5 Ways to Keep Your Vertical Garden Alive While on Vacation

Bob Stafford | Posted on August 1, 2016 |

It is that time of year when many of us are concerned how we are going to keep our Vertical Garden alive while we are on vacation.

Grow a vertical garden that will water itself

Tower Garden’s 20 gallon capacity reservoir combined with aeroponic technology that requires as little as 10% of the water of traditional growing methods means you can often not have to refill the water for many days.

How often you need to refill the reservoir depends on your climate. You can often go up to 10 days without adding water to the growing system in moderate temperatures.

If you live in an area with very hot temperatures or are going to be gone for an extended time than arrange to have someone check your water level and add as necessary.

Plant low-maintenance crops in your vertical garden

If you travel frequently you should consider growing hardy plants that require little attention.

Parsley, rosemary, chives, and other herbs fall into this category. Many greens, such as kale and Swiss chard, are relatively self sufficient also. Pass on lettuce and other tender greens. These will likely to bolt in hot summer heat.

Harvest whatever you can

Pick as much of your produce that you can and have a pre-vacation feast.

This will keep your crops from become mature and ending their life cycle. This helps to prevent disease caused by overly ripe, rotting produce on your vertical garden.

Prepare your vertical garden before your trip

The best way to prevent problems is to make sure your vertical garden doesn’t have any when you leave.

May sure the reservoir is full of water, Tower Tonic nutrients, and the PH has been adjusted.

If you are going to be gone for a long time use only half strength Tower Tonic to slow growth.

Move your vertical garden to a partially-shaded area to break the hot sun reducing plant growth and the amount of water the plants need. A Tower Garden Dolly makes moving your vertical garden easier.

After harvesting your produce prune your plants. Pruning will help ensure the you have continued, healthy growth while you are away. Also look for early signs of trouble.

Find a garden sitter

If you are going to be away on your trip for a week or more ask a friend or neighbor to check on your plants that are in the soil and containers.

Water them as necessary and leave them your cell number to contact you if there are any problems.

Tell your sitter to help themselves to any ripe produce to reward them for their efforts. It’s only the fair thing to do, right? The regular harvesting will help to keep your vertical garden balanced and healthy.

To recap, here are the 5 steps to vacation proof your vertical garden:

Grow a garden that will water itself (e.g. Tower Garden).
Plant low-maintenance crops.
Plant low-maintenance crops.
Prepare your vertical garden before your trip.
Find a garden sitter.

Now that your know how to keep your Tower Garden alive while you are off on vacation, comment below about your experiences. Where are you vacationing this summer? Leave a comment below.