Vertical hydroponic systems are the future of indoor home gardening.
With these systems in place, you can expect better control of temperature, air composition, light, and pests.
The overall result is faster growth rates, higher yields, and better quality crops.
To make matters even more exciting, with a vertical hydroponics system, you’ll be able to grow most crops year-round regardless of the season or climate!
With all that being said, you may be wondering what the best vertical hydroponic systems on the market are.
This article will answer just that.
Table of Contents
6 Best Vertical Hydroponic Systems
VIVOSUN Vertical Hydroponic Grow System
This vertical hydroponic kit has an advanced timed circulation system. The default setting that comes with the grow kit allows for the pump to work for 5 minutes every 30 minutes to reach the nutrient film technique.
The circulation mode can also be set manually or automatically if you prefer, according to onsite demand.
This setting not only makes the pump more durable and long-lasting, it also saves nutrient solution and makes your vegetables/plants grow better.
WEPLANT Vertical Hydroponic Growing System
This vertical hydroponic system is perfect for beginners and enthusiasts.
It uses 2.5’’(6.3cm) large-diameter tubing, which is big enough to grow most vegetables.
Please note that this hydroponics system does not come with the tank shown in the picture, so don’t be disappointed when you don’t receive one.
LAPOND Vertical Hydroponic Grow Kit
This system like all the ones mentioned on this list is able to produce high-quality vegetables, such as lettuce, spinach, pakchoi, cabbage, and radishes.
You are also able to grow fruits like strawberries and all sorts of herbs.
These hydroponic setups are able to deliver nutrients directly to your plants’ roots, allowing for better tasting, more nutritious crops.
Sidasu Vertical Hydroponic System
This vertical gardening tower includes 4 layers with a total of 8 pipes for growing all sorts of veggies and herbs.
No experience is required to assemble this system, making it great for beginners to get into hydroponics.
Additionally, this setup uses food-grade PVC-U material making it safe to cultivate your food in the material.
Smart Hydroponics Growing System
This vertical hydroponic system is different from the rest we’ve mentioned in this article.
While the functions remain the same, this setup is better equipped to grow veggies and fruit that like to crawl, such as tomatoes, chili’s, melons, climbing beans, and cucumbers among others!
This particular system comes with 150cm (59″) high climbing trellis.
Giraffe-X Vertical Hydroponic Grow System
Growing your plants in a vertical hydroponic system requires less water, less space, and prevents pests and diseases from taking over your yield.
This system from Giraffe-X ticks all the boxes, a simple setup however please note it does not come with a water tank (20L are best) and you will have to install it yourself.
What Is A Vertical Hydroponic System?
To understand the concept of vertical hydroponic systems better, we will break the very word up into two.
Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers. The practice is often implemented in controlled-environment agriculture, i.e. hydroponics (among others).
Most of the time you’ll find vertical farming systems housed in structures such as buildings, shipping containers, abandoned mine shafts, and tunnels.
In summary, vertical farming is the practice of growing crops vertically in stacked layers.
Hydroponics is both a type of horticulture and a subset of hydroculture, wherein plants are grown without soil. This is done by using mineral nutrient solutions in an aqueous solvent.
Nutrient solutions are made up of fish excrement, duck manure, and various other artificial nutrients.
In summary, hydroponics is the act of growing plants without soil.
So by now, I am sure the concept of a vertical hydroponic system makes sense to you. The system joins together both vertical farming and hydroponics.
How Does A Vertical Hydroponic System Work?
Vertical hydroponic systems work by using traditional hydroponic techniques built into a vertical gravity-fed water system.
Nutrient-rich water is pumped from a reservoir to the top of the system and drip-fed using gravity to the bottom, where it is then collected and returned back to the reservoir to repeat the entire process.
The video below shows a detailed tutorial on how to assemble a vertical hydroponic system.
What Can You Grow In A Vertical Hydroponic Garden?
Vertical hydroponics allows you to grow so many different types of plants from vegetables, to herbs, to fruit – all in the same room at the same time.
So what exactly can you grow in a vertical hydroponic garden?
- Lettuce
- Basil
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Cucumbers
- Squash
- Hops
- Kale
- Spinach
- Chives
- Tomatoes
- Chilis
- Zucchini
- Kiwis
- Strawberries
- Chard
- Corn
- Brussel Sprouts
- Sunflowers
- Peas
- Melons
- Passion Fruit
- Mint
What Are The Advantages Of A Vertical Hydroponic System?
First and foremost, the amount of water a hydroponic system uses doesn’t even compare to conventional farming methods.
For example, to grow 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) of tomatoes using normal farming techniques will require 110 U.S. gallons (400 liters) of water. Hydroponics on the other hand will only require 18 U.S. gallons (70 liters) of water.
If this doesn’t make the list as one of the top forms of smart irrigation, then we don’t know what else will.
Additionally, a vertical hydroponic system takes up less space than conventional farming.
Being built indoors, the plants can be grown at any time of the year (thanks to artificial lighting). As these systems are not open to the outdoors, things such as pests and unstable climatic conditions are no longer a problem.
Lastly, vertical farming by nature takes up less space than traditional farming, therefore having a lower impact on the native plants and animals, leading to better conservation of the local flora and fauna.
Current Issues Surrounding Vertical Hydroponic Systems
The main problem with vertical farming is its initial start-up costs and potential to produce more greenhouse gas emissions than traditional farms.
Start-up costs are obvious, you will need to build the structure correctly in order for the process to work.
As an example, a hypothetical 10 level vertical farm would cost over 850 times more per square meter of arable land than a traditional farm.
Secondly, greenhouse gas emissions are a real threat when you consider the amount of LED lighting crops in an indoor vertical setup would need.
However, this issue can most certainly be offset by implementing a sustainable energy solution such as a solar system into your vertical farming design (we recommend installing monocrystalline solar panels to power your vertical hydroponic systems).
Final Thoughts
Traditional farming simply takes up too much space and too much water, and with an ever-growing population, vertical hydroponic farming will soon become a necessity for our planet.
Rather than waiting for the whole concept to become mainstream, you yourself can invest in a greener more sustainable planet by building or buying the best vertical hydroponic system to implement in your own green smart home.
If you’ve built your own vertical hydroponics system, please share the details of how you built it in the comments section below. We value your real-world experience and are sure our readers will too.
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