Trying to build your own garden? Make sure you avoid these common mistakes.
Newbies often make these mistakes when they try to create a vertical garden. Here’s how you can avoid them:
Mistake #1: Building your own planter out of plywood
The problem with this is that the wood will begin to rot, leading you to have to replace the planter after a while.
Mistake #2: Using cheap soil
Cheap soil is usually more prone to compaction, so it won’t drain water like good soil would. Plus, cheap soil doesn’t contain nutrients that plants need. Make sure you use top-quality soil for your garden!
Mistake #3: Not Doing Research on Your Plants’ Needs Beforehand
Some plants require more sunlight than others. Some thirst constantly for water, while others don’t need much water at all. You should know what sort of environment your plant needs before you give it a place in your garden so that it’ll thrive and not die off!
Choosing A Design That’s Too Complex
Like anything in life, a vertical garden design can be as complex or simple as you make it. But if you’re new to gardening, it’s important to know that the simpler the design, the less likely that things will go wrong. A complex design is simply more challenging to create and maintain. If you want your first vertical garden to succeed, choose a simple design rather than something complicated—and don’t forget to keep things realistic for your particular situation.
You may have noticed a lot of photos around Pinterest with elaborate vertical garden designs that seem like they could only be achieved by professional landscapers… Which is exactly what they are: professional landscaping projects! Don’t let yourself get discouraged when looking at these types of photos; chances are this isn’t what your own space is going to look like in the end and there are plenty of other resources out there for how you can create a vertical garden on your own terms.
The trick is figuring out which type of design fits best with your needs and then putting some thought into how you’re going to achieve that look without making things too difficult or complicated for yourself along the way.
Putting Your Plants Too Close Together
You don’t want to put your plants too close together. When they’re in the ground, you have a lot of room for them to spread out, but when you’re growing them vertically, there’s limited space for the roots and the stems.
Give your plants plenty of room for their roots and stems to grow: at least ten inches between each plant is recommended.
Not Wiring Your Vertical Garden To The Fence
If you are putting your vertical garden on a fence, ensure that the structure is properly anchored. This can be done by wiring the frame to the fence with a strong wire, or attaching hooks that are able to support the weight of the boxes and plants. Nothing is worse than spent weeks creating a vertical garden only for it to fall over due to not being secured properly. So take some time and make sure that everything is wired properly.
Not Using Weatherproof Materials For Your Beds
It’s common for newbies to overlook the importance of selecting weatherproof materials for their beds. It doesn’t matter how much time and energy you invest in your vertical garden, if the beds are flimsy, your plants won’t last long.
The design needs to be able to withstand wind, rain, and sunlight so that your plants have the best chance at surviving. This is incredibly important when it comes to choosing where you live or what part of your house you decide to plant in. If you live in a climate with strong sunlight, you will need bed designs with ample shade over them. You can even grow smaller vines along the front or top of your garden bed as an extra line of defense against UV rays. If it rains frequently or heavily where you live, consider building a roof over your vertical garden that extends out on each side so water can run off without splashing back up onto the plants.
If you live somewhere warm and wet all year round like Florida, there are a lot more precautions that need to be taken into consideration before starting construction on a vertical garden. The only way for certain species of plants to survive is by using weatherproof materials for both the structure around them as well as their planting containers themselves. Proper drainage also has to be considered here; otherwise most plants will rot from being in moist soil too often!
Thinking You Can Use Any Soil To Fill Your Vertical Garden Beds
Vertical garden beds can be filled with different types of soil or potting mix. The composition of the soil is important because it needs to stay somewhat light so that the plants will be able to grow and thrive in their new environment. You also need to make sure that your soil drains well, otherwise you’re going to run into some problems.
You can buy commercially available potting mixes, but these can be quite expensive! If you choose this route, try to find an organic mix without added fertilisers. If you want to make your own mix, start with using a 50/50 blend of peat moss and vermiculite or perlite (you could also use coconut coir). This will give your plants a nice balance of moisture retention and aeration. You may also want to add some slow-release fertiliser so that your plants are getting the nutrients they need.
