techniques is very easy and a garden beginner can start implementing this.
Advantages of vertical gardening:
In today’s world, most people do not have outdoor spaces so that we can make a visit to our garden. People who live in apartments will only have very limited area in their balcony for the purpose of gardening and because of this, people need to be very creative to make use of that very little space to its maximum. Vertical gardening systems will use very little space for plantation. You can plant any number of plants by arranging them vertically one by one or by hanging them one over the other. You just have to make sure that there is abundant sunlight available for plants.
You also have an option to grow a different variety of plants including decorative and even vegetable plants row by row to give some sense of aesthetic look to the garden. The vertical garden is very much simpler to grow and maintain compared to other types of gardens.
The plants will not be grown on the ground which will obviously reduce the problem with pests. This will also protect the plant from the damage caused by the pets which come from the gardens located outdoor.
It is a known fact that the plants will absorb pollutants and also any sort of harmful compounds. So for this, when you are growing plants in a vertical garden and that too in a compact method, it will act as a protective cover and provides you with a clean and pure environment to live in.
The green living wall which is made for the vertical garden will absorb air pollutants, heat, UV rays, noise, and even bad weather. It will perform regulation of temperature and provides you with a cool climate.
The plants which are arranged vertically are easy for reaching. This will, in turn, make fertilization, watering, harvesting, and pruning comfortable for the gardener or grower.
The green wall can also be grown outside the windows or you can also grow it a little distance from the door to keep it hidden from the outsiders. It will give you shade in the sunlight and also some sort of privacy from the people who are passing by.
A vertical garden can be grown in a container which is wheeled so that it can be kept indoors. This kind of vertical garden can be called an Indoor Vertical garden and this will act as an attractive divider of a room. This particular wheeled container will be of great help for you in moving the garden to the sunlight whenever required.
The vertical gardening is one of the types of green architecture which can be made easily by making use of recycled materials such as plastic bottles, a ladder which is broken, shoes, baskets, cans, etc.
You can raise the plant varieties with the addition of climbers like cucumbers, melons in the downward direction of the garden and the small varieties of plants on top of it.
If the soil on your garden is of poor quality, then there is no requirement to go for high-cost treatment for the growth of your garden. You can always choose vertical gardening by making use of quality soil.
In this type of gardening, as the plants will grow in the upward direction, the plants will get exposed to more sunlight which will, in turn, result in a healthy garden.
There are many studies which prove that plants play a vital role in decreasing the stress and also promote vegetation in order to have a positive impact on human health.
Vertical gardens are like climbing plants on the wall. You can design your wall or any space of your home or balcony into something pleasing and stimulating by inculcating vertical gardening into your lifestyle. Vertical gardening can be used for creating a green wall, decoration of a gate, window boxes, hanging baskets or in anything which will create natural beauty and will also have a very good impact on the person who sees it.
Read:Soil Types of Garden.
Vertical Gardening Techniques and Ideas:
Planting lettuce vertically:
If you are very much interested in growing lettuce or any other leafy vegetables, vertical gardening is for you. With a minimum amount of space and efforts, you can prepare a vertical planter. This is a very simple thing to do and it also takes a few hours to complete this.
Planting vertically with pallets:
For pallet planting, you can make use of different varieties of plants such as salad greens, herbs, ornamentals which you can grow in the space you have in your balcony or yard.
Creation of a pallet container holder:
You can make this by arranging a pallet board. After that, you can hang as many pots you want on it and place them in your balcony where there is proper sunlight available. This process is very simple and it will also create a large amount of vertical space in your balcony.
DIY Vertical planter:
The DIY vertical planter which can also be called as a DIY stacked planted will make any boring place of your balcony or your garden more attractive. It is very easy to make and it can also be done quickly. It will only need 5 to 6 terracotta pots which are of different sizes, a few varieties of plants which are also your favorite, potting soil and a center rod.
Planting vertically using a picture frame:
This is a very good idea for your balcony garden in order to make it more greener. You can also try by hanging a wall planter of this type in your living rooms too.
Vertical pot holder from pallet planks:
This is very simple. You should just dismantle a pallet board and isolate the pallet planks from it. After that, you will need to nail them on the wall to fix the pots.
Hanging gardens for people living in apartments:
If you are residing in an apartment, then each and every inch of space available is very important and precious. If you have a vertical garden, it will add more amount of space for planting and for your urban container gardening.
Create a hanging gutter garden:
If there any sort of small patio, roof garden or balcony available for you, you can create a hanging gutter garden and grow many varieties of plants.
