Just starting out?
Out best overall pick is the starter bundle.
If you live on a large property, you’re probably lucky enough to have a yard with plenty of space to plant fruits and vegetables. But if you reside in a small apartment, chances are you just don’t have much room to grow your own food.
The food growing movement is increasing, and there are considerable benefits to having a system that can help you grow what you want, when you want, in the comfort of whatever small space you have available.
Our Garden Tower reviews show you why this product is a great idea and why you should get one.
What Is the Garden Tower Project?
The Garden Tower Project began as a dream for Colin Cudmore, Joel Grant, and Thomas Tlusty, who wanted to give the world a way to grow sustainable, organic fruits and vegetables. The first Garden Tower Project was launched in 2012, with the original Garden Tower® container gardening system.
The organization’s mission is to help people grow their own fruits and vegetables so that they can have food security, as well as being able to eat more nutritious food. Store-bought fruits and vegetables are available throughout the year with the help of cold storage, but you’ll soon understand that there’s quite a difference between fresh and store-bought.
What you may find interesting is that the nutritional value of food changes based on when it’s stored and how it’s stored. Research has shown that the antioxidant activity and the phenolic content of potatoes changed when put into cold storage. Cold storage also altered vitamin C and the phytochemical properties of the potatoes.
By planting your own fruit and vegetables, you know exactly where they come from and what has gone into them. You know that you’re eating nutritious food, which is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle.
Why You Should Get a Garden Tower
If you’re an avid gardener or you want to have the freshest produce in your backyard, then the Garden Towers are for you. The towering garden container lets you plant up to 50 plants of your choice in one planter, so your choice of what to grow is not limited—50 plants is a lot!
The design of this vegetable garden allows you to keep it on your patio, in your backyard, or even on your balcony. Another bonus is that it’s a lot easier to take care of than a large garden.
The benefits are many, but the biggest one is the fantastic produce you’ll be able to grow right in your own home.
Grow Fresh Food
There are a number of benefits from growing your own fruit and vegetables in a vertical garden. Your produce is healthier and more nutritious than what you’d buy in the store, as it has more antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins.
Your diet will also be more diverse as you’ll have access to a variety of vegetables, fruits, and herbs. They say variety is the spice of life!
Control Over the Growing Process
You’ll also be able to decide how you want to grow your produce and you have complete control of the whole process. You can make sure that it’s 100 percent organic and free from harmful pesticides and chemicals.
By investing in your own container garden, you’ll also be saving money in the long run, as you won’t have to buy from the store.
Improve Your Mood
Gardening also helps to relieve stress! You’ll still need to take care of the plants, which will get you outside, and this can also help improve your mood. You’ll stay active and get a healthy dose of vitamin D.
Growing your own food in a self-contained tower is easy. For some extra fun, you can get the whole family involved! This will allow your children to get their hands dirty while learning about plants and where their food comes from.
What Makes the Garden Tower 2 So Easy to Use?
The Garden Tower 2 is made from food-grade plastic and can hold up to 50 plants. It’s also self-contained, as it has a section to collect food scraps that turns the bits and pieces into compost, which adds nutrients back into the soil. This means that it takes minimal effort to look after the plants.
Here are some things that make the Garden Tower 2 so easy to use.
It Has Plenty of Space
If you’ve been wanting to start your own vegetable patch but have been concerned about space or don’t have a yard, this vertical garden will be a great addition to your home. It’s only 43 inches tall and 24.5 inches wide and can be placed just about anywhere for growing plants.
This design gives you 4 square feet to grow different types of fruits and vegetables, which is quite remarkable. You can place it on your patio, balcony, or a rooftop if you have easy access to it.
It Rotates
Another useful feature from Garden Tower 2 is that it rotates 360 degrees, making it easy to reach the plant that you want at the time. It also makes it simple to maintain and care for the plants if you need to remove leaves or tend to plants that may have runners you need to take out.
The different levels also rotate quite easily, so even when it’s filled with soil and plants, you’ll still be able to rotate it without straining yourself.
You Can Plant In It It All Year Round
This container garden can be used year-round, and the best part is that you get to decide which plants you want to grow. This will ensure that you have a year-round supply of the freshest produce.
It works in any weather. Even if it’s left outside in the rain, the only thing you’d have to do is drain the excess water captured in the bottom.
As for the sun, the Garden Tower 2 is made from food-grade UV-blocking plastic, making it long-lasting and able to withstand the elements. The terracotta coloring will help the Tower 2 to reflect sunlight, as well as keep the roots of your plants protected from extreme temperatures.
