The Vertical Gardening Guidebook (10 page)

Pest control is a lot easier as well because the plants are so healthy they can pretty much combat disease and insects on their own (or at least better than plants in soil).

Aeroponics can be used to grow almost anything, including herbs, fruits, vegetables and flowers. These systems can be placed in small spaces, such as decks, balconies, rooftops, porches and patios.

Above are some baby Alpine strawberries just a few weeks old in my vertical garden.

What is Aeroponics?

Aeroponics is a form of gardening that requires no soil or other form of medium to grow plants. The name itself is Greek and was chosen because it describes this method perfectly – air labor.

It’s important that you don’t get aeroponic gardens confused with hydroponic gardens because the two are different. Hydroponics involves growing plants in sand, gravel or water with no soil. Aeroponics is a specialized type of hydroponic gardening where the roots are exposed to the air and then watered with a nutrient-rich water regularly.

Today, aeroponics systems for the home and commercial use have become so sophisticated and easy to use that all you really need to do is set up the system and check the water, nutrient levels and pH once a week or so.

Aeroponic Gardens are Eco-Friendly

Unlike with traditional gardening, which can place a great demand on the ecosystem (especially when harmful chemicals are used), aeroponic gardens are safe for you and the environment.

The greatest benefit of this system is that it preserves water and energy better than any other type of garden. It has been recorded as using 1/10 the amount of water than what would traditionally be needed to grow the same crop. Some have even dropped this number down to 1/20 depending on the climate.

How Aeroponics Gardening Works

The way aeroponic gardens are built allows it to receive lots of air exposure. The garden is literally on a tower that extends into the air, giving it lots of oxygen. The root systems and stems are free of constraints, allowing it maximum growth and root expansion, due to the lack of physical contact and access to pure water.

Since the plant roots are 100% suspended in the air, they are able to get lots of oxygen. The system also provides the roots with micro-droplets of nutrient water. The design of aeroponics helps to prevent pathogens from forming on the plants.

Less Disease in Your Garden

Aeroponic gardening allows plants to flourish without many of the common traditional diseases found in soil-growing plants. Since the contact between plants is reduced and there's no soil in the system, the plants are protected from many common disease. However, it's still possible to see diseases such as blight, mildew, botrytis, bacterial wilt, anthracnose, fusarium and leaf spot so be aware if you see signs of disease.

When plants are placed in soil or other medium, disease is able to easily spread to plants. In the event that a plant does become diseased in an aeroponic system, it can easily be removed in seconds without spreading it to the other plants.

How Plants are Watered

Since aeroponic systems only use 10% of the water soil gardens use, you may be wondering how these plants are watered. The irrigation systems that are used in these systems usually come in the form of misters, sprayers, foggers or gravity-fed drip systems. A good system will have a timer that you can customize to water the plants on a regular schedule.

Benefits of Aeroponic Systems

Here is an overview list of all the great benefits that are associated with growing aeroponic vertical gardens:

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The most cost-effective method of gardening

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Yields more seeds, since the plants grow pathogen-free

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Easy to use, even for first-time gardeners

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Harvests are fast and easy

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Plants receive lots of nutrients

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Eco-friendly because less water is used and no harmful chemicals are needed

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Less nutrient solution throughput is required

Growing Your Own Aeroponics Garden

If this all interests you, then you will find that getting an aeroponic garden started is quite simple. All you need is a vertical aeroponics system, which can be purchased online or at a local gardening supply store.

There are different types of systems available, big and small. You can also try making the system yourself. These systems pretty much resemble a tower. Some people use nothing more than a sealable storage bin, fittings and PVC pipes (just be warned that PVC will leach phthalates and other toxic chemicals into the plants – which is why I never use it for gardening). A pump is also needed to recycle and deliver the water for your irrigation system.

If you wish, you can even transplant your aeroponic plants to the soil without worrying about it going into shock.

Personally, I use the Tower Garden for much of my food gardening.

I love aeroponics systems because they are very low maintenance. They come with everything you need to setup and manage your vertical garden. The kit includes the Vertical Aeroponics Tower which holds 20 plants, the water basin, water pump, a pH testing solution, pH adjusting solutions, nutrient solutions and easy to follow instructions and customer support.

