All About the GreenStalk Vertical Garden

Perks of vertical gardening

Vertical gardening has many benefits, including maximizing the area you have to grow plants and increasing the accessibility of gardening. Vertical gardens can also help you grow in more non-traditional spaces.

When we moved into our first apartment with a balcony many years ago, I built a little vertical garden that worked great on our second-story balcony! You can also move them around based on the time of year. If it gets really hot where you live, you might want to move your vertical garden into a shadier spot depending on what you’re growing in your planter.

Vertical gardens can also help with conserving water. That’s because you generally water them from the top, and water drains from the top bed down. This is pretty similar to what I did when I hung a bunch of pots up our deck posts using pot clips.

Cons of vertical gardening

But there are disadvantages of vertical gardening, too. First, given the smaller space of the growth area, there are some things that are better to grow than others. I use mine for smaller things like lettuce, spinach, kale, herbs, and flowers.

And while watering vertical gardens can help to conserve water, container gardening in general needs more frequent watering. Plants in raised beds and in the ground retain water for longer, whereas container plants generally need to be watered every day where I live.

There are also generally more start-up costs. If you choose something like a GreenStalk planter, they aren’t cheap. I went with the 7-tier leaf planter and waited for it to go on sale—snagged it for $120.

Base prices on GreenStalk planters range from $130 to $190 depending on the model and number of tiers you choose. However, if you use it year after year, this start-up cost might be worth it to you!

Crops you can grow

While vertical gardening can limit the types of plants you can grow, you can still grow a lot of plants with your GreenStalk. GreenStalk has a handy PDF printable you can reference here, but here’s an overview:

• Herbs: Basil, Cilantro, Dill, Fennel, Lavender Lemon Balm, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme
• Greens: Arugula, Kale, Lettuce, Spinach, Swisschard
• Veggies & more: Beet, Carrot, Garlic, Onion, Parsnips, Pea, Raddish, Strawberry, Turnip
• Flowers: Marigold, Marigold

Those are all things you can grow in the leaf. In the original planter, you can grow all of the things you can grow in the leaf, plus these:

• Veggies: Bok choy, Broccoli, Bush bean, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Leek, Pepper, Potato, Squash, Sweet potato, Tomato, Zucchini
• Flowers & more: Alyssum, Coleus, Dianthus, Dusty Miller, Mum, Nasturtium, Petunia
• Fruit: Cantaloupe, Watermelon

And I’m assuming that these are the things that the folks at GreenStalk have tested. There are definitely other things that would be appropriate for growing in these planters. Basically anything that can be grown in smaller containers.

GreenStalk original vs. leaf

GreenStalk has two vertical planters to choose from: the original and the leaf. Both are made from high-quality, food-grade, UV-resistant plastic that is BPA, BPS, and PVC free.

The biggest difference between the two planters is the size of the growth pockets—the original’s are larger, the leaf’s are more petite.

Here is an overview of the original:

• Base price of $130-170
• Comes in 5-tier and 3-tier options; individual shelf add-ons are available for $32
• Each level on the original has 6 planting pockets, so the 5-tier option has 30 total planting pockets
• The plant pockets are each 10” deep

Here is an overview of the leaf:

• Base price of $150-190
• Comes in 5-tier and 7-tier options; individual shelf add-ons are $25
• Each level on the leaf also has 6 planting pockets, but they are only 7” deep
• Because the plant pockets are not as deep as the original’s, the leaf can pack in more plant pockets and growing space

I decided on the 7-tier leaf because I want to use this mostly for growing greens and herbs, so I prioritized the number of plant pockets over their depth. This might be different for you, though.

Soil amount

I don’t ever like to skimp on soil, but I sometimes skimp for in-ground soil. For containers, though—it’s extra important to get the good stuff. And to add nutrients as necessary. That’s because the soil is completely enclosed in each planter or, in this case, plant pocket.

I recommend using a lightweight potting mix from your local nursery. Something designed for containers. Don’t use topsoil, raised bed soil, or garden soil—it will be too heavy. I love Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil. It’s more of an investment up front, but it’s worth it when you are rewarded with lots of healthy growth!

The number of soil bags you need will depend on the planter you choose. Each shelf on the original model holds about 1 cubic foot of potting mix (8 gallons). Each shelf on the leaf holds a bit less—.75 cubic feet, or 6 gallons.

Take that measurement and multiply it by the number of tiers you have. I’ll be doing a mix of roughly 90:10 Fox Farms soil to lightweight leaf compost, and I’ll need a total of just over 5 cubic feet of growing medium for my 7-tier leaf.

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Fertilizer needs

I am not a fertilizer snob and do not have strong opinions on the topic. Because I’m a big fan of Fox Farm soil, I generally also use their “Grow Big” fertilizer for vegetative growth. It’s a liquid concentrate that you just add when you water your planter through the top reservoir. (I also used this for my seed starting this year.)

How to water

The main method to water your GreenStalk plants is through the top reservoir. You add water to the top, and GreenStalk’s patented watering system delivers water down through funnels on the inside of the planter.

That means that you don’t have to water each individual plant pocket. Just add water to the reservoir until it’s full or until you see water draining from the tube at the bottom of the structure. The disc between each shelf drips water into each of its plant pockets, and excess water then drains to the shelf below it.

I have read in some reviews that the watering holes can become blocked with soil. This is one reason why it’s so important to use a lightweight soil that doesn’t get super compacted. If soil gets too dry, that can also lead to compacting. So make sure to monitor your plants and soil to determine how often you need to water them.

Like this? Check out my My Click & Grow Garden Review!

Optional add-ons

Ah, add-ons. They get me every time. I try to never buy add-ons until I determine what functionality is missing from the base model of whatever product I get. However, I did decide to get an “ultimate spinner” so I could spin my planter around for maximum sun exposure.

It lives on my patio, which gets much less light on the house side. You can also pop a little tube into the side of it to help drain water away from the spinner.

GreenStalk also has a “mover” with caster wheels. And an ultimate spinner/mover combo for ultimate mobility. I didn’t think it would be necessary for me.

You might also consider if you need to purchase the GreenStalk plant supports. These are trellises specifically designed for these vertical planters and are generally for the original model when growing larger plants. I don’t have these, but I’ve included a few pics below from GreenStalk to give you an idea.

You can buy them individually on the website if you only need one or two. Or you can buy a three-pack. There are other things on the website like frost protection covers and plant marker labels, too. The need for these will all be based on what you’re growing and where you have your planter.

Want to try a GreenStalk vertical garden? Use my code BYBRIT at checkout when purchasing your GreenStalk to get $10 off!

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