Delicious, sweet, aromatic strawberries are a favorite summer berry for adults and children. Strawberries are not only a delicious delicacy, but also a useful medicine from nature itself. It contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals, which have a powerful tonic effect on the body, help with digestive problems, heart and kidney diseases. That is why every gardener tries to make several beds of strawberries on his plot.

Over many years of cultivating strawberries at their summer cottage, gardeners have come up with many ways to grow this berry in a greenhouse, hotbeds and open ground. Strawberry beds can also be different. Let's take a closer look at what kind of beds there are, what their advantages are, how quickly and how large a harvest can be obtained from them.

Vertical beds for strawberries made from pipes

Recently, vertical beds for strawberries have become increasingly popular. The advantages of such a bed include:

1. Increased yield. The beds will be located upward and from one square meter you can get several times more berries than with conventional horizontal planting. Strawberries will not fall to the ground, which means that the berries will not rot or spoil. Vertical beds for strawberries will help those who have infertile or unsuitable soil for growing this berry, because such a bed can always be filled with soil suitable for strawberries.
2. Weed control. While growing strawberries, gardeners are faced with the constant growth of strawberries. Vertical beds do not allow the weeds to grow and take root, and there is simply no room for weeds in such a bed.
3. Ease of care. During watering, harvesting, fertilizing and other agricultural operations, you do not have to bend down and walk around each bed in turn each time. Vertical beds do not need to be dug up or re-formed after watering.

Vertical beds are made from metal mesh, fabric or pots, but the most popular material is plastic pipes. They are easy to get, they do not rot and keep the beds in shape. Making such a bed is easy and simple, the main thing is to know a few secrets.

It is better to immediately assemble a large bed in the place planned for it, otherwise you will face the acute issue of transportation. Strawberries are a light-loving plant, so do not place the beds in the shade.

High-quality soil is the key to a large, tasty harvest. Strawberries grow well in sandy or sandy-loamy soil. Before pouring soil into the pipe, you need to thoroughly fertilize the soil.

A vertical bed needs close monitoring of soil moisture. In hot weather, it dries out faster, so you will need to water the plants more often.

So, after you have decided on the location and soil, you can begin building a vertical bed. To do this, you will need a wide-diameter PVC drainpipe in which the plants will be placed, a narrow pipe 10 centimeters longer for watering, tools, fabric, twine, soil and strawberries.

In a small tube you need to drill many small holes at a distance of 10-15 centimeters from each other. The holes are located on 2/3 of the tube, 1/3 remains blind. To prevent the plant's roots from clinging to the holes, the pipe must be wrapped in fabric (burlap is ideal for this) and secured with a rope. The lower end of the pipe is wrapped with electrical tape.

Now we take a large pipe and make holes in it using a drill and a chisel with a diameter of 20 cm and at the same distance from each other. We leave 15 cm of “blind” pipe from the end. If you leave one vertical part of the pipe without holes, you can lay the pipe on the ground in the fall to overwinter. The bottom hole of the large pipe must be closed with a plug.

So, the preparations are complete. Now you need to secure the pipe where you plan to grow your strawberries. Pay special attention to this moment! A pipe filled with earth is quite heavy, and if it is not secured enough, it can fall at any time.

Insert a narrow one into a large pipe and pour 10 cm of gravel downwards, fill the rest of the space with soil, and strawberries can be planted in the holes made in the pipe. The vertical strawberry bed is ready!

Pyramid beds: a complete guide, optimal sizes

Another popular type of DIY strawberry bed is a pyramid-shaped bed. Such a bed can have three, four or even five corners! A triangular bed will allow you to make the row wider, while a square one will make it more convenient to care for plants. When you choose the size for the beds, try not to make them too wide, so that in the future it will be convenient for you to care for all tiers of plants.

The advantage of a pyramid bed is that it saves space: the pyramid shape will allow you to plant a large number of berries in a small area. The upper tiers of the pyramid will not block the sun from the lower ones, and all berries will receive the same amount of light. The unusual shape of the bed will not only make it easier to access plants and save space, but will also decorate your garden plot.

A pyramid bed can be made from metal, tires or old plastic bottles, but more common options are made from boards. They are easier to find and connect to each other than metal, and they look much neater than plastic. In addition to boards and nails, you will need paint, which will enhance the garden bed and protect it from moisture and pests.

It is better to use boards 3-5 cm wide. The lower base walls can be made of thicker wood. The optimal length for the bottom boards is 1 meter. They can be fastened at the corners with nails or using metal strips or screws. Try to firmly connect the boards to each other, because the strength of the structure depends on this. In the future, your bed will have to withstand strong earth pressure.

After you have secured the bottom floor, fill it with soil prepared for planting strawberries and tamp it down lightly. The next tier is made smaller on each side by 25-30 cm. This space is enough to grow strawberries on the lower tier. The next tier can be installed at an angle of 90 degrees or slightly more to increase the planting area. It is important not to overdo it with the angle so that the lower tiers have enough light.

In total, the pyramid can have from 3 to 7 tiers. Do all subsequent floors according to the same scheme, maintaining the proportions.

Hanging and multi-tiered beds: advantages and disadvantages

Another way to save space on your plot and get a rich harvest of strawberries is to use hanging or multi-tiered beds.

Hanging beds for strawberries are essentially the same as vertical ones. They save space, allow you to turn an ordinary garden bed into a garden decoration, facilitate weed control, and simplify watering and fertilizing plants. To create such a bed, you can also use pipes cut in half lengthwise. Plugs are placed at each end of the pipe to prevent soil from spilling out.

