There are many benefits to growing a vegetable garden: you beautify your surroundings, and have a regular supply of fresh, organic vegetables just a few steps away from your kitchen. But what if you don’t have a lot of space?
Grow a vertical vegetable garden! Instead of planting across plots of farmland, you plant upwards. It’s very popular among urban vegetable gardeners and has proven to be very effective and not as hard as people think. Here are some tips.
Vertical gardening makes use of walls or trellises where vegetables and fruits can take root. Many vegetables can flourish in this conditions. Some of the crops you can grow in a vertical garden are tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, beans, squash and pumpkins. Even some fruits can flourish in a vertical garden, if they are ‘trained’ to twine around the wall or trellis. Some examples are grapes, kiwi fruit and passion fruit.
Of course, the success of your vertical garden depends on choosing fruits and vegetables that are best for your climate—and of course, the time you can spend on the crops. Some are more ‘delicate’ and need constant care, and others can flourish in just about any condition. The latter is best for people who are starting their first vegetable garden.
One of the most repeated advice from experienced gardeners is to make sure that the trellis and other supports are stable and well reinforced. As the plants grow bigger (and become heavy with harvest) they will pull down the framework. By that time it would be difficult to fix the structure without disturbing the plants. So save yourself the trouble and make sure that the trellis, etc. are of the highest quality and durability. You can also use things you have at home, like a hanging shoe organizer
Position the trellis in a place that has a lot of sun but also gets afternoon shade. Since the containers are small and cannot hold much soil or water then be sure to water these more frequently than plants in regular soil. Ask the plant nursery for their recommendations on how much water to use on the plant variety you chose.
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