The 5 Best Vertical Garden Kits in 2024

Vertical gardening is rapidly becoming a popular way to grow food and utilizing vertical garden kits makes it easier than ever!

Vertical garden kits are a great solution for those living in an apartment or city lot who are short on gardening space. It’s also ideal for avid gardeners (like me!) who like to keep their essentials such as herbs and greens close to the house to grab while cooking.

In this article, I break down everything that you need to know to successfully garden vertically while also discussing the top 5 vertical garden kits on the market. I even have some discounts for you! Who doesn’t like a good deal?!

Let’s go!

*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products (including Amazon). I’ll earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my link, at no additional cost to you! Regardless, I only link to products that I personally use on our homestead or believe in.

What is a Vertical Garden?

A vertical garden is simply a framework that holds clusters of soil (eg: pots, growing trays, breathable socks, etc.) to grow plants vertically, rather than a traditional horizontal garden bed. Not only is this method a beautiful piece of outdoor decor, but it’s very functional as well!

Benefits of Vertical Gardening

Great for small spaces

If you live in a small city lot or apartment, this would be an excellent thing to try and provide another option beyond growing in grow bags.

By going vertical, you can grow A LOT of food in a small footprint. Vertical gardening opens up the possibilities for increasing self-sufficiency if you have limited space.

The awesome thing is that it can be set up anywhere as long as there is adequate sunlight. Look around and get creative with your options!

• Patio
• Deck
• Garage wall
• Fence
• Rooftop
• Create a privacy wall

Easy access for harvesting

If you have multiple generations at home or those with limited mobility, vertical gardening is a great way to access growing vegetables and herbs. No need to walk a great distance to a garden plot or bend over a garden bed!

Another benefit is having easy access to your plants while you are cooking. For me, I have a large garden, but it’s far from the house. Having my herbs and greens nearby to grab while cooking is very appealing! I’m sure I’m not the only one who has done the dash out to the garden and back while food is cooking away on the stove!

Less weed pressure and pests

Vertical gardening really is a low-maintenance option for those who don’t get excited about pulling weeds daily. Less soil is visible in vertical gardens which means less opportunities for weeds to take root, plus vertical gardens are up away from the blowing seed heads in your yard. 

Moving from a traditional garden on the lawn to a vertical garden located on a patio or deck means less pests, too! Consider adding a few pots of flowers nearby to draw in beneficial pollinators.

Ambiance, decor and privacy

This may be the gardener in me, but my favorite way to decorate is with plants and vertical gardens are no exception. They are stunning! Not only are plants often cheaper than traditional decor, but you can eat them, too! What’s not to love?

If you have a nosy (or noisy!) neighbor or simply want more privacy, consider setting up a vertical garden as a privacy wall! 

Not only are vertical gardens beautiful, but research shows that gardening is associated with reductions in depression, anxiety, BMI, as well as increases in life satisfaction, quality of life and sense of community. Sign me up, right?!

Types of Vertical Garden Kits

There are several vertical garden kits on the market that make vertical gardening a breeze! There are many different styles, sizes and functionalities. Let’s dig into what option is best for you!

Wall vs Circular Vertical Garden Kits

Wall Vertical Garden Kits

Wall vertical garden kits are an excellent option for all gardeners, large and small. Not only is it a beautiful way to display your plants, but it’s very functional. This is my favorite type of vertical garden for several reasons. 

• All plants have access to the sun at the same time
• Less plastic involved
• It’s a gorgeous way to display your plants, create a privacy wall or liven up a boring wall.
• Some can be permanently secured, so you only need to set it up once!
• Some are free-standing if you want a flexible option

Circular Vertical Garden Kits

Circular vertical garden kits are also popular because they are simple to set up and can be placed anywhere. However, there are some negatives associated with this option.

• Needs rotated frequently so that all plants can have access to the sun
• Largely made with plastic materials
• May tip over in windy areas

Hydroponic vs Soil-Based

There are 2 types of growing mediums out there for vertical gardening: hydroponic and soil-based. Which one is best?

Hydroponic is a soilless option that is appealing at first glance. However, it requires a steady water supply and you’ll find that your results just won’t be as good at the end of the day. Plants should be grown in soil as God intended.

Soil contains a complex mixture of vitamins, minerals, and organic matter for strong plant growth. It also contains a diverse microbiome (beneficial bacteria) that improves your own microbiome, too! Soil is life! Soil is also much more forgiving. If you lose water supply, your plants will hang on much longer than if they were grown hydroponically.

*While I haven’t personally compared hydroponic to soil-based mediums for vertical gardening, I have compared the two while growing microgreens. The difference was shocking! I quickly gave up on hydroponic and now strictly use soil-based.

The 5 Best Vertical Garden Kits

Now that you hopefully have a good idea of what style of vertical garden kit is the best fit for you, let’s dive into my favorite 5 on the market!

#1 – Watex Green Living – 20% off!

