A vertical herb garden is an excellent way of enjoying fresh herbs for seasoning or teas while making the most of the limited yard or kitchen space. They are not limited to outdoor areas, so you can even take advantage of an indoor garden to enjoy fresh herbs all year round.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about whether a vertical herb garden is right for you and, if so, the best herbs to grow.
Can You Grow Herbs In A Vertical Garden?
You can grow almost any herb in a vertical garden, and it will thrive. A vertical herb garden is a great way to grow fresh herbs at home with limited space or grow more with your gardening space.
A vertical herb garden is also a great choice if you have other gardens, such as vegetable gardens, and want to keep them separate. For example, you don’t want to grow aromatic herbs, such as sage, next to cucumbers. Dill can also attract pests that can harm other vegetables or flowers if they are near each other.
Benefits Of Growing Herbs Vertically
There are many benefits to growing herbs vertically, from utilizing smaller spaces to cutting back on maintenance compared to traditional gardens. Here are some of those benefits.
Do More With Less Space
One of the best reasons to get a vertical herb garden is to utilize your space to grow more. Growing vertically means that you can get multiple times the amount of gardening space without giving up all of your deck or kitchen space.
Get Creative With Where You Put Your Garden
Since vertical gardens take up less space, you have more choices about where to put your garden. You also aren’t limited to your floor space as you can utilize walls and fences by hanging planters on them or a mobile garden that takes advantage of a sunny driveway when no cars are using it.
Create Some Privacy
Vertical gardens are a great way of building a living wall for privacy on a balcony or deck. If you want an indoor vertical herb garden, you can use it to block unsightly areas like power outlets or damage to walls or furniture.
Easy Maintenance
Growing vertically means you won’t have to deal with weeds and ground-dwelling pests. A bonus is that with some chicken wire around the garden or an indoor garden option, you won’t have to worry about animals getting into your herbs either.
You can also add a watering system, so you don’t have to remember when to water it to make caring for your herb garden even easier. Some store-bought vertical gardens have an automatic watering system, so you don’t have to go all DIY.
More Airflow
A vertical herb garden gets more airflow since there aren’t as many plants blocking the air circulating. Better airflow means that the leaves of your herbs will dry faster, which prevents fungus and other diseases.
Better And More Comfortable Harvest
Vertical gardens provide more growing space since the plants can grow out and down in a way traditional gardens don’t allow, which results in a larger yield. Vertical gardens are also easier to harvest since there won’t be a need to bend down or kneel on the ground as much to pick your herbs, as more of them will be around eye level.
Cleaner Herbs
Since your herbs will be more separated from the ground, the herbs will be cleaner!
How To Grow Herbs In A Vertical Garden?
Now that you know the benefits, here are some tips and things to remember while planting and caring for your garden.
Choose The Right Location
Herbs enjoy getting plenty of sunlight, so think about the best place for sunlight, either in your yard or inside your house. Consider temperature, as some herbs are sensitive to heat and cold. Aim for an average temperature of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you’re planting an indoor vertical herb garden, remember to place the garden away from air vents, as the fluctuations in temperature are damaging to your plants.
Also, think about the water that could come from your vertical garden. If it’s against a wall, there may be damage to it from water spilling over or dripping down from the leaves. You will want to keep your vertical garden away from any electrical wires or expensive furnishings to stay safe.
Choosing The Right Vertical Garden For Your Space
Now that you’ve picked the right location for your vertical garden, you can decide whether to make your own or purchase one. Of course, both are possible, so it’s up to you which works best for your space, skill level, and budget.
If you decide to DIY, you might want to watch this video from “RealCedar.”
Picking Which Herbs You Want To Plant
Now that you have your planter, you can pick which herbs you will plant. You can pick pretty much any herbs you expect to use. Remember that some herbs grow best if you start them from seeds, while others grow best from a seedling.
Keep Invasive-Type Plants Separate
If you want to grow something like mint in your vertical herb garden, you might want to consider planting it in a separate planter so it doesn’t overtake your other herbs. Remember to consider which plants you are planting together since each planter has limited space for the herbs to grow and spread out.