The resulting gutters can be hung one below the other on a house canopy, tree, gazebo or fence. You can choose the length of the bed and the number of levels yourself, depending on the location where your hanging bed will be located in the future. It can be secured using rope or steel wire.

Multi-tiered strawberry beds can be organized using shelving, tires or old furniture. Purchased racks are often used in greenhouses for the industrial cultivation of strawberries, but ordinary gardeners can also afford such structures.

Pots with strawberries are installed on each tier of shelves. If you install shelving in the greenhouse, this will shorten the period of growing berries. Using tires is a simple but unattractive option.

Several tires are placed on top of each other, prepared soil is poured into them and strawberries are planted. When using old furniture, the principle is the same. The boxes are pulled out, soil is filled in and the plant is planted.

Optimal bed size for maximum yield

When creating a bed for growing strawberries, be guided by two principles: the berries should have room for full growth and development, and it should be convenient for you to care for the plant.

Each bush should have enough light, space and air to ripen. If you plant rosettes of strawberries, leave a distance of 40-60 cm between them, if you plant the berries in a row - 15-20 cm. There should be a strip of 40 cm between the rows - it can be used to create a passage.

If it's going to be a vertical or pyramid-shaped bed, size it so you don't have to reach too far for the plants at the top or in the center. If these are the usual horizontal beds, make convenient passages between them. The optimal width for such a bed is 1 meter with two convenient passages on the sides.

Magic diaper for strawberry beds

To increase yield and protect plants from weeds, gardeners use film. Even if you are used to growing strawberries in a horizontal bed and don’t want to change anything, you will definitely need the magic film for strawberry beds.

Now on the market there is a large selection of both the film itself and manufacturers. When choosing a film for strawberries, you need to focus on several parameters: the width and thickness of the film, color and, of course, durability. The most inexpensive film is Chinese. However, this option is the most short-lived. Israeli film has the best price-quality ratio.

Mulching film primarily makes the gardener’s work easier. Weeds do not grow on soil covered with film; it needs to be fertilized and watered less often. At the same time, the film improves the quality of the soil, preventing it from hardening due to condensation, protects the plant from sudden frosts, has a beneficial effect on the development of roots, and improves the quality of berries that do not come into contact with the ground. Strawberries remain clean even after heavy rain and watering.
For strawberries, black and white film is suitable. It accelerates the warming of the soil and reduces the time needed to grow the plant by several days. The width of the film depends on your beds, but calculate it with the condition that you should have enough to dig the film on both sides of the bed, but we recommend a film thickness of at least 50 microns.

If you are planning a horizontal bed in two rows, you will need to make cuts every 30-40 cm with a distance of 60-70 cm between rows. Please note that some films have ready-made cuts.

Strawberries produce an excellent harvest in one place for 3-4 years, then it is better to replant them. What to plant after strawberries in the garden? The ideal option would be cucumbers, pumpkin or zucchini.

Strawberries have a branched root system, so after them it is better to plant those plants that have a shallow root system. Be sure to dig up the ground after you have dug up the strawberry bushes, carefully remove all weeds and apply fertilizer. I wish you rich harvests!

Growing berries and spices in compact vertical beds is becoming increasingly popular. This is due to a number of factors, such as: space saving, decorative appearance, protection of berries from various pests and birds. In this article we will look at how to create inexpensive but original vertical beds with your own hands from various materials.

Advantages and disadvantages of vertical beds

A vertical bed is an excellent replacement for conventional plantings, which occupy quite a large space on the site. Vertical structures are ideal for growing strawberries, strawberries, herbs or flowers.

Advantages

• Today, craftsmen have come up with many design options for vertical beds, but the constant advantage of all types remains their compactness. And this applies not only to small garden plots. Even on the balcony, by creating a lightweight structure from plastic bottles, you can get an excellent harvest of a variety of aromatic herbs and berries.
• The next advantage of vertical beds is their easy care. Due to the fact that the seedlings or crops are located quite high, when weeding or collecting, you do not need to bend low and “break” your back.
• By arranging these beds in the country, the roots of plants and berries rise high from the ground, which helps protect them from small pests and rodents. And thanks to the pyramidal or cylindrical shape of the structure, birds cannot land on them and eat the crop.
• Such beds are especially attractive for children. Not only do they enthusiastically help care for them, but they can also eat the berries straight from the bush since there is no need to wash them first.

Flaws

• Vertical beds require frequent watering. Plants in containers will die faster from lack of moisture than similar varieties in open ground. True, this shortcoming can be corrected, but this will require additional financial investments. Below are two ways:
  • hydrogel, which is sold in any garden or flower shop. It is brought into the ground, dug up and, in the soil prepared in this way, plants are planted. The gel has the ability to accumulate and retain moisture, and if necessary, plants will take it away;
  • arrangement of drip irrigation. More expensive, but at the same time more effective method. Moreover, you can do it yourself.
• Due to the small volume of containers for vertical beds, only low-growing plants will thrive in them, and even those will require active feeding with nutrients.
• When planting perennial plants in vertical beds, one must take into account that even in central Russia in winter the ground freezes in them, causing the entire root system to die. Therefore, when planting strawberries, the containers should be insulated for the winter.

Before you start building a vertical bed on your site, you should familiarize yourself with a number of valuable tips:

• large structures of vertical beds must be assembled immediately in a permanent place, otherwise problems may arise with their transportation;

• It is better to place the bed for greens closer to the kitchen, but with berries only in the sun;
• The soil for filling containers is prepared in advance. For example, a vertical bed for strawberries is filled with a mixture of peat, sandy loam soil, hydrogel and fertilizer (rotted compost is perfect);
• It is better to place it closer to the water source, as it will need to be watered frequently;
• You also need to immediately consider how the structure of the vertical bed will be protected for the winter. Will she come into the house, cover herself with spruce branches, etc.

