Vertical Garden Tower 2 – Grows 50 Vegetables & Composts!

Grow a Large Vegetable or Herb Garden in a Small Space with a Rotating Vertical Planter

Do you want to have your own fruit and vegetable garden, but your backyard doesn’t have enough space? Check out this vertical Garden Tower 2 that has 50 planting pockets where you can grow all sorts of food.

This vertical garden measures almost 4 feet tall. However, the container only takes up 4 square feet of ground space.

Therefore, you can set it up on a patio, deck or even a balcony. You can easily grow your own organic produce at home, even if you live in an urban area.

The Garden Tower is not only conveniently compact and space-efficient, but it’s also very user-friendly.

In other words, you don’t have to be a master gardener to successfully grow your own food at home. The organized pockets also make it more fun and interesting for kids.

Which Plants to Grow in Your Vertical Vegetable Garden?

First of all, the company provides a garden planner that shows you exactly which vegetables and herbs to plant in which pockets for optimal spacing and best growing results. Planting your own “salad garden” can’t get much easier.

Download the planting layout here for free. You can even grow root vegetables like turnips and beets.

Salad Tower Layout Plan PDF - Where to Plant Vegetables and Herbs in Your Vertical Garden to Make a Home-Grown Salad

Below are some of the vegetables included on their recommended planting list. They also suggest herbs like cilantro, parsley, basil, mint, stevia, oregano, sage, thyme, rosemary, chamomile, garlic and dill.

  • Tomatoes
  • Cabbage, Radicchio
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Eggplant, Summer Squash
  • Onions, Leeks
  • Beets, Carrots, Turnips, Sweet Potatoes
  • Melons, Cucumbers
  • Cauliflower, Broccoli
  • Bell Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers
  • Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Dwarf Kale, Spinach
  • Strawberries
  • Snap Peas, Green Beans
  • Radishes
  • Kholrabi
  • Celery
  • Okra

Note: Put larger plants (ie tomatoes) in the top spaces. You can even add stakes or cages to support taller growth. Plant vining varieties (ie squash, melons, zucchini) in the lower pockets, since they can take advantage of ground area and spread out more (no trellis needed).

How to Set Up Your Garden Tower:

Start by placing the planter in a sunny location on a flat hard surface. The sunshine will maximize plant growth, and the hard surface will prevent the container feet from sinking into the ground.

Self-Watering and Composting Tower Garden Features with 50 Plant Pockets

Next, get potting soil for your planting medium. This will optimize water retention as well as drainage and air flow, resulting in healthier plants with less work.

Assemble the container base, tiers and composting tube. Then, you can fill it with your potting soil (6 cubic feet). Add water, and now it’s time to plant. Get more details (with pictures) in their easy-to-follow instruction guide.

This Planter Composts & Feeds Your Plants Too:

Garden Tower 2 - Composting Vertical Garden

The center vermicompost tube is where you can dispose of kitchen scraps to break down into fertilizer for your plants. This efficient, green system means less garbage for you, and more nutrition for your garden.

To help your kitchen scraps decompose faster, get red wiggler worms. The worms work quickly eating the scraps and leaving rich worm castings behind for nutrient-rich soil.

In addition, excess water will drain into the bottom tray, bring along worm castings and making “worm tea”. Use this liquid as extra fertilizer for your garden, pouring it on top before your next watering.

Note: Although the Garden Tower is designed as a composting planter, you don’t need to add worms in order to grow a garden. Instead, add an organic soil amendment or fertilizer to provide nutrients to your plants.

My Review of the Garden Tower for At-Home Gardening:

Garden Tower Kit Fits 50 Plants - Grow Your Own Vegetable Garden at Home in a Small Space

I like how this vertical container garden comes as a simple do-it-yourself kit. Just assemble the parts, add soil, seeds/seedlings and keep your plants watered and fed.

You don’t need a lot of space, time, tools or even gardening knowledge. Plus, the Garden Tower doesn’t require electrical power like hydroponic systems do.

Furthermore, you don’t need to worry as much about critters eating your vegetables or weeds overtaking your garden. Vertical gardens offer several advantages if you like low-maintenance gardening.

Of course, the free organic fertilizer from the built-in composter is the icing on the cake. You don’t have to worry about rotating a compost bins and continually adding it to your garden. The Tower (and the worms) do all of that work for you.

Garden Tower VS Greenstalk & Lettuce Grow:

Lettuce Grow Farmstand Hydroponic Gardening at Home

If you like the idea of a vertical or stacking garden for vegetables, lettuce or herbs, you may want to take a look at 2 similar garden kits.

First is the Lettuce Grow Farmstand. This freestanding planter comes in a variety of sizes, where you can grow between 12 and 36 plants in less than 4 square feet of ground space.

However, the Farmstand operated hydroponically without soil. It also requires electricity for the irrigation and timer. This style of gardening allows for less water usage, faster growth and higher nutrition. It also runs on an automatic watering system, so it doesn’t require extra work once it’s up and running.

Greenstalk Garden Planter for Growing Plants, Herbs and Vegetables Vertically

The Greenstalk Vertical Garden, on the other hand, has a simple design that consists of 5 stacking tiers. It also costs less.

The container features 30 pockets, but if you want to grow larger vegetables, you’ll want to get their support frame accessory.

