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A spacious bed without weeds, while occupying a minimum of space, is the dream of any housewife. However, even such a whimsical desire can be fulfilled. The made vertical beds will occupy a small area in the yard, and you can plant a huge number of plants on them.
Pros and cons of cultivation technology
The use of vertical beds is popular when growing flowers or strawberries. You can, of course, plant other plants, but you must always calculate the final result.
If we talk about the positive side of vertical cultivation of plantations, then they are as follows:
- In vertical beds, plants do not directly contact the ground.. This reduces the risk of fungus and pests, especially strawberries.
- Eliminates the need for frequent chemical treatments. Strawberries absorb less harmful substances and become 100% safe for consumption even by small children.
- Make the vertical garden mobile. In the event of late frosts or large hail, plantings can be easily saved by moving the entire structure under any shelter.
- Economical use of a personal plot – an important feature of vertical beds. The structure occupies a narrow strip in the yard, but plantings grow on it, as in a regular garden bed with an area of 4–5 m2.
Small sections are made for strawberries and other perennials so that they can be easily brought into the barn for the winter.
If we talk about the shortcomings, then the lack of direct contact with the soil ends with a rapid depletion of the soil inside the container. To achieve good results, plants have to be fed more often. The same thing happens with watering.
Choose a place
The location is determined based on the characteristics of the plants growing on it. Let’s say strawberries love warmth, light and good watering. Containers with strawberries are best placed on the south side so that the shadow of the trees does not block her light. In strong sun, strawberry plantations are shaded with a visor made of fiberboard or polycarbonate.
If ornamental plants grow on a vertical structure, it can be installed on the western, eastern and even northern side. It all depends on where the plants are comfortable to grow.
Soil composition for filling containers
Vertical beds are best filled with purchased soil. It contains all the trace elements necessary for plants. If it is decided to take the soil from the garden, then it is first mixed with organic matter in approximately a 2: 1 ratio. It is important to consider that it is undesirable for strawberries to collect soil from the area where strawberries, roses or blackberries grew before. The preparation of the soil mixture is carried out two weeks before it is filled into containers.
Here you can see on the video do-it-yourself vertical beds for strawberries:
Manufacturing options
For the manufacture of vertical beds in the household, you can use any suitable material, the main thing is to get containers that can hold the soil.
Use of wooden pallets
The wooden pallets used to store the products represent a complete vertical garden solution. In the photo you can see what a flower garden looks like, equipped on such a structure. However, when choosing a pallet, it is important to pay attention to its marking. To disinfect wood and extend its service life, pallets are subjected to temperature and chemical treatment at the factory. For flowers and other ornamental plants, a pallet with any marking is suitable. If it is planned to grow strawberries or other crops that bring a crop, then only pallets that have undergone heat treatment will do.
Let’s look at how to make a vertical garden bed from a wooden pallet:
- A pallet with whole boards without rot, large cracks, protruding nails is suitable for a garden bed. The pallet is cleaned of burrs and dirt, and then subjected to painting.
- The back side of the pallet is covered with a dense fabric. You can shoot geotextiles with a stapler. The fabric will prevent the soil from falling out from the back of the pallet.
- After filling the entire space with soil, starting from the bottom row, prepared plants are planted. The soil is watered abundantly, and the pallet itself is left to lie on the ground for about a month. During this time, the root system of plants will strengthen and compact the soil.
- A month later, the pallet is vertically suspended on the wall or simply placed on the ground, leaning against any support.
As a decoration on pallets, pockets of thick linen or flower pots are nailed, where plants are planted. In this case, the consumption of soil is reduced, since there is no need to fill the bulk cavity of the pallet.
Use of car tires
A fairly simple example of making a vertical bed is represented by a design from old car tires. For aesthetics, it is desirable to take tires of different diameters and build a pyramid out of them. Usually five tires are enough, but more is possible. There are no restrictions, the main thing is that it is convenient to look after.
In place of the tread of each tire, holes for plants are cut in a circle. Having laid the first wheel, soil is immediately poured inside. The process continues until all tires are laid out. Now it remains to plant strawberries or flowers in the side holes of the pyramid.
Bed-wall of plastic boxes
Plastic bottle crates are ideal for arranging vertical beds. From plastic containers, you can even build a large wall that acts as an independent fence around the site. Prepared soil is poured inside the containers and placed on their side. The wall is being built like a cinder block. To prevent the earth from spilling out, the top of the boxes is covered with geotextiles. The bottom of the containers already has ready-made holes, so you can immediately start planting plants. The design of the yard made of plastic boxes will allow you to divide the summer cottage into recreation and gardening areas.
Use of flower pots
Flower pots can make a good decorative garden bed. It can be placed on the terrace or even inside the house. Suitable ceramic or plastic containers, most importantly, of different diameters.
Usually a vertical bed of flower pots is equipped in two ways:
- The easiest way is to take several containers of different diameters and fill them with soil. Further, a pyramid is built from the pots, placing a smaller capacity on a larger one. Moreover, the pots must be installed with an offset from the center. As a result, a flat wall of containers will be obtained from the back side of the bed, and stepped protrusions will be obtained from the front side. It is in the soil of these steps that flowers should be planted.
- The second method of making a vertical bed involves welding a metal frame with clamps for flower pots. The design may be rectangular or simply limited to one pole. Any form can be given. After fixing the flower pots to the clamps, soil is poured into the container, and plants are planted.
In the second method of making beds, the use of flower pots of the same diameter is allowed.
Building mesh construction
In the garden, a vertical bed can be made from construction mesh. In addition to vegetables and herbs, even potatoes can be grown in such pyramids. To make a bed, a metal mesh is rolled up with a pipe with a diameter of about 900 mm. Large straw is laid inside the pyramid along the outer edge, and soil is poured inside. Every 100 mm of land, seeds are sown or tubers are laid, after which they are watered abundantly.
Growing plants in a bag
Any bag is suitable for a vertical bed, but preferably not made of artificial fiber, as it will quickly disappear in the sun. Fertile soil is poured inside the bag and hung on a solid support or installed against the wall of a building. Holes are cut on the sides where plants are planted.
Bed from a wooden or plastic barrel
The essence of growing plants is no different from the bag. Only holes in the barrel can be cut using an electric drill with a crown nozzle.
Garden bed made of PVC sewer pipes
In the manufacture of a vertical bed of plastic pipes is very simple. Most often it is used for growing strawberries. In sewer pipes with a diameter of 100–110 mm, round holes are cut out on the sides. Each pipe is vertically buried in the ground, and fertile soil is poured inside. Now it remains to plant strawberry seedlings in each hole and wait for the harvest. For the winter, a vertical bed of pipes for strawberries is insulated, otherwise the plants will freeze.
Using Building Blocks
Hollow building blocks can serve as a flower pot for plants. A wall with ledges for plantings is built from blocks. For beauty, each block can be decorated with paints.
Vertical garden from PET bottles
To make a vertical bed from plastic bottles, you will need to weld the frame. In principle, the method is the same as in the second variant with flower pots. Cropped bottles with growing plants are fixed with their neck down on a metal frame. Tanks can also be fixed horizontally by cutting out the side wall. Get a kind of trays.
Conclusion
As you can see, a vertical bed can be made from any improvised means, you just need to make an effort and show a little imagination.