Know Where Your Sunlight Is
Generally, the top of your vertical garden will get more sunlight than any other section. If a specific type of herb needs that surplus of sunlight, you will want to plant it at the top, but if a kind of herb needs more shade, you will want to grow it closer to the bottom.
Know Where Your Water Is
Herbs generally prefer drier climates, so you won’t water your vertical herb garden frequently. However, it would be best to remember that run-off from your watering will collect near the bottom of your planter, so herbs that prefer more water should be in the bottom planter, whereas herbs that like less water should be in the top-most planter.
You will want to water your herbs about once a week, or you can install an automatic watering system to take care of the watering. However, with an automated system, you may need to experiment with different settings and amounts to ensure your plants get just the right amount of water.
Pick Soil That Drains Well
You will want to pick soil that drains well, so you won’t get water building up in the tiers. Proper drainage is essential for the bottom-most deck as all the run-offs will collect there if you don’t have good drainage, which can cause your herbs to rot.
Pest Control
Vertical herb gardens are less likely to have pests in general, but that doesn’t mean they will never find a way to get at your herbs if they want to. Remember to check your herbs’ leaves regularly, especially if they look damaged or discolored, and to choose the right pest control spray so you can still enjoy adding your herbs to your cooking.
Indoor Vertical Herb Garden
The best reason to have an indoor herb garden is that it allows access to fresh herbs all year round. It also gives you the convenience of having your herbs ready to harvest right in or near your kitchen so you can quickly grab what you need while cooking.
You might need to invest in some artificial lights or grow lights to ensure your indoor herbs get all the light they need. Sunlight through windows won’t be as strong as direct sunlight outside, so you might want to pick herbs that don’t need much sunlight to grow.
Outdoor Vertical Herb Garden
An outdoor vertical garden is a great way to create privacy on your deck or balcony while also taking advantage of where you get the most sunlight on your property. In addition, some herbs can survive all year round outdoors after establishing them, such as mint and oregano.
Best Herbs To Grow In A Vertical Garden
You can grow just about any herb in a vertical garden, but a good rule to stick with is to use smaller plants that have minimal roots since they weigh less and need less soil. Here are some herbs that will thrive in your vertical garden.
Lemon balm
Lemon balm is part of the mint family and has leaves that emit the scent of both lemon and mint. It can grow quite a lot and has large leaves, but it thrives on being but back. Lemon balm is excellent for making herbal teas and seasoning fish and chicken.
Chives
Chives are best when fresh, so growing them in your garden is a great way to add a garlicky flavor to any dish. In addition, chives lose most of their taste when dried, so having a fresh supply is ideal if you love cooking with them.
Mint
Mint is very easy to grow, sometimes too easy, as it’s prone to take over large spaces of gardens in a short period. However, a vertical garden is ideal for mint as it limits the space available for growth to its single planter. You can then add fresh mint to your tea or make sweet treats like spearmint.
Remember that mint is a potent herb that will grow into as much space as you give it and flavor any plant that gets too close, so if you’re going to grow mint in your vertical garden, take some time to think of which tier you want to put it and plan out what plants will be around it.
Parsley
Parsley is a widespread herb, and it thrives in sunlight. Therefore, a vertical herb garden is a great place to grow parsley since you can take advantage of where you get the most sunlight in your yard or house.
Basil
Basil is another common herb that is best when fresh. It likes humidity and requires more water than most herbs, so you’ll want to plant it near the bottom of your vertical garden. Then you’ll have fresh basil for all your soups and sauces.
Vertical Herb Garden In Action
If you want to check out a vertical herb garden in action, I recommend this video, “Garden Answer.”
Final Words
A vertical herb garden is a great way to keep fresh herbs on hand without compromising space in your kitchen or deck. It’s also a great way to control pests and animals from getting into your herbs, as they aren’t as accessible as traditional herb gardens.
You can have fresh herbs year-round with an indoor herb garden, while an outdoor herb garden can add beauty and privacy to your outside spaces. You can even try both by bringing your planter inside during colder months or having more than one vertical herb garden to get the most out of both.
