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Spacious bed without weeds, while taking up a minimum of space is the dream of any hostess. However, even such a whimsical desire can be fulfilled. Manufactured 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 growing technology
Using vertical beds 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 planting cultivation, 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.
- No need for frequent chemical treatment... Strawberries absorb less harmful substances and become 100% safe for consumption even by young children.
- The vertical bed is made mobile... In the event of late frosts or the fall of a large hail, the plantations can be easily saved by moving the entire structure under any shelter.
- Economical use of the personal plot - an important feature of vertical beds. The structure occupies a narrow strip in the courtyard, but plantations grow on it, like on 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 disadvantages, then the lack of direct contact with the ground results in a rapid depletion of the soil inside the container. To achieve good results, the plants have to be fed more often. The same thing happens with watering.
Choosing 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. It is better to place the strawberry containers on the south side so that the shadow of the trees does not block the light. In strong sun, strawberry plantations are shaded with a fiberboard or polycarbonate visor.
If ornamental plants grow on the vertical structure, it can be installed from the west, east and even north side. It all depends on where the plants are more comfortable to grow.
Composition of soil for filling containers
Vertical beds are best filled with purchased soil. It contains all trace elements necessary for plants. If it is decided to take soil from the garden, then it is pre-mixed with organic matter in about 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 previously grew. The soil mixture is prepared two weeks before it is poured into containers.
Here you can see in 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, as long as you get containers that can hold the soil.
Using wooden pallets
Wooden pallets used for storage of products represent a turnkey solution for a vertical bed. In the photo you can see how a flower garden looks like, equipped with such a structure. However, when choosing a pallet, it is important to pay attention to its labeling. To decontaminate wood and extend its service life at the plant, pallets are subjected to temperature and chemical treatment. For flowers and other ornamental plants, a pallet with any mark is suitable. If it is supposed growing strawberries or other crops yielding crops, only heat-treated pallets are suitable.
Let's take a look at how to make a vertical 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 from burrs and dirt, and then painted.
- The back of the pallet is covered with a dense fabric. You can shoot geotextiles with a stapler. The fabric will prevent soil from falling out of the back of the pallet.
- After filling the entire space with soil, starting from the bottom row, the 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.
- After a month, the pallet is vertically hung on the wall or simply placed on the ground, leaning against any support.
As a decoration, pockets of dense linen or flower pots are nailed on pallets, where plants are planted. In this case, the consumption of soil is reduced, since there is no need to fill the volumetric cavity of the pallet.
Using car tires
A fairly simple example of making a vertical bed is presented by a structure made from old car tires. For aesthetics, it is advisable 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.
At the 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 made of plastic boxes
Plastic bottle crates are ideal for arranging vertical beds. Even a large wall can be built from plastic containers, which plays the role of an independent fence of the site. Prepared soil is poured inside the containers and placed on one side. The construction of the wall is carried out as from 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 that you can immediately start planting the plants. The courtyard design made of plastic boxes will allow the suburban area to be divided into recreation and truck farming areas.
Using flower pots
Flower pots can make a good decorative bed. It can be placed on the terrace or even inside the house. Ceramic or plastic containers, most importantly, of different diameters are suitable.
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, setting a smaller container to a larger one.Moreover, the pots must be installed off-center. As a result, on the back side of the bed, you will get a flat wall of containers, and on the front side, you will get stepped protrusions. 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 can be rectangular or simply limited to one pole. Any shape can be given. After fixing to the clamps of the flower pots, soil is poured into the container, and the plants are planted.
In the second method of making a bed, the use of flower pots of the same diameter is allowed.
Construction mesh construction
In the garden, a vertical bed can be made from a construction mesh. In addition to vegetables and herbs, even potatoes can be grown in such pyramids. For the manufacture of the beds, the metal mesh is rolled up with a pipe with a diameter of about 900 mm. Coarse straw is laid out inside the pyramid along the outer edge, and soil is poured inside. Every 100 mm of soil, 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, since 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 the building. Holes are cut on the sides where the plants are planted.
A bed of a wooden or plastic barrel
The essence of growing plants is no different from a bag. Only the holes in the barrel can be cut using an electric drill with a crown attachment.
A bed of PVC sewer pipes
In the manufacture of a vertical bed of plastic pipes very simple. It is most often used to grow strawberries. In sewer pipes with a diameter of 100-110 mm, round holes are cut on the sides. Every pipe 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 strawberry pipes is insulated, otherwise the plants will freeze.
Using building blocks
Hollow building blocks can serve as a flower pot for plants. A wall is built from the blocks with ledges for plantings. For beauty, each block can be decorated with paints.
Vertical bed of 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 version with flower pots. Cutted bottles with growing plants are fixed with the neck down on the metal frame. The containers can also be fixed horizontally by cutting out the side wall. You will get a kind of trays.
Conclusion
As you can see, a vertical bed can be made from any available means, you just need to put in diligence and show a little imagination.
