​

Vertical Integration​

​This is a way to put a lot of garden in a little space. It is also very stingy on water.

We have built a sort of tree on which we hang buckets. In the top of the buckets we are growing herbs. In the bottom of the buckets we are growing tomatoes and peppers. Underneath we are growing heirloom white watermelons and heirloom banana melons. The footprint of this set-up is 6'x4'. Note the watermelon in a stalking. Because the melon is hanging from a rather tenuous stalk, we have put the melon in an old stalking and hung the stalking off of the trellis framework to help bear the load as it grows. The stalking stretches as the melon grows!

Use potting soil to grow in buckets. Drill a 2" hole in the center of the bottom of a 5 gallon pickle bucket, put a 12" round piece of landscape cloth slit with an x in the middle, in the bottom of the bucket and very carefully insert a small starter pepper or tomato plant through the cloth and the hole in the bucket. It is tricky!

Fill with soil,and the rest is pretty obvious. If you have any questions drop us an email!

​

​