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For any garden of any size, growing vertically will only benefit your space! Whether you want to plant an entire vegetable and herb vertical garden or just grow some of your plants on DIY trellises, there are far too many benefits to overlook this growing method.
I'm excited to share what I've learned about vertical gardening and give you tips on how to start your own amazing vertical garden.
A vertical garden is exactly what it sounds like: a type of garden that utilizes vertical space to grow plants upwards. Using vertical planters or other supports, you can grow a lot of plants in a small footprint, taking up a minimal amount of ground space.
Probably the most common way to do this is to root plants in an in-ground garden, raised bed garden, or container garden and then support them with structures, garden trellises, or stakes that allow the plants to grow vertically instead of sprawling across the ground.
Vertical gardening maximizes efficient use of space by allowing you to grow more in less space. It is, at times, better than growing horizontally because growing out can be more cumbersome than growing up. For some people, space is at a premium, especially if the only available garden space is a balcony or patio, but they still want to grow their own food.
Growing vertically can reduce pest pressure from slugs, snails, and other pests. Improved airflow can dramatically improve plant health and mitigate diseases like powdery mildew.
Harvesting is a breeze when plants are up off the ground, putting more of the fruits in easy reach. Additionally, this growing style will bring unmatched beauty to your space!
One disadvantage of vertical gardens can be the expense. But you don’t have to let that hold you back!
Here are some tried and true vertical gardening ideas (including some very affordable options that actually work):
Vertical Planter or Grow Tower
One of the easiest and least expensive methods of growing a vertical garden is staking. Also called a pole trellis, growing on stakes is very popular, especially for tomatoes.
You can use wooden stakes to keep it very affordable, heavy-duty metal T-posts to be economical (they are slightly more expensive but very long-lasting and durable), or bamboo poles for aesthetics. I've even made a pole trellis out of PVC with ladder rungs, as you can see in the video above.
Check out this guide on how to stake plants to learn more.
Trellises are functional and add a bit of sophistication to your garden space, but store-bought trellises are not practical if you aim to grow maximum yields in your home garden. The cost becomes incredibly high when you buy pre-made trellises from hardware or garden supply stores.
A great way to keep costs low is to build your own trellises! That’s why I’ve shared my inexpensive DIY garden trellis designs, such as a straight-line trellis that uses vegetable trellis netting, a green pea trellis, a trellis to Florida weave tomatoes, a DIY grape vine trellis, and more.
Cage-style trellises are another easily accessible option for growing vertically in the garden, but store-bought tomato cages are cheap and honestly don’t work well. The solution? Make your own!
This old school DIY tomato cage will last a lifetime and actually hold up heavy plants laden with fruit. It can even support hefty indeterminate tomato plants that are growing well and producing.
Who doesn’t want a beautiful arbor with fruit and foliage draping down from it? Whether it has melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, gourds, flowers, pole beans, or even small pumpkins growing on it, it is a majestic statement piece in the garden!
Building a cattle panel trellis arbor can make that dream a reality at a fraction of the cost of store-bought. This design is strong and very easy to assemble. Plus, everything is made of metal, so it will last you a lifetime!
Vertical planters are perfect for growing in small spaces. And you can grow a surprising amount of food in them, including vegetables, herbs, flowers, root crops, and more. I could not be happier with my GreenStalk Vertical Planters!
If you are limited by space or want to add elegance to a patio, a vertical planter is the way to go! As you can see in the video, I have enjoyed growing cilantro, citronella, thyme, rosemary, basil, mint, oregano, strawberries, lettuce, Swiss chard, cabbage, green beans, peppers, and more in my vertical planters.
I hope you are inspired to try your own vertical garden!
Using a high-quality fertilizer like Trifecta+, fertilize plants growing in containers and vertical gardens with the same amount of fertilizer you would normally use—don’t overfertilize! Overfertilizing will waste time and money and cause subpar harvests.
Use natural and organic pest control methods like you would in any other garden. I recommend these DIY pest prevention methods and using organic pesticides if necessary.
Yes, you can turn a pallet and other repurposed items into a cool vertical garden!
Luke Marion
Luke Marion created MIgardener in 2011 with a passion for inspiring others to grow a garden, live healthier lives, and have fun doing it. With the help of social media, that was all made possible! Today, MIgardener can be found on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. We believe gardening should be made fun and accessible to anyone of any skill level. Our slogan, “Grow Big or Go Home,” was created to help drive home our mission. We believe that when you put 100% effort into something, you will get 110% back.
Comments
Tried high density growing peppers spaced at 1’ by1’. 32 plants in a 4’ x 8’ bed with carrots planted between pepper rows .peppers produced quite well with the carrots shocking me with 60 lbs. from the 7 interplanted rows.
High intensity is my method of choice. I stake indeterminate tomatoes on plastic coated stakes or bamboo using 1/2” Velcro plants are 1’x1’ spacing, the leaves get pruned off below the latest fruit that has set, suckers are also pruned. Plant 3 rows in a 4’ wide bed leaving 1’ on the sunny side to grow onions or carrots grow very well in this space without harm to the tomatoes . In the back I have plated dill, lettuce and cilantro with great results.
