Since population growth is soaring like never before, land for gardening is diminishing.
Consequently, people began getting creative in search of plantable space creating tower gardens, also known as vertical farms.
Tower gardens function just like skyscrapers by maximizing minimal space.
This is why the idea appealed to people that practice hydroponics because, usually, they are growing crops in tight spaces.
History of Tower Gardens
Most don’t know this, but the idea of tower gardening has been around for many years.
The Hanging Gardens were built by the Babylonians as early as 600 BC.
These amazing buildings had a variety of flowers, shrubs, and trees.
Today, tower gardening has become even more efficient with the overall increased usage of hydroponics.
In the past, soil was used as the growing medium, but now, because the hydroponics systems we use don’t have soil to weigh it down, they are much lighter.
This way you can add layers and increase your yields substantially.
Ancient systems would use water from a natural sources, and it was often the case that they had to somehow irrigate the upper tiers by using a manual screw.
Both technology and hydroponics equipment have evolved since then. Water pumps make it that much easier to do what used to take gallons of water, and gallons of time.
Another big difference between the ancient and modern tower gardens is that modern tower gardens utilise artificial lighting (called grow lights), primarily because for the most part, they are indoors.
When positioned accurately, these light fixtures can provide yields with the ability to increase your overall volume of plants.
How to Build a Hydroponic Tower Garden Yourself
So, before we get to it, you’ll need to collect the stuff you’re going to need to make your hydroponic tower garden actually work.
Materials
- A large food-safe bucket that is at least five gallons and has a lid.
- A submersible pump.
- Aquarium-safe silicon.
- Nutrient solution.
- Seedlings.
- Hydroton.
- A 4″ PVC pipe at least seven feet tall.
- A 4″ PVC bracket and a 4″ square.
- PVC solvent cement.
- Bolts and nuts.
- At least twenty 2″ net cups.
- Grow lights.
Tools
- Tape measure.
- Drill.
- Miter saw (or any hand saw).
- Rulers.
- Jigsaw.
- Sandpaper.
- Pencil and paper.
After obtaining the necessary tools and materials, follow the steps below to make your hydroponic tower.
How to Set Up Your Tower Garden Guide
Step 1: Build The Tower Pillar
To start, take the 4″ pipe and cut it into two pieces. One of those pieces should be longer than the other.
So for example, if you have a nine-foot piece of pipe, you need to cut the pieces into six feet and three feet.
Do not make a pipe longer than six feet, this is beyond the average height of many people.
After you figure out the long dimensions of pipe, by cutting it into pieces, form marks on the pipe for, planting holes, equal space throughout the length of the pipe.
Don’t Forget: the holes should also line up vertically, so that the top hole lines up with the bottom hole down the vertical column.
Step 2: Make the Net Cup Holders
The net cup holders are where you’ll grow your plants, as the name suggests.
You’ll be using PVC pipes with smaller diameters than the one you used for the tower pillar.
The number of holders you make depends on how many crops you want to grow.
Cut one end of the cup holder at a 45o angle, and leave the other end straight.
After that, put a center mark on the angled end, then glue it to the hole marks you made on the tower pillar.
Do this until you put cup holders into all of the holes.
Step 3: Glue the Cup Holders to the Tower Pillar
Unless you want your cup holders to be strong enough to hold growing plants, you will want to use glue so your holders stick permanently to the tower pillar.
This is the process:
- E.g., if you have a small hole, the holder will pop out, do you want to have a large opening, gluing will be pointless.
- You will first want to put PVC solvent on the holes on the tower pillar and on the angled side of the cup holders, as this is the one that is actually attached to the pillar.
- After you have applied the solvent, insert the holders into the pillar and make sure they fit tight with no gap. You can add additional PVC solvent to the outer surface of the pillar.
- After all of the holders are glued, you will then apply the aquarium-safe silicon acting as a sealer, and you will let the structure dry (at least one day depending on the prevailing weather conditions).
Again, the cup holders have to fit tight into the holders in the pillar. Often, a size difference will cause a problem.
Step 4: Make the Reservoir
The 5-gallon (or bigger) water bucket will be your water reservoir for your hydroponics system.
It should have a lid since this is where the hole for the tower pillar passes through will be made:
- Start by putting the 4” inch collar on top of the bucket’s lid and tracing its shape.
- