Finished Product!

Rules of Operation

1. Keep it running most if not all of the time, having a timer attached to automatically turn the system on and off will make this quite easy.

2. Light it up! Full sun is best for herbs, the specific light requirements will be different for different types of plants.

3. Keep it watered, whenever the water level gets low refill it and add the nutrient solution as sheduled.

4. Watch it grow, and enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Adding the Plants

When placing your plants into the rockwool slab you should first fill up the water basin and run your irrigation system to make sure that it is functioning properly.  The rockwool should become moistened after a few minutes.  Once wet, assemble all of your plants together.

Caterpillars enjoy herbs too!

Next take a plant and gently shake off all of the dirt from the roots.  Choose where to place your plant and press a hole into the damp rockwool.  Now press the plant into the rockwool, trying to keep the root structure intact.

Ta-daa!

Irrigation System

The irrigation system for your vertical garden must be water tight to prevent damage to the wooden surfaces.  The water pump housed within the basin must be powerful enough to transport the water up to the top of the structure and across the drip manifold.  My system holds approximately 3-5 gallons of water and requires a 250 gallon/hour pump which is recommended for a 25 gallon tank.

Copper Water Basin

The Water Basin Is In!

100% Copper it looks great and will last for a long time.  I purchased this from a window box distributor it can be found at:

 http://www.windowbox.com/copper-liners-tapered.html 

Cooper Wire Mesh

Copper Mesh

To provide support for the plants and the rockwool I'm attaching a sheet of wire mesh to the front and the back in front of the rockwool.  I have cut a pattern of sorts into one of the two sheets, out of these holes the plants will grow out of and cascade downward and outward.

The pattern for the plant placement should reflect the type of plants chosen.  My vertical garden will house a variety of herbs so for the more trailing plants more space is given.

Reclaimed Wood

Roadside Finds


Just wandering around your neighborhood can lead to some surprising discoveries, what your neighbor considers trash might be the perfect piece of wood to use in your next project.  I found two wood umbrellas while walking my dog around the block!

Most pieces of outdoor furniture will already be waterproof because it's a normal feature of outdoor furniture.  Yard sales are also great for finding old furniture pieces that can be re-invented into a vertical garden.

Building the Framework

Construction Part 2


Each piece of wood was cut to length exactly... measure twice, cut once!

The framework is now complete.  The next step will be to join the pieces together and to build the frame to hold the rockwool.

The rockwool frame is simply a wooden rectangle to surround the rockwool and support the weight of the plants.  The copper wire mesh is placed within the framework. 

The rockwool is then cut to size with a small hand saw.  When cutting the rockwool a face mask should be worn to reduce the risk of dust inhalation.

Here is the frame with the rockwool inserted.

And here is the completed structure, before planting and before the irrigation system is installed.

It's Convenient To Have A Woodworker In The Family

Construction Part I
Today (with help from my wonderful father) the wood that I purchased has been cut and then planed so that each piece is of uniform width. 

First we cut the large pieces into more manageable sizes, leaving an extra inch just in case.  We used this hand held saber saw and a table saw to accomplish this with relative ease.

Then we used a jointer to create a smooth edge on the uneven mahogany boards.

Then all the boards were run through the planer several times to reveal the beautiful grain underneath and to make the boards of equal width. 

Here is the result of our labors! Beautiful mahogany wood that will look great and last a very long time.

Materials List

Before you begin construction it's important to double check that you have everything you need.  I've slowly been collecting these items over the past month and now its time to build!

Materials List


Wood (2 side pieces, top and bottom piece, 2 crossbars)
Water Basin
Rockwool
Wire Mesh
Nutrient Solutions
Plants
Plastic or Metal Tubing
Drip Manifold
Metal "L" Brackets (4)
Water Pump

 

You can make your vertical garden any size, which means all of the sizes of the above materials will change depending on your project.  My vertical garden will measure approximately 3ft. in height, 2ft. wide, and 10in. deep at its base.

Oh the Herbs

 All the plants are coming along quite well, growing up nice and strong.  I've spread out the basil so it now has more room, it was getting a bit crowded together because my raised beds are rather small.

My garden gets full sun most of the day

Parsley

Oregano

Basil

Chives

Cilantro

Interesting Reading

I am a HUGE supporter of the local library system and once again they've proved their worth in my eyes by providing all the books I could possibly ask for on the topic of vertical gardening and living walls.

From left to right:

Garden Up by Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet (I found this book particularly interesting, I really recommend it to any garden enthusiast)

Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls by Nigel Dunnett and Noel Kingsbury

Vertical Gardens by Jacques Leenhardt, Anna Lambertini and Mario Ciampi

The Vertical Garden by Patrick Blanc

Vertical Gardening by Derek Fell (this book was also very well written and helpful, although less of an emphasis on living walls)

Timber!

