Tower garden

[Nuttyneddy]

I had some old storm water PVC tubing around the place so I decided to build a tower garden set up. I have looked on utube and decided to copy their building methods. I had two short lengths about 2 ft long. So I did a series of cuts and used a heat gun to shape the pockets for plants. I managed to do ten pockets per length. So each can take 11 plants with one on top. I stood them up in a 2 ft.x 1ft rectangular container one each end. I filled each with potting mix with clay pebbles as a base. So I can grow 22 plants in about 2 sq ft. Now I want to know what plants are recommended for growing in it.

[applestar]

Well, I’ll give it a shot although I’m sure there are others with more hands on, successful experiences…. These are what I remember from previous trials —

NOTE 1 : The gravity and wind/sun exposure will affect moisture levels.
NOTE 2 : You will need to secure these towers from topping over.
NOTE 3 : Some method of semi-constant drip irrigation or frequent mist/shower is helpful since if the soil dries out, gap will form along the wall of the tubes and water will just rush out of the holes and wash out the soil.

1. Upper-most tiers are better reserved for drought tolerant sun- and heat-lovers that also don’t mind periodical drenching.

This could include some of the herbs — annuals and treat as annual (depending on where you live) like basil and sweet marjoram, for example … little gem marigolds for the double flowers…. maybe smaller nasturtiums for the flowers and lovely leaves that are wonderful in sandwiches.

2. Strawberries are the go-to for this kind of setting, but you will need to protect from birds

3. Salad greens while they can tolerate the heat do well but on lower levels that will stay moist longer and are shaded from the intense sun — maybe on the shady side.

4. Bush beans — but it takes some experimentation, and may need to be trained to trail down or be supported because they will try to flop.

5. If you have can find them, micro-dwarf tomatoes that only grow to 12 to 18 inches tops (Some are still called micro-dwarfs when they grow to 24 inches) could (probably) go in the top as long as you won’t let them dry out, because they do well in hanging baskets.

[Nuttyneddy]

Yes I will be setting up a wick system to keep a slow water feed. My towers are bolted to timber which is bolted to side of container. They are standing on bricks with clay pebbles as base with potting mix on top. The bricks are concaved on top this allows a space for water drainage. The container itself has a perforated base. I intend on filling this with potting soil and growing in that as well. I do want to grow some miniature tomatoes but getting seeds is problem maybe I could buy some mini tomatoes from supermarket and get seeds from them!

[applestar]

Sounds like you left out a whole bunch of details in the OP

Maybe I should be asking you questions instead — Anything else you’ve already planned? Where do you intend to put this system? What DID you want to grow in them? What did you think of my plant suggestions?

… “Mini” tomatoes from the store are not what I was talking about — those “cherry” type tomatoes typically grow on vigorous plants that will ultimately grow 7 or 8 feet long main and side stems with fruit clusters after every 2 or 3 leaves. Not something like this can support.

[applestar]

Microdwarf tomato type — Some reference photos and link to my thread that shows bunch of pics of their typical growth habits… plus a source I can recommend although it looks like many of her customer favorites have sold out already….



Learning • Practicing to Cross Breed Tomato Varieties - Page 5 - HelpfulGardener.com
viewtopic.php?t=59857&start=160

Micro Dwarf Tomatoes – Heritage Seed Market

[imafan26]

Really dwarf tomatoes would be things like Red Robbin that only grows 6 inches tall.

I have grown in towers before the one I have now. They all had problems as Apple mentioned of uneven watering. The top is very dry and the bottom can become soggy, so you have to choose plants that like those kinds of conditions. There is also the problem of siting. Unless you have this in full sun or you have a way to turn it. They will be a side facing the wall or the dark side where not much will grow. Strawberries may do o.k. Your tube is small in diameter so there is not going to be a lot of root space and depending on what you plant you may not be able to plant all the pockets because other plants get in the way. Never plant mint in a tower it will take over every pocket.

I was thinking a better design would be to have a perforated pvc down the middle with a hole at each pocket level. run drip tubing or you could just leave it open and cap the top. Water inner the tube and hopefully, the tower will water more evenly than the top down way of watering. It would also help to have a larger diameter pipe so there will be more root space. I have also seen this done with a 55 gal drum.

I like the tower I have now. The tiers are stacked but each tier holds 3/4-1 cubic foot of soil so it does have a good soil volume for 6 pockets. The tiers are either 7 or 10 inches deep and they can be interchanged on the tower. Shallower tiers for things like lettuce and strawberries and deeper tiers for things that have larger roots systems or you can plant the shorter carrots in them. It has a patented watering system to water the tower evenly, if you set it up right. There are still issues if you plant large plants or plants that get tall and start blocking pockets. While I can grow tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers in my tower, they are a little big for it . It works best with smaller plants like lettuce, some herbs, strawberries. My original tower came with wheels, that is good if you have it on a balcony or on pavement. It sank in the mud and the tower fell over more than once. So, I had to level it on a paver so it could not sink or fall and I replaced the wheels with a turntable so the tower can be turned so plants can be rotated for the sun.

