GreenBrain
Full Member
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:35 pm
Location: British Columbia, Canada

Growing a vertical Garden

I've been doing some research on growing my own vertical garden [url]https://www.pingmag.jp/2006/12/08/vertical-garden-the-art-of-organic-architecture/[/url]
And I was hoping I could get some opinions about the materials I'm using and proper care etc.

My plan (based on the wikihow [url]https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Living-Wall[/url]) is thus:
I purchased a freestanding fireplace spark guard (made of copper) at thrift store to use as the frame for my growing substrate. I also purchased a roll of synthetic winter blanket material for plants. I have an old aquarium pump and a lot of tubing to circulate the hydroponic solution.

I plan to stitch several layers of this material together (about 5cm thick once complete) and suspend inside the spark guard frame. I will then cut small holes in the material about halfway through to insert the young plants/seeds.

A catchbasin will be set up underneath the length of the substrate to catch all leftover water and the aquarium pump will recirculate it, sending it to distribution tubes which I will insert through holes drilled into the top of the spark guard.

My plan is to have the water slowly dripping over the length of the top of the whole system, permeating the substrate and supplying my plants with all necessary nutrients; my hope is that this constant water movement will also help prevent mold and mildew growth.

What do you guys think?

Lizard
Newly Registered
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:26 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

I think it is intriguing. Slow drip doesn't prevent mildew growth where I am, we have to let things dry out regularly, that is the only advice I have. Please keep me updated though!

-Elizabeth

pixelphoto
Senior Member
Posts: 155
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:13 pm
Location: Middle Georgia USA

I don't see that this is any different than espalier trees, or vines.
you could put up a trellis against the wall and train fruit espalier trees to grow up it.
or grape muscadine or kiwi vines to grow on the side of the wall of your house to make a living wall of food.
It would also maintain the temperature on south facing walls. This is one of the Permaculture principals. Make everything serve multiple uses.
I am in the process of making a natural fence to keep deer out of my blueberry bushes growing area. The natural fence is made of grape vine and muscadine vine trellised on tpost and wire. Once the vines grow in good they act as a natural barrier and also provide me with fruit.
Last edited by pixelphoto on Wed Feb 06, 2008 2:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

opabinia51
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 4659
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
Location: Victoria, BC

Very interesting, if you plant daffodils on the outset of your living fence, they are supposed to help repel deer.

However, I was at a gardening conference years ago where I attended a lecture on plants that detur deer and the consensus was that Death Camus was the only real deterrent. Not recommended if you have children as it is very poisnous. But, very pretty and native to North America.

GreenBrain
Full Member
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:35 pm
Location: British Columbia, Canada

pixelphoto wrote:I don't see that this is any different than espalier trees, or vines.
you could put up a trellis against the wall and train fruit espalier trees to grow up it.
or grape muscadine or kiwi vines to grow on the side of the wall of your house to make a living wall of food.
It would also maintain the temperature on south facing walls. This is one of the Permaculture principals. Make everything serve multiple uses.
I am in the process of making a natural fence to keep deer out of my blueberry bushes growing area. The natural fence is made of grape vine and muscadine vine trellised on tpost and wire. Once the vines grow in good they act as a natural barrier and also provide me with fruit.
Mine is meant to be an indoor contained and virtually self sustained garden with normally non-vertically attaching plants could grow. Like normal indoor potted plants, only growing up a vertical artificial growing medium.

pete1606
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:52 pm
Location: Queens NY- zone 5

Is this going to be soil-less (Hydroponocs) or soil based. I want to make a vertical planter, but much similar w/ no pump or tank. I'm just not sure how the soil is secured. Any help would be great!

Peter

GreenBrain
Full Member
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:35 pm
Location: British Columbia, Canada

Is this going to be soil-less (Hydroponocs) or soil based. I want to make a vertical planter, but much similar w/ no pump or tank. I'm just not sure how the soil is secured. Any help would be great!
I was originally considering a purely hydroponic system but the medium I bought proved too thin. Instead I'm sewing together several sheets of the medium to make a sort of pillow case and I'm going to 'stuff' it with peat moss. I'll cut small holes wherever I plan to insert a plant or seed.
School, work and my plethora of side-projects have been taking most of my time right now, so I'm not finished construction. Hopefully after this latest batch of essays is done I can finish it.


Good luck with your planter!
Let me know how it turns out.



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