Vertical beds made from plastic bottles

This is inexpensive, accessible and, as a result, the most popular way to create a vertical bed.

First way

The height of such a modular structure can constantly vary, depending on the amount of planting material. To set it up you will need:

• plastic bottles (volume of at least 2 liters);
• wire;
• wire cutters;
• sharp knife;
• frame for fixing containers (it can be either metal or wood);
• paint and brush (optional).

Stages of work

• The plastic bottle is cleared of the label and cut (see diagram below).
• The lid screws on, but loosely, so that excess moisture has the opportunity to drain down.
• The upper part with the lid is filled with nutritious soil (preferably with hydrogel) and the plant is planted in it.
• Everything is placed in the cut off lower part. Thus, a module is obtained that is attached to a prepared durable frame using wire.

• For a more decorative look, the bottles can be painted with acrylic paint or painted with various patterns.

Second way

Using homemade containers made from plastic bottles, you can add greenery to any vertical surface.

To create them you will need:

• plastic bottles with a volume of 2 - 2.5 liters;
• washers (twice the number of bottles);
• awl;
• strong rope.

Stages of work

• The bottle is cleared of labels.
• Using a sharp knife, cut a small rectangular hole on the side of the bottle.
• Holes are made at the bottom of the resulting “pot” for drainage.
• Near the bottom of the bottle and the neck, one through hole is pierced with an awl, and a rope is threaded through them. It is very important to make a strong and sufficiently sized knot under the hole so that the weight of the earth does not cause the module to fall onto the bottom row.
• The structure is mounted exclusively on a horizontal surface, and only in finished form is attached to the wall.
• Each container is filled with expanded clay and soil, and low-growing and unpretentious plants are planted in it.

How to make a vertical bed from PVC pipes

Most often, such beds are used for growing strawberries and wild strawberries.

What you will need for work:

• PVC pipe with a diameter of 150 mm;
• PVC pipe with a diameter of 100 mm and 15 cm longer than a larger diameter pipe;
• plug or reinforced tape;
• chisel and drill;
• burlap or non-woven material and strong rope;
• for planting - soil, drainage and planting material.

Stages of work

• At the beginning, the pipes are cut to the required height (not forgetting that the smaller diameter pipe is left 10-15 cm longer than the main one).
• A narrow pipe is intended for watering plants, so holes are drilled on it in the upper part for water to seep through.
• To protect against clogging, the watering pipe should be wrapped in non-woven material or burlap and tightly wound with rope. The lower end, where there are no holes, is closed with tape.

• Now it’s time to drill holes for plants in a larger diameter pipe. They are made using a drill with a special attachment. The optimal size is 15 cm, and the location is 20-25 cm from each other. At the bottom you need to leave a space of 15-20 cm from the ground.
• A plug is put on the pipe prepared in this way from below, and the structure is installed vertically. You will also need to securely attach it to a wall, fence or any other vertical support.
• A narrow watering pipe is placed in it, and the gap between them is filled with gravel or expanded clay to 10-15 cm.
• The rest of the space is densely covered with earth and spilled in stages so that there are no layers of air left. Now all that remains is to plant the strawberry bushes in the holes.

• All further care consists of regular watering through a narrow pipe. Also, all fertilizers will be applied exclusively in liquid form.

Vertical bed made of flowerpots

A vertical bed of flowerpots is perfect for growing low-growing or ampelous annual flowers. To create them you will need:

• several flower pots;
• timber or metal pipe for the frame;
• soil and seedlings.

Stages of work

• If heavy ceramic pots are used for the design, then they should be installed alternately, starting with the largest and ending with the smallest and lightest. Due to the large weight of the entire structure together with the ground, there is no need to install a frame.
• When using lightweight plastic pots for a vertical bed, you will need to first fix a metal base onto which the flower pots will be placed through a drainage hole.

• To provide plants with as much living space as possible, pots should be placed in a checkerboard pattern.

Vertical bed made of plastic bag

You can even make such a compact vertical bed at home. For this you will need:

• especially durable film, at least 0.2 mm thick;
• sewing machine;
• sharp knife;
• soil and seedlings.

Stages of work

• First, two rectangles are cut out to the size of the future vertical bed, but with an allowance of 1.5-2 cm on each side. The optimal diameter for growing herbs or strawberries is about 20 cm.
• They are sewn together (or soldered with a special soldering iron). A strong handle is sewn onto them, which should withstand the weight of the bag of earth.
• The resulting bag is tightly filled with nutrient-rich soil.
• After that, cuts are made for planting seedlings (the distance between them should be 20 cm).
• Seedlings are planted in them.
• Further care consists of regular watering with the addition of fertilizers.

Creating a vertical bed in the form of a pyramid

To create one pyramidal bed you will need:

• edged board 20x5x240 cm - 11 pcs.;
• hacksaw or jigsaw;
• screwdriver and screws;
• tape measure, pencil;
• soil and seedlings.

Stages of work

• First of all, you need to make the base of the pyramid in the form of four support boards. To do this, take a two-meter board, cut off an acute corner on one side to make it convenient to attach them to each other.

Tip: for greater structural rigidity, an additional support pillar can be installed in the center of the pyramid.

• Next, two two-meter boards with cut corners are placed on a horizontal surface and fastened together. The first rail is placed at their base to form the future bed and is also screwed on both sides. Its size is 5x5x40 cm.
• The resulting side of the pyramid is installed vertically, and the second and third sides, made in the same way, are attached to it.
• On a ready-made pyramid, use a tape measure to calculate the length of the slats to create the beds. They should be located along the height of the vertical bed at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other.