The Watex Urban Farming Vertical garden kits come with several different types of planters and many feature a drip irrigation kit. This consists of 1/4″ pipes pre-installed behind the panel to deliver water accurately and simultaneously to drippers positioned at each pot. This allows users to set up a water-saving and time-saving irrigation system for the plants that they are growing. If you go on a lot of vacations, the drip irrigation kit is a must!

The Expandable Green Wall Vertical Garden Kit (pictured above) is neat because you can continue to add units to expand your growing space as much as you’d like! While this design may be more plastic-heavy than others, Watex took the extra step to provide a recycled, BPA version.

Your Discount Code!

Don’t forget your 20% off discount on their vertical gardening kits! Use the discount code “thehomesteadingrd20” when you check out!

#2 Three Tier Wooden Vertical Garden Kit

This wooden vertical garden kit is a great plastic-free option! This vertical garden kit is made out of 100% fir and has a nice free-standing design if you are short on wall space. It still provides a slim design with a 22″ depth. 

This product offers 3 large growing trays that will offer lots of flexibility when it comes to growing all sorts of vegetables and herbs. It already has drainage holes in place, so no need to drill those in later.

#3 Six Foot Freestanding Vertical Garden Kit

This is an easy-to-assemble vertical garden kit that has 4 different hanging plastic (new plastic; not recycled) containers that are each 27” long. It utilizes large planting bins like this, which allows you to start with larger, established plants.

This is a freestanding design, so it can be placed anywhere which is neat! It does have a larger footprint than your vertically mounted designs, but it is still slim and easy to place on your patio or deck.

TIP: This kit does not come with drainage holes! I highly recommend drilling some drainage holes in the bottom so that your plants don’t get waterlogged.

#4 Four Foot Freestanding Vertical Garden Kit

This 4 foot vertical gardening kit is the little brother to the 6 foot vertical gardening kit above. Identical construction, but on a smaller scale. Each planting container is only 22” long. Using large planting bins like this allows you to start with larger, established plants.

This is a freestanding design, so it can be placed anywhere! It does have a larger footprint than your vertically mounted designs, but it is still slim and easy to place on your patio or deck.

TIP: This kit does not come with drainage holes! I highly recommend drilling some drainage holes in the bottom so that your plants don’t get waterlogged.

#5 GreenStalk Vertical Garden Kit

This 5-Tier GreenStalk Vertical Garden comes with a total of 30 planting pockets. Each tier holds 1 cubic foot of potting mix, so this design will give you a total of 5 cubic feet of soil to plant in. One negative is that this design is very plastic-heavy and the plastic is not recycled.

This kit has drainage holes, plus it has a water reservoir system! Simply fill the top water reservoirs to the 5-tier mark whenever they need to be watered. The GreenStalk’s unique, patented watering system will deliver fresh water to each of the tiers/pockets below.

TIP: Since this kit features a circular design, you will need to remember to rotate it frequently so that all plants have access to sunlight.

How to Garden Vertically 

Best types of plants for vertical gardening

You can plant anything in a vertical garden that has a shallow root system and a fairly compact nature. Vining vegetables like cucumbers, squash, and pole beans should be avoided because they’ll make a mess and crowd out the other plants. Vegetables with deep root systems like carrots and potatoes won’t thrive, either. Everything else will do great!

Vegetables – with links to my favorite varieties!

• Greens like lettuce, kale, arugula, spinach, pac choy and chard
• Onion
• Shallots
• Radish
• Kohlrabi
• Cabbage
• Bush beans
• Fennel

Herbs – with links to my favorite varieties!

• Chives
• Oregano
• Basil
• Dill
• Mint
• Thyme
• Sage
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Green onion

Watering needs

Your vertical garden’s watering needs will depend on the kit that you purchase. Some of the kits will need manual watering every few days, while others can be connected to a hose to take care of it for you!

Type of soil to use

The best type of soil to use for vertical gardening is an organic, potting mix. Potting mixes are idea over standard garden soil because they contain organic matter like peat moss and vermiculite for adequate drainage.

Sunlight

Most vegetables and herbs require full sun (6-8+ hours of direct sunlight), so finding a sunny location for your vertical garden kit is best. However, some plants do fine with part-shade (3 hours of direct sun).

Plants that will grow in part-shade:

• Greens like lettuce, kale, arugula, spinach, pac choy, and chard
• Radish
• Kohlrabi
• Cabbage
• Garlic
• Green onion
• Chives
• Cilantro
• Parsley

Other Articles You’ll Love

• 10 Tips for Starting Pepper Seeds Indoors
• Growing Tomatoes in Grow Bags: A Comprehensive Guide
• What Type of Microgreens Should I Grow?
• The 5 BEST (and worst) Vegetables to Grow in Raised Beds
• 5 Winter Tasks Every Gardener Should Do

Final Thoughts on Vertical Garden Kits

Vertical gardening is an excellent way to make the most of a small space and increase accessibility. I’m confident that you’ll have great success with any of the vertical garden kits that we reviewed above. Please share with us how it’s going in the comments section below!

Happy gardening!