This chef in New York City grows all his produce fresh on the rooftop of his restaurant with about 30 Tower Garden units.

The Tower Garden is also one of the most technologically advanced units on the market and it comes with all the supplies included for just $499 + shipping.

Currently, the Tower Garden is only available in the United States and Canada. You can learn more about Tower Gardens at
www.TowerGarden.com

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Once you have set up your aeroponics system, place the mesh holders over the growing chambers and begin planting your seeds inside of them. You can usually place between two and three seeds in most kits – but for bigger plants like cucumbers, tomatoes and watermelon, it’s best to just plant one seed as they will grow 3 to 4 times faster than normal in an aeroponics environment. Place the growing chambers in the slots of the system, then ensure that the vapor cover is set over it correctly, so that it will receive the mist spray as needed.

Make sure to read the directions of the aeroponics kit to see how much nutrient solution you need to place inside of the system. You will then need to check to see what settings you need to place for your water valves. The kit will come with a hydro controller. After a couple of days have passed, you will know which seeds did not sprout. This will be determined by the type of plant that you are growing.

As the seedlings begin to mature, you will see the roots exposed through the tray. You will need to lift the container to trim the roots using pruning shears and then remove the plant from the chamber.

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ARDENING

Well, it’s been an amazing journey for me to be able to share my experiences of vertical gardening with you. And I want to thank you for spending the time with me to learn more about this wonderful new way of gardening!

I hope you learned a lot about vertical gardening and all the joys that it can bring. Give vertical gardening a try and you will see how easy and productive it can be!

If you’re a creative buff or don’t mind spending a few hundred dollars to get started, you can have your garden up and producing delicious food and beautiful flowers in no time.

There are so many different things that you can grow in your vertical garden:

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Vegetables – cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, asparagus, potatoes, green, red and hot chili peppers, mustard greens and peas.

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Fruits – kiwis, strawberries, grapes, raspberries, watermelons and dates.

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Herbs – oregano, basil, dill weed, sage, thyme, parsley and cilantro.

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Annual vines – trombetta squash, black-eyed Susan, Musica and nasturtiums.

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Flowers – roses, daisies, ferns, petunias and Chinese star Jasmine.

This is only a small list of the types of plants that you can grow in your vertical gardens. All types of annuals, perennials and vines can grow right on your patio, rooftop or deck. Making the most of the space you have to use can make a world of difference to your dinner plate.

Imagine being able to pluck fresh herbs and vegetables to make delicious salads and sides for dinner time. Your family will love the variety of recipes you’ll be able to manifest in your kitchen.

Depending on what you grow in your vertical garden, you can have everything you need to make your meals full of fresh produce, cutting down your grocery bill partially or. Produce prices continue to climb high, even for nonorganic vegetables, fruits and herbs. If you want to get out of the rat race for affordable organic produce, then you’re best bet is to grow your own.

Once you have chosen the types of edibles and non-edibles that you want to include in your garden, make sure to learn all you can about them, so that you can maintain excellent growth. You can purchase a plant book that goes into greater detail about different plants, including how to grow and maintain them. Knowing the proper climates, watering habits, sunlight and nutrients needed for your plants could make all the difference between having a plush garden and a dying garden.

I even encourage people who have land to plant in the ground to give vertical gardening a try. This method can triple or quadruple the amount of fruits and vegetables that you can yield each season. Even greenhouse efficiency can be maximized with the use of vertical gardens.

If you’re really interested in aeroponics gardening, you can try growing plants in your home, a greenhouse or outdoors. They are a bit more expensive at the beginning if you decide to buy an already-made system, but you can attempt to build one yourself to cut the costs.

Whatever type of vertical garden you decide to grow, you will surely have a blast with the outcome. You’ll yield plenty of vegetables, flowers, herbs and fruit – you’ll be amazed at how easy it is. Especially when compared to traditional in-the-ground gardening.

Create a schedule for the plants you want to grow next season. Start buying seeds and get prepared to start your seedlings before the warm months roll in, then get them transplanted into your vertical gardens. If you have children, you can involve them in your vertical garden project and see their eyes light up!