No matter where you live- city, country, or suburb- it’s easy to plant a green wall or vertical garden in a very small space using certain techniques. Imagine a revolutionary planting technique in which one person can plant more than 30 plants in a footprint slightly larger than one square meter. Gardening with this technique is incredibly simple and easy to accomplish for the average person by making a living wall.
Green walls have been very fashionable for about fifteen years now. They are adorned with green plants that are most often installed outdoors. Indeed, many urban households live in apartments and cannot grow what they want because of a lack of land. Fortunately for them, it is not impossible to grow vegetables and herbs on the walls! So, without further ado, let’s dive into this blog and learn some of the things everyone ought to know about a green wall.
What plants can grow on a green wall?
Contrary to what some may think, the green wall can accommodate all types of plants, whether they are flowering or leafy. Almost all vegetables and herbs can be grown on a green wall, including carrots and potatoes. However, keep in mind that some fruits and vegetables can’t stand being grown in a small space.
In fact, the vegetables that are best suited to this type of cultivation are herbs (basil, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, creeping rosemary, savory, and thyme), as well as vegetables whose leaves are consumed (spinach and leaf lettuce). Also, if you want to grow tomatoes on a wall, use a frame so that they can easily climb up the wall.
For a successful production, choose a determinate, compact, and drooping cultivar, producing small fruits such as chibikko, lizzano, or tiny Tim. As for eggplants and peppers, opt for seeds from the mini-bell series, which can also produce small fruits. Finally, when growing carrots, be sure to opt for a short or round carrot cultivar.
What are the key points to remember?
It is relatively easy to grow your vegetable plants vertically in plastic trays or thick felted textile bags. Indeed, these trays or pockets must be filled with soil to allow the growth of plants. Nevertheless, certain conditions are essential in order for vegetable plants to grow and develop vertically:
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- Make sure your vertically grown vegetable plants have good sun exposure and protection from winds, with at least 6 hours of affiliated sunlight.
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- Plant your tropical plants, such as eggplant, cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes, at the end of the frost period in late May and early June.
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- Some root and leafy vegetables (beets, spinach, and radishes) can be planted earlier, as early as the beginning of May for some regions.
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- Sunlight will probably not be sufficient for a green wall inside a house. Therefore, we recommend you install a lighting system made of LED bulbs.
Some techniques to adopt for a good result
The trays or pockets that make up the green wall must contain large quantities of rich, light soil. Indeed, your potting soil should be composed mainly of compost, peat moss, and perlite. Also, like the maintenance of any other type of garden, you should always ensure proper irrigation of your edible living wall. Moreover, remember to fertilize it from time to time (every 2 months on average).
As for the watering method, it can be done either by hand or with a watering can. However, only two to three waterings per week are more than enough. You can also ask your landscaper to equip your green wall with a drip watering system connected to an outdoor faucet. However, with this type of watering, we prefer liquid fertilizers or granular fertilizers rather than those in powder form.
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