Arrangement of shelves for keeping pots:
You can also go for the arrangement of the shelves which are old so that you can put your pots there. This will help in the creation of much space in your little garden.
Hanging of terracotta pots:
If you do not have much outdoor area, you can create more space by making use of vertical gardening. You can make use of terracotta pots and hang them with strong ropes.
Read: How To Make Kitchen Compost.
A vertical garden which is cool:
This type of cool vertical garden can be bought or if you have skills of DIY, then you can create one cool vertical garden for yourself. You can make an arrangement of small gardening tools which are useful and watering cans in it.
Plant stand which looks like a staircase:
This will be perfect for the people who are living in cities and have balconies or terraces as the one and only space which is available outdoors. You can put your plant containers on these and start growing herbs or even flowers.
Iron or wood grid potholder:
You can create a grid by welding the rods of iron by making use of any method so that you can hang pots. You can also even paint them in your desired color. The grid can also be prepared from wood.
Herb garden by using mason jars:
If you have wooden boards and mason jars with you, you can create a herb garden to add beauty to your balcony.
Vertical gardening techniques and tips:
The entrance of the garden is generally the place which creates the first impressions. Your vertical garden design for entrance should be with some sort of imagination, this entrance can be made as a creative vertical garden. The gate which is attractive will welcome visitors and will also help in sharing some of your personality and mindset too.
If your balcony is rented and has a limited sun, then you will have to take into consideration the vertical structures which are really in need for you. You will need to select the materials which are of lightweight and can be removed easily when their job is done or can be moved easily to get access to the sun in the day time. Arrangement of pots on casters by using a tripod for the eatable climbers is an intelligent way to grow food on wheels.
Depending on the plant’s position, if they grow in the upward direction, they will obviously block sunlight to the plants which have been growing behind them or shorter than them. For this, you will need to place structures which are vertical such as arbours or tepees where you will need to shade the plants which are under storeyed else if they do not get sufficient amount of sun, they may even suffer. Few plants will love to be in shade or they can also tolerate half shade. You can take advantage of such spaces by starting the plantation of leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce mainly in the months in which the climate is warm.
If you chose to grow a creeper or a vine on a trellis for the creation of more privacy or shade, you need to consider the type of plant you are growing whether you will have to prune it when it matures. If yes, you need to take a call on how much easy it would be to reach the top of the structure. You can read the label of the plant which will help you to select the species which will grow up to a certain height and will not give any sort of work for you in the future.
Do not waste walls and fences which will give you blank canvases for displaying your art of the garden. If you are not able to drill into the gate, you can even try by hanging the hooks with planters which are on the top. In the same way, signs and artworks can also be attached with some sort of creative inspiration.
The hanging baskets should not be handed very high. If so, it will be very difficult for you to water them and also maintain them. If you have no option about this, then you can invest in a pulley system which will help you to lower the planter when you want to water or fertilize them and later raise it after your work is done.
As the hanging baskets are kept overhead, in order to maintain safety, ensure that they are attached in a secure way. You will need to prevent the use of any sort of materials which are of heavyweight and only use plastic or wire. Generally, window boxes are long and narrow and they tend to hold only some amount of soil. Hence window boxes will be best if used for seasonal displays and they also need to be refreshed on a regular basis.
You must take into consideration the maximum height the plant would reach when it reaches the stage of maturity. This will have a great impact on the type of structure you are selecting as it will affect the access to watering, maintenance, pruning, and even fertilization. You must keep in mind how much height you can reach and take a call based on that.
The weight of the plants when matured will also have a great impact on the selected structure. The structure’s strength should support whatever you are growing. There is no use in growing the crops which are heavy on the fence which is old. The vegetable crops which are heavy such as pumpkins and melons will need some sort of extra care and support. This can be done by tying a small cloth hammock below them till they get ready for harvest.
Based on the location of your vertical garden, plants which are not planted in the ground but are exposed to more amount of sun and wind can be watered more often. You can also add some more amount of mulch for the compensation of water in a wise way and select the species of plant in a careful manner.
Ensure that you are erecting or installing your structure of vertical support before plantation takes place in order to prevent any sort of damage to the roots once the growth of plants starts.
Few plants cannot grow on their own in vertical structures such as tomatoes. They will need some sort of extra care to grow in a vertical manner. If they are trained to grow in the upward direction by making use of appropriate structures such as stakes, cages, trellises with ties or clips which are spaces regularly, they will be much more productive and can also live in a compact space. This will create a beautiful vertical vegetable garden in your balcony.
That’s all guys about Vertical Gardening Techniques, keep gardening!.
