Taking the Mystery out of Vertical Gardening
Taking the Mystery out of Vertical Gardening
Q. What best describes your product?
A. Our unique system is based on a proprietary soil-less growing medium which sets our system apart from all other vertical systems on the market. We offer a rugged black ASB plastic hanging frame which holds our 10" x 20" x 3" media tile and includes a user friendly top watering reservoir and built in bottom water collection for optimum moisture management.
Our system can be used in a variety of applications, both indoors and out.
We offer an optional decorative cedar frame in five colors that puts the perfect finishing touch on any living masterpiece!
Q. What exactly does "soil-less" growing medium mean?
A. It is a phrase that defines a blend of ingredients used to create an environment perfect for rooting and growing plants. Most of your basic potting soils are considered soil-less mixes because they don't contain native soil. In our case, we blend peat moss, decomposed forest bark, and coconut coir with our stabilizing agent to form what looks and feels like a potting soil sponge. It has the ability to retain up to 5 times its weight in water, yet has so much air porosity that makes it nearly impossible to over water.
Q. What makes your system different?
A. Most vertical garden systems are simply designed to hold the plants in place along with the soil they come with. Either you're planting into a felt pocket and trying to cover the façade, or stuffing a plant with its root ball into a small compartment. Our system allows you to use the entire façade for planting everything from low growing ground covers to trailing vines. The sponge-like nature of the planting medium holds everything in place and creates a uniform rooting environment, distributing moisture evenly.
Q. How does it stay vertical?
A. The Soil-less media tile has an internal plastic support structure that will keep the tile from sagging over time and makes handling easy. The texture of the media itself holds onto the roots until they fully establish their natural anchoring ability. The preserved moss or coconut coir mat façade also helps to maintain the overall longevity and structural integrity. We have designed an easy framing system that allows the tile to be effortlessly inserted or removed.
Q. Which plants work best?
A. We have a page of plant recommendations based on extensive trials over time. Interior plant suggestions are relatively universal, but outdoor plant suggestions are based on trials in both our mild coastal California climate, and hot dry Central Valley climate. We find the greatest success comes when using plants you are already successful growing. For best results in your climate, we recommend consulting a growing guide such as the Sunset Western Garden Book, or your local nursery. You can use anything from unrooted cuttings all the way up to 4" potted plants to make your design your own. For a fuller, more instantly gratifying finished product, we recommend 4", quart, and 6-packs.
Q. How do you plant it?
A. The Soil Tiles come pre-drilled with holes that you can plant right into!
Once you have selected your plant combination, it's a good idea to lay your plants out how you want the finished piece to look. Once you have your plant placement, it's time to get dirty (just a bit)! We recommend removing as much excess soil from the plants roots as you can get off without causing damage. Just pull out the pre-formed plugs, and place the rootball in the space. Easy as that! If there is any extra room, you can fill in with a piece of the removed plug to make a snug fit. To ensure our freshly planted friends are securely in place before hanging on the wall, we like to use a small landscape stake, or if you're feeling crafty, a segment of wire hangar bent into a "U" 4"-6" in length once bent. We insert one side into the root ball, and one side into the media, securing everything firmly in place.
You can find a step by step guide with pictures, videos and testimonial on our How to Plant page!
Q. How do you water?
A. For outdoor pieces you can simply water with a garden hose on gentle pressure one to two times a week depending on light exposure and weather conditions. A simple drip system is ideal for the ultimate low-maintenance watering option. 1/4" emitters and drip line fit beautifully in the existing reservoir.
For indoors, simply pour water into the built-in reservoir! It has a 1 cup holding capacity, and the emitters regulate the rate of flow to the soil tile, allowing it to absorb slowly and evenly. The soil tile has the capability of absorbing, and holding
Q. How do you feed it?
A. You can use a liquid fertilizer when you water, and we also like Job's fertilizer stakes They are easy to insert, and give you a time release feeding that can keep your G(art)en fed and happy for up to three months.