Living in urban spaces often means restricting yourself to a small square-footage. But, thanks to the concept of vertical gardens, even the tiniest of apartments can now be transformed into green hubs. For enthusiasts of home gardening and self-sufficiency, it’s the perfect answer, especially when planning to grow edible indoor vegetables.
First, let’s understand what vertical gardens are. Also referred to as living walls, vertical gardens are a gardening method devised to grow plants on a vertically suspended panel using hydroponics. These innovative gardens can be either attached to walls or can be freestanding, and they effectively maximize space by offering the opportunity to turn your walls into a thriving vegetable garden.
Let’s delve into everything you need to know about growing vegetables that are apt for your indoor vertical garden.
Understanding Indoor Vertical Vegetable Gardens
Vertical vegetable gardening is particularly favorable for indoor gardening as it allows us to harness vertical space that would otherwise lie unused. Some of the benefits offered by vertical gardens include improving air quality, boosting mood, and providing a natural partition, along with of course, providing fresh vegetables.
While not every vegetable is suitable for vertical gardening, there is a myriad of vegetables that are ideal for this purpose. They mainly include vining and climbing varieties of vegetables. Some standout choices are tomatoes, beans, peas, squash, cucumbers, and more.
Indoor Vegetables Suitable for Vertical Gardens
-
Tomatoes: Beginner-friendly tomato plants are a great plant to start your indoor vegetable garden. Select the “bush” variation as they grow excellently in vertical gardens. Moreover, cherry tomatoes are your best bet as they are compact and are prolific bearers of fruit.
-
Beans: There are miniature bean variations that are perfect for vertical gardening. Excellent for buckets and grow sacks is the dwarf French bean “Ferrari.”
-
Peas: The sweet pea is perfect for vertical gardens. They love to climb and they stay relatively small thus, they are an ideal choice for your indoor garden.
-
Squash: Even though squash plant is generally known to spread out quite a lot, there are manageable varieties that are compact and can be grown vertically. Varieties like “Black Futsu” and “Green Hokkaido” are well-suited for vertical gardens.
-
Cucumbers: Try the bush types of cucumbers, such as “Spacemaster” for vertical gardens. These are less sprawling and can readily grow upwards.
Implementing Your Vertical Garden Design
After choosing your vegetables, it’s time to plan your garden design. Vertical gardens can be implemented via vertical planters, wall planters, or trellises.
-
Vertical Planters: Stack planters are readily available in the market. Alternatively, consider DIY options. Recyclable materials such as old plastic bottles or containers can be cut and hung from balcony ceilings or walls in an ascending pattern for a cheap but effective solution.
-
Wall Planters: These are frame-like structures in different materials, such as wooden boards with mesh, to which you can attach pots. Wall planters, besides being highly functional, can also be quite an appealing sight if arranged right.
-
Trellises: Trellises are ideal for climbers and vine types of vegetables. They allow vegetables to climb up thus saving on ground space.
Maintaining your Vertical Garden
Maintenance of your vertical garden primarily involves careful watering and fertilizing. As plants are in a vertical position, gravity pulls the water downwards, meaning that the lower portion of the structure is prone to getting more water. Therefore, ensure to water the plants at the top more diligently. As far as fertilization is concerned, organic fertilizers are an excellent pick for indoor gardens. Remember to follow instructions on the fertilizer’s packaging to avoid burning your plants.
In essence, vertical gardening is a revolutionary, space-saving solution to urban gardening troubles. It is not only a functional way to grow vegetables in your home but also contributes to enhancing your living space by creating an aesthetically pleasing green wall. Whether you are a novice gardener or a seasoned horticulturist looking for an innovative way to utilize space, indoor vertical gardening is worth a try. The pleasure of cultivating your own produce is unparalleled, and the satisfaction derived from watching your vertical vegetable garden thrive is indeed priceless.