• The angles of the slats prepared along the length are cut at 30 degrees so that the shelf in the structure is located at an angle.
• The finished structure is filled with plenty of earth, which is compacted tightly. A vertical pyramid-shaped bed has enough soil to grow not only strawberries, but also larger vegetable crops.

Vertical bed made of drainpipes

This type of vertical bed is suitable for growing herbs or hanging annual flowers.

You will need:

• drainpipes of the required length;
• two plugs for each pipe;
• wire;
• fasteners.

Stages of work

• First of all, plugs are put on the drainpipes on both sides, thereby creating a container in the form of a long flowerpot.
• Next, metal holders are put on, with the help of which the suspension system of the structure will be attached.
• Holes are made in the pipe on both sides in the area of ​​the metal fasteners, a strong cable is threaded through them and secured from below with fasteners.
• The bed is filled with expanded clay and soil, after which plants are planted in it.

Tip: this structure does not have a rigid frame, so it should be placed in a place where there is no strong wind.

Vertical bed made of car tires

Due to the low environmental friendliness of tires, it is not recommended to grow berries or herbs in them. But for creating a vertical flower bed, this is an excellent option.

To work you will need:

• several different tires;
• chisel;
• wooden block;
• soil and plants.

Stages of work

• Thanks to the metal cord in the tire rim, there is no need for carcass equipment.
• First, holes are made for the plants using a chisel. The tire is placed on the block, and with a wide chisel, “windows” are made from the inside in several places.
• After this, it is installed in a permanent place and covered with soil.
• All subsequent tires are prepared in the same way and placed in the form of a pyramid to the required height. Here we must take into account that it will be inconvenient to water a vertical bed that is too high.
• When the entire structure is installed and filled with soil, seedlings are planted and watered.

There is another way to create a vertical bed from tires. It will require:

• several tires of different diameters;
• soil and seedlings.

Stages of work

• There is no need to make holes in car tires. They are simply arranged in a pyramid, starting with the largest diameter and ending with the smallest.
• At the very top you can install a flowerpot.
• The soil must be filled in stages, after installing each of the tires.

Vertical beds made from old pallets

This is a good solution for landscaping a terrace or patio. To create it you will need:

• pallet;
• garden net (preferably rigid);
• straw or non-woven material;
• soil and seedlings.

Stages of work

• First of all, the wooden pallet must be treated with a protective compound or painted with drying oil-based paint.
• A mesh or non-woven fabric is nailed on the reverse side. In the first case, you will need to cover the cells with straw to prevent soil from spilling out.
• The resulting container is filled with earth and plants are planted in it.

You can get even more ideas on creating vertical beds from the video below.

Vertical beds photo

Even in small garden plots you can grow a considerable harvest. For these purposes, build vertical beds with your own hands from any materials at hand - wooden boxes, plastic pipes, flower pots, cinder blocks, plastic barrels, etc. If you wish, you can even plant many types of plants in this way on the balcony.

What is a vertical bed?

Initially, vertical beds were conceived by landscape designers as a way of landscaping and decorating limited spaces - terraces, loggias and balconies. This idea quickly caught the taste of many gardeners and gardeners. After all, with this growing method you can significantly save precious space on your site.

In essence, a vertical bed is containers placed or suspended on a vertical frame with soil poured into them. Such a structure can be mounted on poles, fences, walls of houses, or made in the form of free-standing structures.

But this growing option is only suitable for crops whose roots are not too branched and do not go deep into the ground. After all, the more developed their root system is, the more soil you will need to pour into such beds.

Read also: How to make and decorate beautiful garden beds with your own hands: simple, tall, smart. For flowers and vegetables. Original ideas (80+ Photos & Videos) + Reviews

Advantages and disadvantages

Vertical beds have many advantages. We list only the main ones:

• original design: with their help you can decorate any vertical surfaces with greenery, from fences to house walls
• significant space savings: on 1-2 square meters, experienced gardeners are able to grow significant yields of a wide variety of crops
• ease of care: when placing plants on multi-tiered racks, you will no longer have to bend over backwards when loosening and weeding them, because a significant part of the bed will be at the level of your chest
• absence of fungal diseases caused by excess moisture
• restricting access to many types of pests and rodents
• mobile beds can be easily moved if desired from place to place or temporarily removed indoors during the onset of returning cold weather

The most serious disadvantage Vertical structures require frequent watering. In the soil, most of the moisture is in the lower layers. Therefore, even with a lack of watering, plants have the opportunity to use it. Evaporation rising from the ground is also a serious help for them.

The amount of moisture in vertical beds is limited. Plus, soil raised above the ground is dried faster by the wind. Therefore, it will have to be watered much more often (in hot weather, a couple of times a day).

This problem can be solved by using special drip irrigation systems.. In this case, moisture will be periodically supplied to the roots of the plants without your participation. You can also use hydrogel - a special type of polymer that can absorb large amounts of moisture and gradually release it to plants. It is added to the soil used for planting.

One more nuance will need to be taken into account. Due to the small volume of soil, the plants will have to be constantly fed with fertilizers. Otherwise, with an undeveloped root system, the planted crops will begin to wither.

Plus, when planting beds vertically, it is impossible to grow perennial crops with a developed root system. After all, for these purposes it would be necessary to fill up too much soil. You can plant any kind of greens, cucumbers, low-growing tomatoes, strawberries, strawberries and some types of flowers with small roots in them. Although some gardeners manage to grow even potatoes in vertical beds.

