Nowadays there are a large number of vertical garden systems on the market, therefore, it is essential that you know the important concepts for selecting a vertical garden system, as knowing this will make it easier for you to make a better decision when choosing the system you want for your project.
In the text that we share with you today, we want to give you some notions about the most important concepts to take into account when deciding between one system or another. These are a series of properties that allow us to evaluate the suitability of a vertical garden:
1. Physical resistance of the substrate.
This is the ability of the substrate to retain its structure over time. It is directly related to the durability of the vertical garden. Certain substrates lose their structure more quickly, they ‘wash out’.
2. Chemical durability.
Useful life of the substrate subjected to the fertigation conditions necessary for its operation. Certain substrates become clogged with salts more quickly than others.
3. Water retention.
This is the ability of a vertical garden to survive without irrigation. In general, hydroponic gardens (there are exceptions) require a continuous circulation of irrigation, which in case of failure leads to the failure of the vertical garden in a very short period of time.
4. Nutrient retention.
This is the ability of a vertical garden to survive without nutrient supply through fertigation. Substrate systems have this capacity, pure hydroponic systems do not.
5. Ease of planting replacement.
The ability to easily replace failed plants is vitally important. In some vertical gardening systems this substitution is done plant by plant, others only allow the substitution of panels or pots, in other systems the substitution can be a problem due to falling substrate, dirt… For economic reasons it is not advisable to use systems where, in order to carry out the substitution, we depend on the installation company.
6. Ease of irrigation replacement.
The irrigation in a vertical gardening system must be perfectly accessible and replaceable in case of failure without affecting the garden. In some systems the irrigation pipes are hidden at the back of the panels and are difficult to access.
7. Cold resistance.
In cold climates some systems have the problem of freezing of the roots. As a general rule, the thicker and better insulated the substrate is, the better the vertical garden performs.
8. Weight.
The weight of the system is a very important variable to consider, especially when working on existing façades.
Different vertical garden systems
At SingularGreen, we try to take into account all these aspects in our projects and thus propose the best vertical garden system for each situation. We think that within vertical gardening there is not a single universal system valid for all situations, because as we have seen there are many variables to take into account.
If you would like to know more about vertical gardens, we have training courses on this subject as well as others on green roofs and natural swimming pools.
