VERTICAL GARDENS:

Appealing solution for small spaces

July 28, 2017

Recently, we reconnected with friends who moved to Hawaii. They talked about how different vegetable gardening is there from their Maryland garden. They don't have room for a big, raised bed, so now they have a vertical garden.

Planning a vertical garden

Vertical gardening is an innovative, highly productive growing system that uses top-down and bottom-up supports for hundreds of varieties of flowers, fruits and vegetables.

• Site selection

The first step in planning a vertical garden is selecting the site. The location can be suited for free-standing supports or wall-mounted supports. The site must have a minimum of six hours direct sunlight per day and drain well. It is a good idea to avoid walls facing north because limited direct sunlight is available.

If you only have a north wall available for your vertical garden, choose euonymus or ivy for evergreen foliage or star jasmine or Carolina jessamine for colorful flowers.

• Soil requirements

The soil requirements are basically the same for all vertical-growing plants. Adding compost or organic fertilizers will enrich the soil with nutrients that increase yields.

Less soil and garden space is needed. For example, a typical vertical garden could be a narrow strip of soil 12 to 24 inches wide and 6 to 12 inches deep.

• Support systems

Selecting support systems is the third step in planning vertical gardens. For example, if you attach garden netting or a trellis to a wall, most plants will only need 12 inches of space from the wall. For a trellis or other freestanding structure that has vines growing on both sides, plan on a width of 24 inches.

Most ready-made trellis and garden netting comes in 4-foot widths. A common size for starting vertical gardens is 12 to 24 inches deep, 4 feet wide and 6 feet tall.

Plant selection

Selecting plants is the fun part of planning vertical gardens. According to Derek Fell in "Vertical Gardening: Grow Up, Not Out, For More Vegetables and Flowers in Much Less Space," basically four kinds of vegetables are suitable for vertical gardens. They are climbers, foundation, container and tower pot, and support plants.

• Climbers

The climbers are vining-type vegetables and need supports to train their stems upward. Be sure to match the weight of the vegetables with an appropriate-strength support. Light-weight plants like English peas, cucumbers or sweet potatoes need willow branches, netting or string. Heavier vegetables like gourds, melons, yams or squash need strong tree branches, bamboo and/or builder's wire.

• Foundation plants

Foundation plants are low-growing and nestle at the roots of climbing vines. Some recommended foundation plants include herbs, lettuces, peppers, carrots and eggplants. Marigolds serve as a natural insect repellent locally from March to the middle of June. Other low-growing plants that complement the climbers are wax begonias, multiflora petunias and cushion-type zinnias.

• Containers/tower pots

Containers in vertical gardens are usually three tiers high while tower pots stack one on top of another up a central column. This type of planting is perfect for small-space patios or decks.

Plant a central climbing plant like a cucumber or pole bean in the middle of a bowl-shaped planter and several plants around the rim. Parsley, strawberries, sweet potatoes and mini-lettuces are good surrounding plant choices.

• Support plants

Support plants are those with strong stems that can uphold climbing plants. Two sturdy plants that function well as support plants are sweet corn and okra. They can support many types of climbers that wrap around their stems and grow upward. Some examples are pole beans, cucumbers and small melons.

Aim for most growing space with smallest footprint

Although trellises are the most common method for vertical crops, do-it-yourself gardeners can choose a variety of different and creative support systems. The challenge is to get the most growing space with the smallest footprint.

• Vertically-moving hanging baskets

Hanging baskets that can be raised and lowered for easy watering is an attractive, efficient option. Their placement provides aesthetic value to a setting while taking up less space than if plants are in the ground.

• Upside-down hanging system

Some plants, like strawberries and tomatoes, do well in an upside-down, hanging system. The plants instinctively grow upward so it's a good idea to gently tie the vines or stems to grow out past the container bottom before they branch upward.

Often the upside-down plants will provide unique shapes as they grow. The open top of the container can be mulched or planted with small root crops like radishes, baby carrots or herbs.

Vertical gardening is a rewarding adventure only limited by the gardener's imagination. Is a vertical garden in your future? I know it's in mine.

The Gardeners' Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension - Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com.