Read also: Do-it-yourself drip irrigation device in a greenhouse: from a barrel, a plastic bottle, or even an automatic system. For tomatoes and other crops (Photo & Video)+Reviews

Planting petunia

Another significant disadvantage of vertical beds is soil freezing. For annual crops, this is not a problem - after all, they simply will not survive until winter. Containers with perennial plants will have to be removed and insulated annually. They are placed on the surface of the earth in places protected from the wind and covered with spruce branches or covering material. Do not forget that in early spring the covers must be removed, otherwise they will lock up.

For the winter, the plants can be moved to a dry basement or vegetable store. However, the temperature in them should not exceed 5-7 C. At normal room temperature, it will not be possible to provide plants with a period of winter dormancy.

When hanging vertical beds from wood and plaster surfaces, you should leave a small space between them for ventilation. Otherwise, at the point of contact, the fence or wall will quickly begin to rot.

Types of vertical beds

They can be made from any waste or scrap materials. But to make such beds look impressive, try to match the color and texture of the containers with the overall design style of the site.

There are many ideas for vertical beds. To create them you can use:

• PVC pipes
• containers made of metal mesh
• cinder blocks
• plastic barrels with holes made in which plants will be planted
• flower pots
• boxes assembled from wooden boards or plywood; Vertical beds can be made from this material in the form of shelves or original pyramids; In such structures, large ornamental plants are placed in the lower, widest part, and small ornamental plants are placed at the very top.
• car tires of different sizes
• old pallets
• ready-made plastic or wooden boxes or boxes from old furniture
• canvas or synthetic bags (for example, flour or sugar bags)
• large plastic bags or bottles

You can simply buy special bags up to 2 m long with pre-prepared holes for vertical beds. They are intended mainly for planting strawberries, but they can also be used for other types of plants.

Vertical structures can be made either one-sided (when attached to vertical surfaces) or double-sided. In the latter case, plants that do not require a lot of light are planted on the shady side.

It is better not to use metal containers for filling soil. In hot weather, they will quickly heat up in the sun, burning the plants. At night, on the contrary, the metal will cool greatly.

Bed made of PVC pipes

How to make a vertical bed like this? To create it you will need two types of pipes. The first of them, sewer pipes, intended for backfilling soil, must have a larger diameter (from 150 mm). Since the height of the beds should be equal to the height of an adult, they are cut to 2 m. Structures of greater length are undesirable - after all, caring for plants in them will be inconvenient.

Since it is unrealistic to shed the soil well when watering in such a long container, a narrower perforated pipe is inserted inside the wide pipe. For ease of watering, it should protrude 10-15 cm above the main pipe. It is into it that water will be poured. To protect the holes from clogging with soil, it is wrapped with thick fabric (burlap or synthetic non-woven material), which is secured with rope. To prevent water from stagnating in the lower part of the bed, the end of the pipe is plugged with a stopper or covered with tape. To protect against wind-blown debris, a cap is also installed on top of the structure.

Perforated holes of larger diameter (up to 15 cm) are also located along the entire length of the wide pipe. Plants will be planted in them. You should not make holes too often - the optimal distance between them is 20-25 cm.

To protect against silting, small stones are placed in the lower part. Next, fertile soil is laid into the structure. Garden crops are planted in such beds so that the stems have an inclination angle of 40 degrees.

All that remains is to attach the structure to any vertical support - a frame made of wooden beams or channels, a pole or a fence. Caring for planted plants consists of periodic loosening, weeding and regular watering. Fertilizer diluted in water is also poured into the pipe intended for irrigation.

It is better to plant perennial crops in such a pipe on three sides, without affecting the fourth. In this case, in the fall it can be laid on the ground, and covered with grass mulch, spruce branches or spunboard, protected from winter frosts.

Shallow vertical beds for greenery can also be made from pipes cut horizontally. They are hung on ropes or placed on shelves.

Beds made of burlap or large plastic bags

Such products can be mounted on any vertical structures - walls or fences. The principle of making vertical beds from bags is similar to the previous one. They are hung by making holes in them in advance and inserting a pipe inside for irrigation, or they are placed horizontally on shelves.

Each of these materials has its own advantages. Natural jute bags They perfectly allow moisture and air to pass through, so the plant roots will “breathe” in them. Plastic bags will allow you to better retain precious moisture, and the beds will have to be watered a little less often. But do not forget to fill the bottom of such plastic containers with drainage made of small pebbles or broken bricks, otherwise the roots of the plants will rot.

The optimal diameter of the beds is 20 cm. To create a structure of greater height, bags made of burlap or synthetic fabric will need to be sewn together. For ease of hanging, a durable handle made of the same fabric is attached to the top. To plant seedlings, small cuts are made along the entire length of the bag every 15-20 cm.

Improvised small flower pot pockets sewn from burlap suspended on a vertical surface look original. In this case, soil consumption will be less.

Vertical gardening with pots

It’s even easier to build such a vertical bed. It only requires a wooden or metal frame on which the flower pots will be placed. You can use both clay and plastic containers.

Pots of different sizes can also be placed on an improvised pyramid. The largest pots are placed on the bottom shelf, and containers with small plants or herbs are placed at the top. In order not to accidentally knock down the flowerpots, it is better to additionally attach them to the frame with ropes or strong wire. Watering is carried out in the usual way - the soil in each of the pots is watered with a watering can.

To create vertical gardening, you can also prepare a metal post-frame with a thick wire welded to it, bent into a ring. Pots with planted crops will be inserted into such rings.

You can also get a vertical pyramid from pots of different sizes in another way. They are simply placed on top of each other - a smaller pot is placed on the largest pot, and the next one is placed on it. The smallest pot is placed at the top of the pyramid. A variety of plants are planted in the space remaining between them. Such a pyramid looks most successful when decorated with climbing annuals - petunias, sweet peas, gloxinia, bell-shaped grapes, etc.

