A Greenstalk Vertical Planter will undoubtedly draw people’s attention to your garden. Planters are a growing trend amongst gardeners making the most of their outdoor spaces.
The potential that these planters have is enormous. They are tremendously efficient in terms of space and provide excellent conditions for your flowers.
Let’s take a closer look at working with Greenstalk Vertical Planters.
What Is A Greenstalk Vertical Planter?
A GreenStalk Vertical Planter is a soil-based vertical garden. The planters have a self-watering mechanism that irrigates each tier uniformly from the top down and is patented.
The planters make the most of the available space and allow a wide variety of plants to grow next to each other.
Planters can contain up to 30 pockets meaning you can plant all your favorite flowers in a small area. Even for those with lots of space, vertical planters can be a handy addition to your garden.
The planters grow flowers as well as vegetables making them very versatile. Their deep pockets allow your root vegetables to grow deep into the soil. They are also easy to move around, so you can quickly move them to a better spot should the conditions outside not be favorable.
How Do You Use A GreenStalk Planter?
While GreenStalk Planters are relatively simple to use, there are some essential things to consider before starting. These include:
- Location for your planter
- Soil type
- What plants/vegetables you are going to plant
Location
When it comes to your GreenStalk planter’s location, you have several options available. With GreenStalk’s optional mover, you can move the planter to the best garden area.
The sunlight level typically determines the best area for your planter, but that is not always the case. Some plants love the shade too! The great thing about the mover is that you can move the planter in minutes should the weather change or an area becomes too shady.
Soil Type
One of the significant advantages of using containers for your plants is choosing the soil type. When planting in the ground, you are limited to the potentially coarse/compacted soils with different pH levels in your area. Therefore, using containers is excellent for planting what you want.
If you start with vertical planters, make sure to use potting soil or any pre-mix soil used for containers. Use your local garden center or nursery for the recommended brand. Generally, GreenStalk recommends a high-quality, lightweight, moisture-retaining potting mix.
As your skills develop, you can start to vary the soil types depending on what you are planting.
Type of Plants
There is a wide range of plants that you can use as a vertical planter. For example, you can plant carrots, leafy greens like lettuce, medicinal herbs, or even some beautiful perennials. The possibilities are endless!
A great tip is to plant the large plants at the bottom and the smaller ones at the top. This way, you can stop the top ones from shading over the bottom plants.
Get The Planter Started
When you have filled your planter add water to the reservoir at the top. The patented irrigation system allows water to drip down the layers.
A long hole in the center that “tornados” down the planter. To fill the water system takes roughly a minute and a half. Then, as one disc catches water, it distributes it evenly over each layer.
The GreenStalk saves so much time and effort. Its unique design and the sheer size of the product will leave you amazed.
How Much Soil Does A GreenStalk Planter Need?
This is a common question, and it surprises newcomers how much soil a single planter can handle.
Each tier in the planter can hold one cubic foot of soil. That’s about 8 gallons – a tremendous amount. Therefore, due to the potential weight, you will probably need a mover to assist you in changing the position of the planter in different weather.
Each of the six pockets on a layer can be used to grow one to three crops, depending on your choice. The planter is a flexible design and allows for many plants.
The tiers on the planter are very deep. So you may think you don’t need to fill the soil to the top. But don’t make this rookie mistake.
Potting soil will settle significantly and will reduce over time. Give your plants the best chances of success by giving them access to as many nutrients as possible.
As we have seen, the planters take on a significant amount of soil. If you fill your planter with a good potting mix that retains moisture well, it will cost around $40.
What Can I Grow In A GreenStalk Vertical Planter?
A more straightforward answer may be, what can’t you grow in the vertical planter! The possibilities are endless owing to their unique and patented design.
As mentioned above, you must plan to get the best out of the planter. The general rule is that smaller flowers are on the top and larger ones at the bottom. You should also consider if the flowers prefer the shade and put them towards the bottom.
If you’re a novice gardener, experts at GreenStalk recommend starting with lettuce, greens, medicinal herbs, and small root crops like beets and carrots. However, you may have to wait a few years before attempting other crops because some crops will require support.
GreenStalk themselves has successfully grown:
- Potatoes
- Petunias
- Watermelon
- Onions
- Carrots
- Strawberries
- Cucumbers
- Peppers
- Spinach
- Kale
- Corn
- Lettuce
- Squash
- Tomatoes
The list goes on and on.
Can You Grow Root Vegetables In A Vertical Garden?