Thinking All Vertical Gardens Are Designed For Sustainability
You have to know that not all vertical gardens are designed to be sustainable, eco-friendly, self-sufficient or self-sustaining. Think of it this way: If you buy food from a restaurant, it’s not exactly self-sustaining either. You are paying for someone else to make the food for you, even if it’s just salad or sandwiches. So if you pay a landscaper to design a vertical garden for you on your walls, then the same principle applies. You are paying someone else to do it for you even though it’s “in your backyard”.
Keep in mind that not all vertical garden systems are created equal, so do your research before putting up any types of structures in your backyard.
Using Real Wood For Your Vertical Garden
Oops! Click Regenerate Content below to try generating this section again.
Installing Your Vertical Garden In An Unsuitable Location
- Make sure that your vertical garden does not receive direct sunlight.
- Make sure that your vertical garden is not in a location where it will be exposed to a lot of wind.
- Make sure that the location of your vertical garden is convenient for you. You don’t want to have to traipse miles out of your way every day just to water it.
- Make sure that the location of your vertical garden is one where you can easily reach it with a hose or watering can. It’s no fun going through all the work involved in setting up a vertical garden only to find out you can’t reach the top and so have to take it down again anyway.
- Make sure that the location of your vertical garden isn’t too close to the ground, as this means animals and pests might be able to get at it more easily
Not Testing Out The Soil In The Area Of the Garden Beforehand
The best way to understand what kind of soil your garden will need is to start by testing it. If you want a good idea of what kind of plants will grow best, you can look up the soil composition and pH levels in your area. Take note of the soil acidity, fertility, and drainage before purchasing anything.
If the topsoil is too acidic or alkaline, testing out the water content can help determine whether or not low-maintenance plants should be used instead that require less frequent watering. The biggest benefit to this strategy is that it helps ensure that fertilizers aren’t used on plants when they’re not needed. Having an understanding of each plant’s specific needs allows for proper watering and fertilization schedules to be set up, which maximizes growth potential while also saving money in the long run on unnecessary inputs.
Not Considering the Weather Conditions And How They’ll Affect The Plants In The Garden
It’s easy to get so caught up in the excitement of creating a vertical garden that you forget to consider how it will actually do in its new home. To ensure your beautiful garden flourishes, find a spot where the plants can thrive. For instance, if the plants require a lot of sun and you decide to put them on the north side of your house, they’ll most likely suffer from Vitamin D deficiency. If you’re unsure about whether or not the plants will fare well under certain light conditions, reach out to an expert who can give you advice specific to your location.
Before you start building your garden, make sure you do some research on how to do it properly.
- Choose a simple design
- Make sure you don’t overcrowd your plants
- Know how to properly attach the garden to the fence
- Use weatherproof materials
Vertical gardens are an incredible way to save space and utilize the vertical space around you. But if you’re new to the vertical garden game, there are a few pitfalls that can leave you with a dead, droopy mess. Here are 10 common mistakes newbies make and how to avoid them:
1) Not paying attention to sun exposure: Your plants need sunlight to survive. If you put your vertical garden on a wall that doesn’t get any sunlight, your plants will die. So do your research before you start installing hooks! (This is also tied inextricably with #5.)
2) Not paying attention to temperature: Some plants grow best in warm temperatures while others prefer cold. Mixing these up in the same garden can mean one half of your plants are dying while the other half thrive. Read up on what kind of temperatures each plant needs and keep that in mind as you make your choices.
3) Picking the wrong kinds of plants: Some plants just don’t work well as climbing vines—it’s a fact! You have to pick plants that are adapted for growing vertically instead of spreading out across the ground. Do your research before you buy or plant anything so you know exactly what
We’re so excited that you want to start your own vertical garden! Vertical gardens are a great way to get fresh produce during any season, and they’re also a super fun hobby. (Plus they look cool!) If you’re reading this post, chances are you’ve already done some research and have an idea of what it takes to start a vertical garden. But there are still some things you might not have considered.
To help you be as successful as possible, we’ve put together this list of the top 10 mistakes newbie vertical gardeners make—with tips on how to avoid them! We hope it helps you create the beautiful, bountiful vertical garden of your dreams. 🙂
If you’re just getting started with your vertical garden, there’s a lot to learn. But don’t worry—we’ve got you! Check out these ten common mistakes newbies make, and how to avoid them.