An example of a vertical bed made from flowerpots

An interesting design can be obtained by placing the flower pots in any order and at different angles.

Another example of decorative design

To do this, a strong pole is dug into the ground, which will serve as a frame. Flower pots are attached to it using wire at different angles. The option in which plastic containers are “strung” on a pole looks interesting.. In this case, you will need to make holes in their bottoms.

Pyramid made from old tires

The principle of its assembly is similar to creating vertical beds from flowerpots. Tires of different sizes, from the largest to the smallest, filled with fertile soil, are placed on top of each other. Seedlings are planted in the resulting gap. You can make several holes for it in the rubber itself. To do this, use a chisel.

Since rubber can reliably store heat, a pyramid bed made of tires can be used for planting cabbage seedlings or growing early greens. After the first harvest, a structure made of rubber wheels is used for planting plants with a short growing season - radishes, dill, coriander (cilantro), parsley, lettuce.

Green beds made of wooden boards

The board structure can have any shape. It can be made in the form of a ladder with drawer steps, a shelf or a pyramid. Any gardener can assemble such a bed.

To make pyramids, they are taken on four support boards and the upper corners are cut off. In these places the boards will lean against the central support post. It is more convenient to determine the length of the shelf boards after the main frame has been assembled.

The finished structure is transferred to a permanent place, soil is poured between the boards, which is compacted tightly.

Construction from old pallets (pallets)

To create a vertical bed for strawberries, flowers or herbs, just install the tray vertically, attach it to a reliable support in the form of a wall or pillars dug into the ground. Since the holes between the boards in the pallets are too large, and the soil will constantly spill out of them, it is better to attach a metal mesh, burlap with holes cut in it, or lay a layer of straw on the inside of each pallet.

The pallet can simply be leaned against a vertical support, for reliability, screwing the upper part with bolts or screws, thus obtaining an inclined bed.

Beds made of construction mesh

The main advantage of such structures is the creation of structures of any size, including large ones. You can grow any type of plant in them, including those with impressive roots, for example,

Mesh construction

You can make a vertical bed from a mesh in a short time. It is bent into the shape of a pipe with a diameter of about 0.9-1.0 m and filled with fertile soil. To protect the soil from weeds, the sides of the container are first filled with straw. For ease of watering, it is better to place a perforated plastic pipe in the center.

Plants are planted simultaneously with filling the soil. That is, we place potato seeds or seedlings of greens, tomatoes, peppers at the same level, add a layer of soil on top (for potatoes at least 0.5 m, tomatoes 0.3-0.35 m, for greens this distance can be much less), we plant the plants again.

Such improvised tall pots are placed in random order on the site. Since containers with soil will have considerable weight, filling it and planting plants is done on site.

Construction from plastic boxes

Plastic bottle boxes turned on their sides and stacked on top of each other can also become an impromptu vertical bed. To prevent such a “wall” from accidentally collapsing, the boxes must not only be tied together, but also attached to a support - a wall or fence posts.

Soil is first poured into each of the boxes. To prevent it from spilling out and being blown away by the wind, the top of each of them is covered with geotextile or burlap. Then the boxes are turned on their sides and placed on top of each other in the desired sequence, for example, a ladder or in the form of a solid wall. Since the holes for bottles in the boxes are small, only some types of low-growing flowers or greens can be planted in them.

When planting plants in small containers, be sure to use a hydrogel that can retain moisture for a long time. Otherwise, the soil in them will dry out in the sun within several hours.

Strawberries in a barrel

Holes are made on the sides of the structure for planting plants.. The distance between them depends on the type of crops planted. It is also necessary to prepare several holes in the bottom of the barrel to drain excess water.

Drainage made from small stones, gravel or broken bricks is poured into the bottom of the barrel. Just as in previous cases, seedlings are planted simultaneously with filling with soil. It is better to place climbing crops (for example, cucumbers) only in the upper part of the barrel.

When planting perennial crops in such a container, transferring it for the winter will be problematic. It's better to do the following. Before the first frost sets in, make a cylinder from a metal mesh larger than the barrel itself and install it on top of the structure. Next, the gap between the barrel and the cylinder is filled with dry insulation (leaves, grass, straw). The top of the structure is wrapped with covering material. But still, during severe frosts, the plants in it may suffer.

When planting in large bags or barrels, holes are placed in a checkerboard pattern on their sides every 25 cm. To ensure that the plants have enough light, no more than 3 bags or barrels are allowed to be placed on each square meter of land.

Initially, architects began to plant vertical surfaces and used this method to create green recreation areas in the limited space of balconies and terraces.

The idea was so good that it was quickly borrowed by gardeners and farmers, because the height of the site is not limited in any way, which makes it possible to increase the usable space.

Nowadays, vertical beds are widely used by landscape designers, as they fit any created style.

In fact, any gardener can create such beauty on his own site. This does not require a lot of effort, skills or financial investment. And with a little ingenuity and imagination, you will create real Hanging Gardens of Babylon on your site.

A vertical bed has its advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages:

• ease of care. To plant, process and harvest, you do not need to bend down to the ground, all plants are at an accessible level
• plant leaves do not come into contact with the ground, therefore they are protected from fungal diseases
• saving useful site space
• when the temperature fluctuates sharply, such beds can be easily moved to the utility room
• the opportunity to decorate not only the landscape, but also the walls of buildings, fences, gazebos
• absence of weeds and pests in the soil

Flaws:

• Due to the small volumes of soil in vertical beds, nutrition of the root system is limited, so it is necessary to feed it with mineral fertilizers
• Perennial crops may not tolerate severe frosts; they should be brought indoors for the winter
• the soil dries out quickly, more frequent watering is required

Vertical bed made from pallets or pallets

For the garden bed, choose whole pallets that are not affected by rot and mold. Pay attention to the factory markings. Typically, to extend their service life, wood on pallets undergoes chemical or heat treatment.