Absolutely! Check out our guide on growing your own carrots here.
A wide variety of root veggies have been grown in a planter. Any reservations about lack of depth of soil or poor environments have been addressed above.
The loose and fertile soil is the ideal condition for root veg to grow in. Add to this that the ability to move the planter to areas of better sunlight means faster and better results.
What’s The Best Method For Growing Strawberries?
Strawberries are a popular fruit to grow in the planter, and the process is simple.
After filling the soil to the top, add the strawberry plant. Make sure there is a fairly deep hole in the pot for the strawberry plant.
For your first try, make sure it is one plant per tier.
When your strawberries begin to send out runners, cut them off and move them to your next pocket. This continual process of replenishing the Planter’s pockets from new runners is the most effective. By recycling them, Greenstalk themselves has grown strawberries for the past six seasons.
After a few years, the Strawberry plant’s roots will become overwhelming. Remove the plant entirely, then proceed to divide it up again. Splitting is an excellent way of growing your strawberry stock – but you may need some new planters!!
How Long Between Watering Your Planter?
Watering the planter consistently over time is highly important for your crops. Here Greenstalk has got you covered with a patented system. It makes your life so much easier.
Like other plants in the garden, the vertical planter will require water depending on the time of year and weather. For example, in those hot summer months, you may water up to two times a day!
Their unique system simply pours the water into the reservoir at the top. Then, the planter will do the rest as the water falls equally to each pocket’s container.
From each container, the water is drip-fed into the soil, making it moist for longer. It is a great system that helps retain moisture for as long as possible – will little effort from our side. Check out this guide for complete instructions.
GreenStalk Vertical Planters: Leaf Model vs Original
Planters from Greenstalk come in two different models. The original model and the new leaf model.
We have discussed the merits of the original vertical planter, from its ease of use to the variety of crops you can grow.
The new leaf model, however, is aimed at those who want an emphasis on plants rather than deep-rooted veggies. The new model has shallow pockets and is grouped closer together. The tightly packed plants help give the planter a natural flower bed look and are spectacular in full bloom.
They both use the same watering method allowing for even distribution of water. The new leaf model has the potential to be a standout centerpiece for your garden, given its capacity.
It can hold such wide varieties you are only limited by your creativity.
How Do You Fertilize Greenstalk Planters?
Regarding container planting, a slow-release granular fertilizer can be used. Adding it to the top of your soil and allowing it to get to work is the best way.
Generally speaking, containers have good drainage, so there is no need to till the soil in order to implement fertilizer. Instead, just add it, and the containers will do the rest.
Liquid fertilizer can also be added to the watering reservoir down the middle once your plants have been added to the various tiers.
Using this method ensures that all the pockets simultaneously receive the same amount of fertilizer.
Is It A Good Idea To Plant The Same Crops On The Same Side?
The GreenStalk vertical planter pockets are arranged in a circle. Therefore, in some cases, plants won’t get the exact amounts of sunlight as others.
With the mover that GreenStalk sells, you can adjust the position of the planter at any given time. The mover is handy if you feel part of the planter is getting neglected.
An alternative to the mover is the GreenStalk spinner. The spinner allows you to move and rotate the planters effortlessly to your desired position.
The ability to spin won’t be of massive importance in most cases, but it is always handy if you want to optimize your planter.
How Many Plants Can Go In Each Pocket?
The leaf model aims to grow one of the larger plants in each pocket. Then, depending on the plant’s competitiveness for nutrients, you can go for a few more in the original pockets which are deeper and broader.
Can The Planter Be Used Indoors?
Yes. Depending on your environment, Greentaslk recommends that you add grow lights when using the planter indoors.
By adding their Mover or Spinner, you can ensure that water doesn’t seep onto the floor.
What Should You Do If You Want To Change The Plants?
The most efficient and recommended way of removing the plants is simply by physically removing them. Dump your dirt into a tarp or even a kiddie pool, and transplant them to another area later on.
To restart the process go through the steps outlined in this post using potting soil and fertilizer to replant.
Final Thoughts About The GreenStalk Garden Planters
One of the most significant advantages of the GreenStalk Planter is the fact that it is low maintenance. You can grow a wide variety of crops and plants with minimal effort. The genius water system takes care of a lot of the work and allows you to focus on more important things.
They are a significant long-term upfront investment, but the planters will pay for themselves. If you decide to grow veg and herbs, you will have an endless supply for many years – an excellent investment.
