Vertical Gardening Equipment 101

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Vertical gardening equipment doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, it can be as simple as adding a trellis to a normal planter.

The type of equipment you use ultimately depends on the plants you want to grow and the space you have available. So, here are some examples of vertical gardening equipment to get you started.

Best Vertical Gardening Equipment

1. Hanging Grow Bags

Hanging grow bags (such as this) are pretty self-explanatory. They look like shoe storage hangers: small pockets of fabric that you can hang from a wall. Hanging grow bags are ideal for making use of wall space that you might not otherwise use, and are arguably the epitome of vertical gardening.

One potential downside is that there aren’t loads of options for larger plants. That said, they’re ideal for small things like herbs and leafy greens.

Pros

  • Make good use of wall space
  • Inexpensive
  • Easy to set up

Cons

  • Not as durable as other options
  • Only suitable for small plants

2. Railing Planters

A railing planter (such as this) can be used for vertical gardening. After all, it doesn’t require any floor space! They might not be the biggest planters out there, but they work well for lettuce, herbs and creeping plants like strawberries.

Perhaps the biggest downside is their size-to-yield ratio. A single planter will only hold 2 plants or so, whereas some other options on this list will give you plenty of soil space.

Pros

  • Ideal for making use of railings
  • Durable planters
  • Good for leafy greens

Cons

  • Doesn’t offer great yield potential

3. Stackable Planters

Stackable planters (like this) are another fairly obvious setup. In short, they consist of standard plastic planters designed to stack on top of each other. While they require some floor space, they offer a good amount of soil for the space they do need.

However, they’re again only suitable for small plants like strawberries, lettuce or herbs. But if you want an extensive herb garden and don’t have much floor space, these are ideal.

Pros

  • Good for small plants
  • Inexpensive
  • Lots of room for plants

Cons

  • Require floor space

4. DIY Trellis

A trellis might not be your first thought when it comes to vertical gardening, but it ticks all the boxes. It’s a great option for creeping or vining plants like tomatoes, squash and cucumbers, particularly if they need pretty sturdy support.

The biggest downside is that you might need a lot of floor space depending on what you’re growing. However, this is offset against the vertical space you can use. Check out our article on DIY trellises for some examples.

Pros

  • Ideal for plants that need a lot of support
  • You can make a trellis for next to nothing
  • Easy to set up

Cons

  • Need a lot of floor space

5. Freestanding Planters

Freestanding planters (such as this) follow the same logic as stackable planters. They use a vertical system to cram more soil space into the required floor area. The planters are generally “normal” size, making them suitable for a wide range of plants.

That said, they need the most floor space out of all the options on this list. It shouldn’t be too much of an issue if you push it up against a wall, though.

Pros

  • Provides a lot of soil space
  • Suitable for all kinds of plants
  • Adaptable system

Cons

  • Needs the most floor space

6. DIY Options

This is a bit open-ended because it depends on your space, DIY knowledge and available resources. However, with a bit of creativity, you can come up with some pretty good vertical gardening systems.

For example, a wood pallet propped against a wall makes a great unit for hanging planters. You could also use a ladder, upcycled furniture, or pretty much anything else you can get your hands on. A roll of chicken wire or similar can also be a good basis for a hanging planter system.

Pros

  • Fully adaptable to your needs
  • Doesn’t need to be expensive
  • Suitable for pretty much all plants

Cons

  • Needs a bit more work than simply buying a planter system

Final Thoughts

The most important factor in choosing the right vertical gardening equipment is knowing what plants you want to grow. Their size and growing habits will dictate the level of support you need to provide and the floor space required.

But as you can see, there are loads of options for all kinds of crops. Use the list above to figure out what’ll be most suitable, and happy planting!