1. Not accounting for weight distribution. Vertical gardens are heavy, and require careful attention to weight distribution to ensure that they don’t fall over or damage their structures.
2. Not checking the soil moisture level before watering. Did you know that plants can be overwatered? It’s true! When you’re watering your vertical garden, make sure to check the moisture level of the soil first before adding more water.
3. Not doing research on plant requirements before planting your vertical garden. All plants have different needs—some like a lot of water, some need full sun all day long, and some need shade most of the day. Make sure you know what your plants need before planting them in your vertical garden so that they can thrive!
4. Planting indoors near windows in the wintertime without taking special care to avoid frostbite on the leaves from cold drafts from outside the building. The winter months are especially tough on plants—they aren’t getting as much sun as they need, and when it is sunny out, it’s usually
It’s a pretty common occurrence: you’re walking through your local home and garden store, and you come across a vertical garden display. Your eyes widen, you grin from ear to ear, you turn to your husband and say, “I HAVE to have one of these!”
And he says, “Go for it.”
Fast forward six hours later. You’ve set up your own vertical garden at home, and what was once a lush-looking oasis is now more like a dead patch of dirt. What happened? How did it go so wrong?
The truth is that the professionals who run these displays in the store have been doing this for years—sometimes decades. It takes time to learn which plants will last well together, how much sunlight each plant needs, which ones need more watering or less watering… well, you get the idea. So if you’re not an expert gardener with decades of experience under your belt, it’s tough to know where to begin.
But don’t worry! We’ve got some tips for you that can help make sure that your vertical garden does as well as those in the store. Follow these steps to avoid making the ten mistakes most newbies make when setting up their first vertical garden:
Vertical gardens are a great way to get around space constraints and make the most of whatever nature you’ve got, even if it’s just a fire escape. But not all vertical gardens are created equal. Some are tiny, while others are gargantuan and include enough greenery to feed a small army. So, in an effort to help you avoid some of the common mistakes that novice vertical gardeners make, we’ve compiled these 10 tips for creating your very own oasis.
1. Pick your plants carefully: Most plants will die in direct sunlight, so if you’re planning on putting your garden on the roof of your apartment building, you should look for plants that thrive in a shady environment.
2. Water regularly: This might seem obvious to the seasoned green thumb, but it’s worth repeating that water is essential for any living thing to grow and thrive.
3. Make sure you have enough space: Once you start assembling your vertical garden, it can be hard to visualize how big it will actually be once it’s complete. So, as a rule of thumb, always buy more wood than you think you’ll need!
4. Consider using recycled materials: If you want to create a vertical garden that’s truly sustainable, look for ways to
1. Thinking there is a one-size-fits-all solution to creating a vertical garden
2. Failing to have a plan for what to do with your vertical garden once it’s finished
3. Not starting small enough
4. Not spending enough time planning the layout
5. Not using the right types of plants and soil
6. Not spacing plants correctly
7. Not having enough space at the bottom of your garden for access and maintenance
8. Not making sure your vertical garden gets enough sun, wind, and rain exposure
9. Not watering your plants correctly or consistently enough
10. Leaving out the vertical part
Gardening is a wonderful hobby, but if you’re new to it, you might be making a few mistakes. Here are ten of the most common ones that a newbie gardener makes and how to avoid them:
1. Not checking the weather forecast before planting! If it’s going to rain, then don’t water your plants until the rain has passed. If a freeze is coming, make sure you bring in any plants that can’t handle cold temperatures.
2. Forgetting to check for pests! You’d be surprised how many people forget to check for insects when they’re watering their garden in the morning or evening. This is a quick way to lose your plants to hungry bugs!
3. Getting impatient! New gardeners often see seeds or sprouts and think they’re ready for replanting or harvesting, even though they’re not. You have to wait at least a week before you can start harvesting—and don’t even think about transplanting anything until it’s been growing for at least three months!
4. Overwatering/underwatering! Some plants are drought-tolerant, others need frequent watering. Consult with your local nursery when choosing which plants will work best in your area, as well as how much water