I've purchased the wood that I'll use to build the frame of my vertical garden!

I went with Mahogany for its color and density and it also happens to be an easy wood to work with compared to some other hardwoods.  Now Mahogany does have its issues, there are many supplies that can't guarantee that their wood comes from a reputable dealer who uses sustainable harvesting practices.  However, since Mahogany is very popular in furniture making it is easy enough to ask if the lumber is Forest Stewart Council certified (http://www.fsc.org/) by doing this you can have the peace of mind that whatever you're building isn't made from a tree cut down in one of the few remaining old growth forests.

http://www.pbase.com/placesandseasons/image/33165379

Mahogany trees can be found in Central and South American rain-forests and can grow up to 150 feet tall.  Throughout history this type of wood has been prized for red color and since the age of exploration it been harvested for fine furniture making. Currently, the United States is the largest importer of Mahogany wood.

Other good options for making a vertical garden are Redwood, Teak (sustainably harvested teak is very hard to obtain though), Locust, or any sort of reclaimed wood from outdoor furniture that can withstand moisture.

More information on Mahogany can be found at:
http://www.rainforestrelief.org/What_to_Avoid_and_Alternatives/Rainforest_Wood/What_to_Avoid_What_to_Choose/By_Tree_Species/Tropical_Woods/M/Mahogany.html

Window Farming

Here is an article about "Window Farming" and interesting take on using vertical space.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125504307

http://www.windowfarms.org/whatisawindowfarm

www.windowfarms.org

It's All About The Nutrients

After perusing the options on the market today I settled on a three part nutrient solution set for my vertical herb garden.  Made by the company General Hydroponics each solution provides different elements needed by the plants to grow.

The primary macronutrients needed by plants are Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium, these elements are used by plants in large amounts and therefore are usually lacking from soil.  The primary macronutrients are essential for photosynthesis.  Nitrogen and Potassium are used in the making of proteins and Phosphorus is needed to convert solar energy into chemical energy.  Secondary nutrients include Calcium, Magnesium and Sulfur all of which play a role in plant development.


All part of the Flora Series, the three solutions I purchased were:
1.) Flora Micro - provides plants with basic building blocks Nitrogen, Potassium and Calcium
2.) Flora Gro - provides elements for growth including Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
3.) Flora Bloom - stimulates further developmental stages with lots of Phosphorous, Potassium, Magnesium and Sulfur


More information can be found at:
http://www.ncagr.gov/cyber/kidswrld/plant/nutrient.htm
http://www.genhydro.com/genhydro_US/floraseries.html

They Grow Up So Fast

The seeds I planted have come up nicely, it has been about two weeks now.  Here are the current results:

Basil - 1/2" seedlings
Cilantro - 2"
Parsley - 1/2"
Chives - 2"
Oregano - 1/4"
Spearmint - 0"
Rosemary - 0"

Cilantro

I have also made some progress in acquiring the supplies to build my vertical garden.  I went to my local hydroponics store (Long Island Hydroponics in Rocky Point; http://www.longislandhydroponics2.com) I found nutrient solution, a large slab of rockwool and a water pump for the drip irrigation system.

I have been having some trouble keeping my garden free of pests recently both large and small.  Another benefit to the vertical garden is that such problems aren't so common indoors, and the portability of the structure will make it easy to transport if such problems arise.

My largest garden pest, Ginny the family dog.

Improved Indoor Air Quality

There are several benefits to having plants indoor whether they are in pots or as part of a vertical garden.  One benefit that is often overlooked it the effect plants have on the air; as plants take in Carbon Dioxide they also take in some of the most common air pollutants found inside homes and commercial buildings.

For further reading check out these research studies:

http://www.lgiph.com.au/papers/Pot_plants_really_do_clean_indoor_air.pdf

http://www.wolvertonenvironmental.com/MsAcad-93.pdf

Seeds of All Shapes and Sizes

I've started growing the plants that I will later transplant into my vertical garden.  For those of you without the space or desire to grow from seed it is just as easy (yet slightly more expensive) to purchase your plants from your local garden center.  I chose a diverse array of herbs that can be used in countless dinners throughout the year.

I planted the herbs in a small raised bed and made sure to map out where everything was planted to avoid any confusion once the herbs come up.  

Other options include using a greenhouse like the one I have in my yard, if you want to start plants when it's a bit colder.

I also have some vegetable plants shown here, those wouldn't be too wise of a choice for a vertical garden so there are some limitations.

The seeds should start to sprout in a week or so.