Both options are suitable for growing ornamental plants, but for the beds from which you will harvest, use only thermally treated pallets. Be sure to check them for nails and knots.

To create a bed you will need: a pallet, non-woven covering material (agrofibre), burlap, thick fabric, soil, seedlings.

Let's get started:

1. Clean and treat the pallet with paint or a compound for exterior use.
2. cover the back side with a double layer of agrofibre, burlap or fabric
3. we plant plants starting from the bottom row
4. compact the soil tightly and fill all available space
5. We water the finished bed and leave it in a horizontal position for a month for better root germination and soil consolidation.
6. hang the bed on the wall, fence, crossbar, you can lean it against the wall

Advice: You can make pockets from agrofibre for each row of the bed. And although it will take a little longer, the soil consumption will be much less.

Idea: Pallets can become the basis for vertical flower beds and herb plantings. Paint them with bright paint, attach existing containers (flower pots or containers, buckets, painted tin cans, linen bags) and plant plants there.

Green beds made from plastic boxes

This idea of ​​plastic bottle boxes is perfect for small plants, flowers, salads, herbs. With the help of such a vertical bed, you will not only fill the table with tasty and vitamin-rich food, but you will also be able to create cozy relaxation areas.

Vertical bed of flower pots

Using ceramic or plastic pots of different sizes you can make a very simple but very beautiful garden bed. Everything is simple here: the structure is installed according to the pyramid principle.

Fill the pot with the largest diameter with soil, and place a pot of smaller diameter on top. So we install all the pots sequentially. You can make several tiers, depending on the number of pots.

From pots of the same diameter, you can make an original bed using a metal rod with a diameter slightly smaller than the hole at the bottom of the pot. Place the first pot on the ground and drive part of the rod into the ground through the hole for stability.

Fill the pot with soil, and then string each pot onto a rod and move them in different directions. The bed is ready, all that remains is to water it and plant the plants.

Vertical bed made of construction mesh

This bed is ideal for growing flowers, herbs, vegetables and even potatoes or mushrooms.

• the construction mesh must be rolled up in the shape of a pipe with a diameter of 80 - 90 cm.
• We lay a layer of straw along the outer edge and a layer of compost inside.
• We fill the soil in layers of 10 cm, plant seeds or tubers of plants in each layer and water them abundantly.

Instead of straw, you can use polyethylene or burlap. This garden bed looks impressive, takes up little space, is mobile and easy to maintain.

Vertical bed-bag

The bag bed can be placed both vertically and horizontally. Give preference to a bag made of natural material, since artificial fibers will collapse under the influence of moisture and sun without lasting even one season. Make a hanging loop on top, fill it with soil and secure it in place.

Make holes in the bag and plant seedlings or tubers in them.

By the way, you don’t have to hang the bag, but install it in a sunny area of ​​the garden or yard. The main thing is to take care of the stability or fastening of your bed.

By analogy with a bag bed, you can build mini beds from a wooden, metal or plastic barrel.

Vertical mini beds made from plastic bottles

One of the most inexpensive options, as waste is used.

Place the bottle with a screwed cap horizontally and cut off the top part, using a knife to make several holes on the opposite side. It turned out to be a wonderful planting container. Having made the required number of containers in this way, assemble them with a rope into one system, as described in the previous version.

By planting low-growing, bright flowers in such a vertical flower bed, you can create entire compositions, flowering walls, and also divide your yard into zones with colorful hedges.

Bed made of plastic pipes

Plastic pipes are affordable and easy to work with. For the beds you will need plastic pipes of small and large diameter, at least 11 cm, and possibly larger.

From cinder blocks

The height and dimensions of your bed in this case depend only on the number of blocks and free space on the site. All you have to do is show your architectural skills to build a stable structure oriented to the south.

This way your plants will receive maximum light and warmth. Try to immediately choose the most illuminated, heated and protected from the wind place for the garden bed, because moving it to another place will be quite troublesome.

Recently, so-called vertical beds are increasingly being used to grow many types of plants. Using this method you can grow strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, small melons and even watermelons, zucchini, dill, parsley and much more. Of course, at first you will have to tinker with constructing such structures. But subsequently, a lot of effort and time is saved, which is spent on watering, weed and pest control, and harvesting.

The reasons that push gardeners to create vertical beds are different. Some people have a small plot, and placing them on it will increase the yield. Some people just can’t solve the problem of watering a plot with a large slope. And someone is worried about how to hide an unpresentable-looking fence or summer house. Some people just follow fashion - if they do everything, then I should too...

To create such beds, you can use both expensive modern materials and banal plastic bottles or plastic bags. The options for arranging such beds are very diverse, and can help solve the problem of placing your plants in a limited area.

DIY device types

Vertical beds are not suitable for planting all plants.. It is best to plant light-loving plants with small roots in such structures. Perhaps, vertical beds for strawberries are most often built. It’s not at all difficult to make them with your own hands; it’s enough to have basic skills in working with simple tools.

The most affordable way

With this method, most likely, you will not have to spend any money. You will need the following materials:

• Plastic bottles with a capacity of at least 2 liters.
• Wire or twine.
• Wooden bars.
• Nails or screws.

Using a knife or scissors, plastic bottles are cut crosswise approximately in half. You will need all the top halves and some of the bottom halves, and the remaining bottom halves will not be used.

