Root vegetables are one of the best plants to grow in your vertical garden. These plants invigorate your backyard and help you cut down your monthly grocery budget.
Some of the root vegetables to grow in your backyard garden include red onions, carrots and radishes.
Growing carrots in a vertical garden
If you plan to grow carrots in your vertical garden, it would be best to use seeds. Using seed is affordable and enables you to obtain a plentiful harvest.
Below are the steps to follow when growing carrots in a vertical garden.
Detailed steps of growing carrots in a vertical garden
- Step one: The first thing to do is create a garden pallet. Once it is complete, lay it on a flat surface and layer it with fabric at the bottom. Also, cover its backside with fabric.
- Step two: Get your starting mix and pour it into the garden pallet. Consider getting your starting mix from a reliable seedling manufacturer. Otherwise, your carrot plant won’t grow to its full potential. Avoid using soil from the garden in vertical gardens. Garden soil is bulky and does not have good water retention properties. Potting soil works best in a vertical garden.
- Step three: Start planting the seeds in the starting mix. Ensure you leave enough space for them to grow. Always follow all the manufacturer’s guidelines when planting carrot seeds. After inserting the seed, spread a thin layer of potting soil mix or peat moss to promote growth.
- Step four: During the first two weeks, ensure the soil stays moist at all times. So, keep watering your carrot plants. After two weeks, mount the garden pallet vertically. Continue watering the plants even after germination. Keep monitoring the plants and ensure they are free from all pests and diseases.
Carrots do not need a lot of light compared to other root vegetables. Typically, root vegetables need at least six hours of direct sunlight. But carrots can survive with less light.
What are the advantages of growing carrots in a vertical garden?
Space-saving:
Most homeowners struggle with limited garden space. As a result, they may not grow a wide range of plant species. Fortunately, vertical gardens help you make good use of underutilized spaces.
A vertical garden is often mounted on the wall. Growing carrots in a vertical garden give other plants room to grow in a regular garden.
Prevent pests and diseases:
Vertical gardens are more immune to pests and diseases. Crawling pests like worms and snails may find it hard to reach a vertical garden, especially if the wall/trellis is long.
It is much easier for pests to attack plants on the ground. More often than not, plants growing in a regular garden have moist soil. Subsequently, they attract pests and encourage various diseases.
Promote healthy growth:
Due to gravity, growing carrots vertically makes them grow fuller. This enables you to obtain a plentiful harvest.
Boost outdoor aesthetics:
Vertical gardens are an excellent source of aesthetics. Creating a vertical garden creates a focal point in your yard. Also, these gardens create a tranquil ambiance in your backyard.
Plants with cascading leaves can protect ripening carrots from the harmful effects of the sun and wind.
How do you grow healthy carrots?
Use seeds to grow carrots
If you want an abundant harvest, start growing carrots from seeds. Carrot seeds come in different shapes and sizes. Thus, growing carrots from seeds will produce various carrot plants.
Some of these varieties include Danvers, Chantenay, and imperator. Carrot seeds also come in different colors; orange, white, and yellow. When buying carrot seeds, it is best to choose different options.
Watering carrot plants
It would be best to keep watering carrot plants from the top to boost healthy growth. The soil should stay moist at all times, especially during the first two weeks of planting.
Moisture helps carrot plants to germinate quickly and grow healthy. After 10 to 14 days, continue watering the plant regularly. Even so, be careful not to overwater the plant.
Thin seedlings
You have to thin carrot seedlings after germination. Doing this prevents the plants from crossing each other.
Use the most suitable gardening shears to cut off the plants that require to get thinned. After 21 days, conduct the thinning process to make sure the plants are two to three inches apart.
Contrary to popular belief, thinning carrots enables them to grow to their full potential. So, don’t be afraid of thinning your carrot plants.
Other root vegetables to grow in a vertical garden
Sweet Potatoes
Another root vegetable to grow in a growbag or vertical garden is the sweet potato plant. Unlike carrots, these plants grow best from starter plants. Consider planting them in your pallet garden.
All you have to do is have the right starting mix. Sweet potatoes also need constant watering to grow. The best thing about these plants is that they have edible leaves.
Onions
You can also grow onions in a vertical garden. These plants require watering and nutrients to grow. When planting onions, you need to watch out for bugs, pest and diseases. They are susceptible to white rot and fungal infections. You can harvest the leafy green section first and the onion bulb after some time.
Radishes
If you are a new gardener, radishes are one of the best plants to grow vertically. They are simple to grow and maintain.
Besides, they grow quickly and are a great addition to your meals. Even so, ensure they do not bolt.
Factors to consider when growing a vertical garden
Before building a vertical garden, there are a few factors you need to put into consideration. Failure to do so would hinder the healthy growth of plants.
Amount of light:
The location of the vertical garden should automatically receive enough amounts of light. Of course, this depends on the type of plant you wish to grow.
Some plants generally need more sunlight than others. But generally, the position of your vertical garden should receive constant sunlight for at least six to eight hours a day.
Strength of the support system:
The wall or trellis that supports the vertical garden should be strong. Planting pots, hanging baskets, and pallets are often bulky since they contain moist soil.
So, ensure that the wall can support their weight. Additionally, when growing climbing plants such as the clematis flower vine, make sure the wall or trellis should be tall enough to support them. A robust support system enables the vertical garden to grow to its full potential.
Exposure to moisture:
A good percentage of plants need frequent watering. Therefore, the supporting trellis should be waterproof. Otherwise, it may become damp and attract harmful microorganisms like algae.
Suppose the wall or trellis is not waterproof; consider layering it with waterproof material. Furthermore, arrange the vertical garden so that it is easier for you to water your plants.
Plants:
When it comes to vertical gardening, you have to select the right plants to grow. Not all plant types can grow in vertical gardens.
If you are a beginner, start with plants with shallow roots. Some of them include ferns and herbs.
Grow your very own carrots today
One of the best plants to grow in a vertical garden is the carrot plant. Carrots are relatively simple to grow and maintain.
When planting them vertically, fill your garden pallet with the starting mix. Then, insert the seedlings into the potting mix.
Mount the gardening pallet and leave them to grow. Ensure you water carrot plants to enable them to reach their full growth potential.