You Don’t Have to Kneel
This standing plant holder has six levels, which makes it easy to use for people who have problems bending or kneeling. If bending or kneeling is a problem for you, you can plant your seeds in the upper levels only. This would make it easier for you to access the plants that you want safely, especially as the levels of the Tower 2 rotate.
Features of the Garden Tower 2
The Garden Tower Project started with the Garden Tower® 1.1. Using the lessons that they learned and the feedback that they received from customers, they designed the new and improved Garden Tower 2.
Here are some of the new features the Garden Tower 2 has:
Air Circulation
The Tower 2 features enhanced nutrient distribution, as the manufacturers have increased the holes in the vermicomposting tube in the center by 265 percent. This allows for more air circulation through the soil and for the roots of the plants to access more nutrients.
Expandable
You can add an additional two levels, which would allow you to facilitate up to 70 plants at a time. You’re also able to customize the height of the Garden Tower, as you can add or remove levels to best suit your needs.
Compost
With the removable compost screen and compost drawer, you won’t have to worry about having to bend over all the time, and you also have an element of control over the compost that’s released into your plants.
Anchor
It also has a wide, reinforced anchor that will keep the garden tower secure on all surfaces. The tower also features maximum food-grade UV protection, which gives this garden tower a lifespan of 7 to 12 years.
Garden Tower Reviews
To help you choose the best Garden Tower for your specific needs, we have compared the various Garden Tower product bundles for you. Read the reviews below and decide which works best for you!
Garden Tower® 2: 50-Plant Composting Container Garden
This Garden Tower will help turn your scraps into organic fertilizer as the system is designed to recreate the natural ecosystem. It has six layers and allows you to plant up to 50 different types of fruits, herbs, or vegetables at a time.
There are large openings on the sides that allow you to easily plant your plants and you can rotate the levels to keep an eye on all your plants as they develop. The base has a wide stance that helps to keep your vertical garden stable on any surface.
You don’t have to worry about water going to waste as it filters from the top, and the excess water is stored in a 2-gallon drawer at the base of the tower. When you buy this Garden Tower, you’ll only receive the tower. It’s up to you to choose soil and plants!
Starter Bundle
If you’re new to gardening and you’re unsure what plants you’d like to cultivate, then the starter bundle would be ideal for you.
This beginner’s bundle comes with the following:
- New Garden Tower 2.
- Seed Starting Greenhouse.
- Dr. Earth Organic All Purpose Plant Food.
- Soil moisture indicator.
- Plant labels (50).
- Baker Creek seed gift certificate.
- Expanding seed-soil pellets.
With all the added accessories, you’ll be able to turn your seedlings into plants that can be transplanted into the garden tower. The labels that come with them are reusable, so should you decide to plant a different vegetable in the next growing season, you can still keep track of what you’ve planted.
Even if you don’t have a green thumb, you won’t have to worry about over-watering or under-watering your plants. The soil moisture indicator will tell you when you need to water again. You’ll have all that you need to get started creating your vertical garden with this bundle.
Move and Grow Bundle
One of the features we love is that the Tower can be used year-round. But depending on what you choose to cultivate, you may need to move your growing plants to a warmer spot when winter comes! If this is the case, this bundle may be right for you.
This particular vertical structure has three wide caster wheels on the bottom, which will make moving the garden tower easy on most surfaces.
The wheels have double-locking brakes, which will prevent the garden tower from moving on any surface once you’ve found the right spot for it. The wheels also come with a lifetime warranty, so you can have them repaired or replaced if needed.
This bundle comes with the Garden Tower 2 and the Premium Caster Wheel Kit.
Deluxe Bundle
The Deluxe bundle offers great value for money and makes sure you have everything you need for a thriving plant community. This bundle comes with the following:
- Garden Tower 2.
- Save-a-Drop hose water meter.
- Premium caster wheel kit.
- Seed starting greenhouse.
- Moisture indicators.
- Organic low salt plant food.
- Expanding seed starter soil.
- Plant marking stakes.
- Seedling heat mat.
- Baker Creek seed gift certificate.
With the Save-a-Drop hose water meter, you’ll know exactly how much water has been used for every watering session. This will help you control your water usage, which will help you save money in the long run.
To get your veggie patch off to a good start, you’ll be able to germinate your seeds quicker, which means you can transplant them sooner to get them growing. This bundle is designed to get your plants up and running with little fuss so that you can reap the benefits in as short a time as possible.
Garden Tower 2 Extension Kit
Once your plant ecosystem is thriving, you may decide that you’d like some extra space to add more fruits or vegetables. You can purchase an additional two levels, which will allow you to plant 20 more plants in the same grower.