A frame of the required size is assembled from wooden blocks, and it is fastened with nails or self-tapping screws. The lower halves of the bottles are placed on the lower block and filled with a mixture of nutrient soil and hydrogel. The caps on the upper halves of the bottles are slightly opened; this is necessary so that when watering, excess water slowly flows from the upper rows of the halves to the lower ones. A mixture of soil and hydrogel is poured into the upper halves, after which they are placed with the plug down into the lower halves.

Each subsequent higher row is constructed similarly. The resulting horizontal rows are kept from falling by horizontal strips attached to the vertical slats of the bed frame on both sides. The bottle halves simply stand nestled one inside the other and are kept from moving sideways by wooden slats.

And now seedlings are planted in the bottle halves, immediately watered and the bed is placed in a sunny place. Such a bed can be hung on a fence or the wall of a summer shower, or placed in the aisle. Each plant will have to be watered separately.

Bottle option

With this method, the bottles in the row will be positioned horizontally, and the rows themselves will be positioned vertically: one above the other. In plastic bottles, oval holes are cut with a knife of such a size that it is convenient to plant strawberries.

Then you need to put together a shelf from boards or bars, which will serve as the basis of the entire bed. A mixture of soil and hydrogel is poured into the homemade pots obtained from bottles and strawberries are planted, and the pots themselves are placed on a shelf.

From plastic pipes

This method is more progressive, but also more expensive. To create such a bed with your own hands for strawberries, you will need:

• Plastic pipes with a diameter of 11-15 centimeters.
• Plugs for plastic pipes with a diameter of 11-15 centimeters.
• PVC or metal-plastic pipe.
• Wire or twine.
• Agrofabric.
• Coarse gravel.

Pipes in such beds can be located both vertically and horizontally, hanging one above the other. For the first method, holes with a diameter of 7-10 cm are made in a plastic pipe with a diameter of 110 mm in a checkerboard pattern, the distance between the holes in a vertical row is 20-25 cm. These will be “windows” for strawberries growing in the pipe. One side is left without holes; the pipe will rest on it in winter, and when installing the bed, this side should be facing north. A plastic plug is put on the pipe; this end of the pipe will be the bottom.

The PVC or metal-plastic pipe will be located in the center of the large pipe, it is intended for drip watering of plants. To do this, holes are drilled in it using a drill with a diameter of 3 mm. Through them, moisture will flow to the root system of the plants, so you must immediately ensure that the holes approximately correspond to the location of the roots.

To prevent water from escaping through the lower end of the tube, a plug is placed at the bottom. The tube for drip irrigation is tightly wrapped in agro-fabric, which is secured with wire or twine. This will prevent the water drainage holes from becoming clogged. The tube is inserted into a large pipe. The smaller pipe should run through the center of the larger one. A 10-15 cm layer of gravel is immediately added below, and a small amount of soil above is added, which is necessary for planting the first, lowest row of strawberry seedlings. Strawberry seedlings are placed in the “windows” and immediately covered with soil on top. After this, the rest of the strawberries are planted from bottom to top in the same way.

If PVC pipes are suspended horizontally, holes for plants are made every 20-25 cm on only one side of the pipe, and the other side is left without holes. The length of the pipe in this case can be limited only by the size of the area, but every 1.5-2.0 m it is recommended to fasten the pipe to a vertical support to avoid it sagging under its own weight. Plugs are placed on the pipes on both sides. The pipe is filled with nutrient soil and installed with the holes facing up, and seedlings are planted in the holes. Drip irrigation is installed either from above, so that moisture reaches each plant, or inside the pipe, similar to the previous method.

Hanging beds for strawberries

The basis of this type of beds will be a very strong plastic bag. The bag is filled with soil and cuts are made in it using a knife at a distance of at least 20 cm from each other. Then the bag is tied very tightly at the top and hung, for example, from fence boards or from a specially driven hook on the wall of a building. You can also sew a strong handle to the top of the bag.

If there is no such bag, you can sew or solder it yourself from strong polyethylene with a thickness of at least 0.2 mm. The dimensions of the bag are arbitrary, the main thing is to take into account the weight of the future hanging bed: the bag should not tear under the weight of the soil.

Strawberries or wild strawberries are planted in the holes made. If the top of the bag is tied, then it is recommended to install a vertical tube with holes in the bag to water the strawberries. If the bag is hung by the handle and the top of the bag is open, then you can water the strawberries through it from a watering can.

Strawberries in “pockets”

Another way to create a hanging bed. The bed is made from soft materials. To create it, you will need to purchase insulation with foil, for example, penofol or aluf. Foil, due to its reflective properties, will significantly reduce the evaporation of moisture from the soil inside the “pockets”. The insulation will need to be sewn on a sewing machine or by hand with strong thread.

Having decided on the size of the bed, fold the insulation in half and cut it according to the required dimensions, leaving an allowance of 2-3 cm for the seams. The outer seams are sewn, and another seam is sewn at a distance of 5-7 cm below the uppermost horizontal seam. Twine or wire is subsequently threaded between these seams, with the help of which the finished bed is suspended. Then the “pockets” themselves are marked and stitched and cuts are made in the insulation for filling the soil inside and planting plants. It is recommended to make no more than three “pockets” per meter of insulation. This method is suitable not only for strawberries, but also for greens, low varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers, and ornamental plants.

Disadvantages of vertical arrangement

Such beds have many advantages over conventional ones, but still have a number of disadvantages. Disadvantages of vertical bed arrangement:

We can say that the work of caring for vertical beds is much easier than working with conventional beds. There is no need to bend your back or bend over. There will be fewer weeds and pests. Strawberries grown in such conditions do not touch the soil. This means that it will be clean and less susceptible to rotting.