Yep, I jumped on the Tower Garden bandwagon. Not because it was a fad, per se, but more because weighing out the pros and cons, it seemed like the most cost-efficient thing to do. With our goal of having a thriving indoor garden in mind, I just knew this thing was going to work.
What is a Tower Garden?
I’m sure you’ve seen them before. But just in case this is your first time hearing about it, it’s a vertical, aeroponics growing system. Aeroponics is fancy way of saying growing plants with only water and nutrients.
If you take into consideration the way Yahweh created things and how He intended for them to grow… then you’ll quickly realize the key ingredient missing – soil. My husband originally brought this up, but as usual, he supports me in all my crazy adventures.
Why did I get a Tower Garden?
For starters, we only rent our home and this particular landlord let us know upfront that having a garden was a no-no. While we couldn’t went with a raised bed garden, we also live in the tip of the country. This means an influx in mice, moles, rabbits, squirrels, and other wildlife who would have a field day with our harvest.
I initially wanted a Tower Garden because I found it interesting to think I could start the process of growing our own food with this kind of system. It didn’t seem to take up much space and getting it going seemed fairly simple as well.
Where Things Went Wrong
Balancing the Water
The Tower Garden kit came with a pH test kit and nutrients for the water. However, this wasn’t something I was used to nor keen on doing (let alone upkeeping).
Halted/Weird Growth
Once I was able to get some seeds germinated, they were transferred to the Tower Garden. All seemed to go well until a certain “spot.” In other words, the plants seemed stunted in their growth.
At first we thought too many seeds were together, but per the booklets instructions, we were to germinate 5-7 seeds in one rockwool.
Over/Under Watering
The water pump came with a time that had two settings. We chose the setting it suggested which was 15 minutes of water every 45 minutes. Even with this setting, though, it seemed to be too much water for the plants.
So each night, I turned the pump off completely.
How We’re Using Our Tower Garden Now
At first, I inquired about a refund, which they were glad to do with no hesitation. Side note: you’ll have to be within a 3-month purchasing window for it to go smoothly.
My amazing hubby started brainstorming and we decided to keep it primarily for its parts. Now, we’ve turned it into something for growing in-ground veggies!
In addition to that, I added a couple more layers to grow some green beans and salad greens – all a work in progress.
As soon as I started getting the plants into pots with soil, they started to THRIVE! And since they’ve been in their new container home, they continue to grow right in front of the huge window in my office. (more on our indoor container garden later)
Do I suggest buying a Tower Garden?
Honestly, if you’d like to give growing food aeroponically a go – do it. If you’re old school and like to stick with the natural elements of growing food – dirt, water, and sun – then no. Depending on the type you buy will also depend on how much it’ll cost. I haven’t found a “cheap” tower garden, per se. And the one we chose is from JuicePlus, pictured and linked below.
Final Thoughts
Overall, after trying the Tower Garden way of growing things, it’s pretty safe to say that the old fashioned way has suited us best. And since I’m so adamant about growing our own food (and becoming less dependent on this crooked system), I’m doing an indoor container garden. Be on the lookout for that post and follow us on Instagram to follow the journey through stories, highlights, and reels!