It has been a real space saver for plants I would normally put in my main vegetable garden or under plant other pots.

The one thing would do differently is not mix perennials and annuals on the same tier or mix large and small plants. The larger plants take over the root space.

[Nuttyneddy]

I am in South Australia and it is autumn and things are cooling down. So growing tomatoes would not be good. I will have to be selective in the plants considering the cooler conditions. I will try lettuce, spinach , kale and basil. My tower is 4 inch diameter and I have made sure it drains well hopefully this will stop the bottom pockets getting too wet.
I will use it in morning full sun and partial shade in afternoon. Temperature here is around 65 deg f. average for this time of year down to 55 in mid winter.

[applestar]

In that case, I add smaller Asian greens like Mizuna and minichoi, as well as chard like umaina. In Australia, maybe you can also get seeds for some of the other Japanese greens that I can’t find anywhere in the USA. I’d love to try Katsuona for example (it might be a larger green though).

Onions grow well in that kind of temperature — like scallions, chives, … you can also grow garlic and bulb onions for harvesting early as small bulb with tender greens, …other cool weather herbs like cilantro/coriander might be good too.

Short root crops like radish and fast-maturing Japanese salad turnips in the … maybe not the bottom tier but 2nd tier up from the bottom, If you like them, round mini carrots like Paris Market or Rondo, and I think maybe beet harvested small for greens like Bulls Blood.

[imafan26]

As long as you don't freeze in winter and the temperature does not drop below 50 you can grow tomatoes. They will grow best in temperatures between 50-85. At 50-60 they grow slower. At temperatures between 70-85 they are golden. Above 85 they will have problems setting fruit. If your winters are wet you will need to get disease tolerant plants.

Tomatoes originate from tropical Central and South America from the mid elevations of the Andes where it is cool and dry. It won't tolerate a frost but between 50-85 degrees F. they will grow best.

Tomatoes will grow at 65 degrees but they will be slow to set fruit. they like it at least 70. It may be possible to grow an early variety like Glacier or a Russian variety that are bred for colder climates in your winter months.

I can grow tomatoes all year round in a mild climate. My temperature ranges from about 51 degrees at night in January to 91 in the Daytime in August. Ave daily temperature is about 88 degrees ave night temp 64-72. Tomatoes will grow for me year round but I switch varieties for the season. In summer I can only grow the heat tolerant varieties and still get fruit set. If tomatoes are not heat tolerant they survive but won't set fruit until the weather cools below 85 degrees.

Applestar's suggestions are good for cool season crops. The towers usually do well with lettuce, strawberries, some herbs, smaller Asian greens like the baby bok, beets, raddish, green onions, bush beans (Maxibel, haricot vert beans), spinach, I do grow kale and peppers in my tower but it has more root space and those plants do get large so they can and do interfere with the other pockets.

Since your tower is so small it would make sense to go with the mini versions or harvest them small.

[Nuttyneddy]

In summer we get very hot with temperatures of 110deg at its peak. I live overlooking the sea on a sloping block with garden very exposed to wind. So I have to be selective in my growing methods. I tried some hydroponic veggy planting in containers in part shade but even they got too warm and had root rot problems. I have been trying using some pep bottles hanging on the fence feeding into each other they seem to be doing ok they get full sun for about four hrs a day. I have tomatoes basil and kale growing in them but I will have to transplant those when they get bigger. I have a tomato growing upside down in a hanging bottle. That's doing well. It's all a learning curve for me .

[imafan26]

I don't think any tomato will take 110 consistently even with shade and misting. The heat set can set only to about 100 degrees. Cherry tomatoes are the most heat resistant. I have a lot of humidity so I won't every get that hot and I also live at 600 ft so I am 3-9 degrees cooler than at sea level.

Tropical vegetables can handle 100 degrees but not in an arid climate. They require more water and humidity. Hot peppers, cucurbits, eggplant, yard long beans, sweet potatoes can handle more heat if they get enough water.

[Nuttyneddy]

Stacked pep bottles and hanging upside down tomato

[imafan26]

The pop bottle plants look good. I tried that once, but I don't have the patience to water them and I chose plants that were too big for them. It already takes me about an hour every day to water my yard. I fertilize a lot so I grow big plants more than not and they need bigger containers.