Commercial vertical gardens are an exciting avenue in modern agriculture; they can be used to convert unproductive, vertical urban spaces into high-quality food production facilities.
Vertical gardening is all about irrigation; hydroponic and aeroponic systems are used to tightly control the amount of nutrients that plants receive in soil-free environments. The focus on irrigation means that proper drainage is essential; here’s what you need to know:
What Are Vertical Gardens?
Vertical gardens are exactly what they sound like: Gardens that are planted vertically instead of horizontally. There are many different names for a vertical garden—green wall and living wall are two other names you might hear.
Planting a vertical garden can dramatically increase the space you have available for growing plants and is utilized for both residential and commercial plant-growing operations.
Aside from their space-saving benefits, vertical gardens can also improve water conservation, improve air quality, promote biodiversity, and even increase energy efficiency.
What Is Required To Build A Vertical Garden?
The most important part of any vertical garden is the plants you’ll choose. Vertical gardens typically operate with little to no dirt at all, especially in commercial contexts; instead, nutrient-rich mists are sprayed directly onto the roots of plants.
Finding plant species that grow well in this context is essential. Leafy greens like kale, arugula, and lettuce have seen success in commercial operations, while tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, beans, and other climbing plants are excellent choices for residential gardens.
For commercial vertical gardens, complex hydroponic and aeroponic systems are the keys to success; without dirt, the amount of nutrient-dense water that plants will receive must be tightly controlled. For indoor operations, LED lighting to replace sunlight is another must.
Water will drip from the upper layers to the lower layers; this must be accounted for when adjusting the settings for your hydroponic or aeroponic systems.
Proper Drainage Helps Maintain Healthy Plants
The increased importance of water and water control in vertical gardens means an increase in the importance of proper drainage. Vertical gardens and farms will use a number of techniques to control drainage:
- Grow mats, perforated trays, and capillary-wicking materials may all be used to control the flow of water.
- Water does not drip down freely; instead, angled and sloped trays and gutters guide runoff toward the roots of plants on lower layers.
- Water is not left to pool; drains collect water, often guiding it into recirculation systems that pump it back up for reuse after filtration or sterilization.
All of these drainage techniques serve a common goal – keeping plants in vertical gardens healthy. They prevent root rot and other problems that can be caused by water pooling on plants and ensure a more even distribution of nutrients between plants. As well, the filtration in recirculation systems helps prevent disease.
Prevent Unwanted Insects By Removing Excess Standing Water
Nutrient-rich water that has filtered through plant matter is heaven on earth to insects – and without proper drainage, they’ll quickly make a home in your vertical garden. Even without soil, the runoff from fruits and vegetables can contain all of the nutrients that insects need to thrive – and from there, they may find their way to your plants.
The best solution is to eliminate standing water through proper drainage. Sophisticated drainage systems are already the best practice for commercial vertical gardening operations, as we’ve just discussed. Finding the right drains can help limit the buildup of standing water.
Slot Drain Systems Are A Perfect Fit For Your Vertical Garden
We’ve now thoroughly analyzed the importance of irrigation and drainage in a vertical garden – the next step is understanding which drainage system to use. Our own drains, called Slot Drains, are an excellent solution for vertical gardens.
Slot Drains feature a grate-free design. This design prevents plant matter from causing clogs within the drain, limiting the risk of clogs. Slot Drains also feature a very small exposed surface, which limits the risk of contamination, helping you prevent disease.
Many of our drains are also designed to be safe for forklifts and other heavy equipment, so they won’t have a negative impact on cultivation or maintenance. They also come in a variety of different sizes and flow rates, so you’ll have tight control over how water moves through your vertical garden.
Looking to improve efficiency at your vertical garden and grow your business? A Slot Drain System may be the perfect solution; we’ll help you control drainage so that you can more accurately configure your irrigation system, and grow bigger, better plants.
