Strawberries, peppers, tomatoes and zucchini from the terrace to your table. Enjoying organic and self-grown products seems like a luxury only available to those who own houses in rural areas or an enviable garden. But that is long overdue. Starting an urban garden on the terrace is very simple. In fact, you don’t even need a large space, if that’s your concern. For those flats and apartments that only have a narrow terrace, the solution is the vertical garden.
When you think of an urban garden, those wooden or metal tables usually come to mind, with a wide and deep hole in which to grow whatever you want. But their disadvantage is that they usually require a large space on the terrace. Therefore, if this is rather small, they will be downloaded as an option. That is where the vertical garden alternative comes in. A simple option, easy to maintain and ideal for limited spaces.
Creating a vertical garden on the terrace of the house is a very rewarding task, it is even therapeutic and relaxing for many people. The first step is to choose the material with which the containers are going to be built. One of the most common options are breathable planter pockets, which come perfectly prepared and designed to fulfill this function.
Vertical gardens created with pallets or PVC pipes are also very popular. With them the necessary structure will be created to house the plants and, in addition, it has the advantage of recycling these materials. The same happens with those that are built with plastic bottles as a base.
Once the most difficult thing has been achieved, all you have to do is equip the spaces for future vegetables with a good soil. There are various formulas and, to a large extent, it will depend on the type of plants you want to grow. However, in general terms it is recommended to bet on a base substrate and coconut fiber, worm humus to add nutrients. In addition to other materials such as perlite and vermiculite to improve water filtration.
Then, all that remains is to welcome the future plants. Of course, it is important to bear in mind that not any type can be cultivated, especially due to space and depth limitations. For example, potatoes, watermelons, melons, pumpkins, eggplants or carrots should be discarded. On the other hand, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, chilli peppers, chard, padrón peppers, spinach, garlic and lamb’s lettuce can be grown without any problems. As well as other aromatic plants: thyme, rosemary, basil, mint, coriander, oregano, chamomile or parsley.