Also, neither the Farmstand nor the Greenstalk provide the composting feature that comes with the Garden Tower.

Specs for the Vertical Garden Tower 2:

  • Dimensions: Size: 43″ Tall & 24.5″ Diameter
  • 2 Colors: Terra Cotta or Warm Sandstone
  • Material: Food-Safe HDPE Plastic (BPA & PVC free)
  • UV Protection: Yes
  • Container Weight: 36 lbs
  • Weighs ~220 lbs with moist soilGarden Tower Kit Fits 50 Plants - Grow Your Own Vegetable Garden at Home in a Small Space
  • Soil Capacity: 6 Cubic Feet
  • Grows 50 Plants
  • 5 Tiers
  • Rotates: Yes
  • Composts: Yes
  • Self-Watering: No
  • Electricity Needed: No
  • Model: Garden Tower 2
  • Instruction Manual
  • Brand: GardenTowerProject
  • Made in USA
  • 5 Year Warranty
  • Customer Reviews: 4.8 Out of 5 Stars
  • For Sale: Where to Buy the Tower Planter

Mr Stacky Planter – 3 Best Tips for Small Space Gardening

Do you want to grow fruit, vegetables or herbs at home in a small amount of space? The Mr Stacky Planter has 5 levels of stackable pots, and its freestanding design lets you set it up virtually anywhere.

Mr Stacky Planter - How to Grow Strawberries, Flowers, Herbs or Vegetables the Easy Way

In fact, the included drain saucer allows you to create your own gardening tower outdoors or inside. The strong, lightweight and food-friendly plastic material also makes it easy to move.

1. Easy Watering with Vertical Garden Design:

The entire system enables you to grow 20 plants in a small area. However, watering them is easy due to the strategic “flow-through” design.

Simply water from the top, and the water flows down all levels. You can even connect an automatic drip irrigation system to do this. Excess water drains out of the bottom to prevent roots from getting soggy.

2. How to Grow Even More Fruit and Vegetables in a Small Space:

Grow Lettuce in 7 Days in Mr Stacky PlanterThis freestanding planter also makes a great lettuce garden. Its unique 360 degree design allows leaves to spread out and get more sun. Therefore, they have the potential for faster growth.

In addition, you can stack multiple kits on top of each other and double the amount of your produce. Keep in mind that you can do this without needing more ground space or a larger raised bed.

Now you can see how people in cities or apartments can grow a large amount of fresh food at home. You just need a sunny balcony, patio or deck and only about 1 square foot of floor space.

Idea: Alternatively, you can split the 5-tier pack into pieces and use them in different locations. For example, grow 3 levels of strawberries on your porch and grow 2 levels of herbs on your kitchen counter.

3. Larger Stacking Planters for Bigger Plants:

Mr Stacky in Commercial Greenhouse for Growing ProduceIn fact, some farmers use the Mr Stacky vertical gardening system to simplify irrigation and increase production.

These containers are actually a larger version, although they use the same design. They measure 38″ tall x 18″ diameter instead of 28″ tall x 12″ diameter.

As you can see in the photo, these containers take advantage of lots of vertical space while keeping the ground area clear. (You can create grow towers off the ground using 3/4″ pipe.)

In your backyard, the higher elevation may enable the leaves to access more sunshine too. Not to mention, you can elevate them to make gardening easier on your back.

Idea: If you want a super low-maintenance garden, check out the Mr Stacky Smart Farm. It includes a self-watering hydroponic system that makes growing produce virtually effortless.

Mr Stacky VS Greenstalk:

GreenStalk Vertical Garden with HerbsSpeaking of bigger containers, you can grow even larger produce using the Greenstalk Vertical Garden. Think squash, melons, cucumber, etc..

Both products contain 5 levels, but the Greenstalk measures 55″ tall versus of the 38″ or 28″ Mr Stacky models.

In addition, each tier fits 6 plants instead of 4. As a result, you can grow a total of 30 plants instead of 20.

But let’s get back to Mr Stacky…

What Planter Color is Best?

By the way, these stackable planters come in 5 different colors: terra cotta, stone, black green and now pink. Therefore, you can match the tone to your home or garden, or simply blend in with the color of the leaves.

5-Tier Stacking Planter Comes in 5 Colors: Terra Cotta, Black, Green, Stone and Pink

Note: Keep in mind, however, that the darker containers tend to absorb more sun and thus heat. So, the lighter shades may work better in sunnier locations, whereas the black may work in shaded spots or indoors.

Specs for the 5-Tier Mr Stacky Planter:

  • Dimensions: Size: 28″ Tall x 12″ Diameter 5-Tier Mr Stacky Planter with Bottom Drainage Saucer
  • Soil Volume: 24 Quarts
  • Weight: 3 lbs
  • Material: Food-Safe Plastic
  • 5 Tiers
  • Space for 4 Plants/Tier (20 Plants Total)
  • Includes Bottom Drain Saucer
  • 5 Colors: Terra Cotta, Stone, Black, Green, Pink
  • Indoor or Outdoor Use
  • Review Ratings: 4.4 Out of 5 Stars
  • Model #: TC5
  • Brand: Mr Stacky
  • Customer Support Phone: (386) 219-0943
  • Made in USA
  • For Sale: Where to Buy the Stacking Planter