This will take your structure from six levels to eight levels, and you’ll also get an additional two compost tubes. This option would be best suited to individuals who have more experience, as the additional height will make it slightly more difficult to water the plants and reach the compost column.
It’s recommended that you don’t add the additional two layers if your vertical grower is on the rooftop or if you’re in an area where the wind speed would be 50 miles per hour or more, due to stability.
Using Your Garden Tower
A bit of planning is required before you set up your new vertical plant grower. The first thing you should do is identify where you’re going to keep it.
The plants you cultivate need to get even light, especially if you want a productive ecosystem, as most plants need between six to eight hours of full sun on a daily basis. You’d also have to consider the type of plants that will be planted and your location.
If you live in a hot climate like Arizona, as an example, then you’d have to keep in mind the intense summer heat and how that would affect the plants. Once you’ve got that all worked out, you’re ready to get started.
Are Tower Gardens Worth It?
The short answer is yes; Tower Gardens are worth it. Once yours is thriving, you’ll be saving money as you’ll be spending less in the grocery stores. It doesn’t use electricity, and if you have the Save-a-Drop hose water meter, you can control and keep track of the amount of water used.
You’ll also be harvesting your fruit and vegetables for years to come. If you get tired of one particular plant, it’s easy to remove and plant something else.
What Grows Well in a Tower Garden?
Many plants flourish in this kind of vertical arrangement. Why not try the following:
- Spinach.
- Broccoli.
- Cauliflower.
- Peas.
- Parsley.
- Cucumbers.
- Tomatoes.
- Marjoram.
- Chives.
- Lettuce.
- Parsley.
- Strawberries.
You’ll also want to make sure that the small plants like strawberries, chard, and celery are planted on the top. Medium-sized plants like eggplants, peppers, sugar snaps, and beans should be planted in the middle.
The bottom levels would be for larger vegetables such as melons, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash. You don’t have to have the same 50 plants—be creative!
Is Tower Garden Organic?
The Garden Tower is 100 percent organic. The composting system allows you to put all-natural fruit and veggie scraps into it. This creates an organic compost that provides the nutrients that your plants need to grow.
When you begin, you should also buy 100 percent organic fertilizers and soil. The design of the unique plant grower also prevents weeds and grass from sneaking in, which reduces the necessity of pesticides and harmful chemicals.
Tips and Tricks for Using Your Garden Tower
Using a Garden Tower may seem like it’s relatively straightforward. But sometimes things catch you unawares, or there’s a useful little trick that can make your gardening life so much easier!
Here are some useful bits of information to make your experience easier.
Worms Happen
The design of this plant display creates a natural, self-contained ecosystem. This means that there’ll be a need for earthworms. You can consider them to be your best friends when it comes to gardening, as their activity in the soil yields many benefits and leads to healthier plants.
They help to increase the nutrients in the soil and also aerate the soil, which allows for better drainage. You don’t have to worry about the earthworms feeding on your plants. They prefer a gourmet meal of plant debris and soil. When you first set up, you’ll have to add earthworms to the compost chute.
Recycle Your Water
When you water your plants, the water will filter down from the top of the structure and make its way down to the drawer where you’ll find “compost tea.” This water has collected a variety of nutrients as it’s passed through the different layers, and you can recycle this nutrient-rich water by using it for other plants in your yard.
What Can I Put In My Compost Heap?
There are a number of things that you can add to your compost list. Some will come from your kitchen, and others won’t. You can put fruit and vegetable scraps in—citrus rinds, banana peels, potato peels—or other food scraps like stale crackers and bread.
You should also include teabags, grass cuttings, wood, fallen leaves, cardboard egg boxes, and scrunched up paper. You can also add eggshells to the mixture. All these things combined will help to provide carbon and fiber that will form air pockets in the mixture.
Can I Use the Garden Tower 2 in an Apartment?
Garden Tower 2 reviews show you can use it in an apartment, as it’s small enough to fit on a balcony. You could also set it up on the rooftop of your building. The beauty of this product is that you can decide how many levels you’d like to have depending on the available amount of space.
Even if you don’t have a balcony, just a room in the apartment that would ensure the plants get plenty of sunlight would be enough for indoor tower gardening. The pockets of this plant holder have lips, which will also help to prevent any soil from falling out. This means there’s no mess, so keeping it indoors isn’t a problem at all.
Conclusion
Have our Garden Tower reviews convinced you? Have you gone out and got yourself one yet?
It’s well worth it to be able to cultivate your own fruit and vegetables and have fresh, delicious food right at your fingertips! You’ll never look at store-bought food the same way again.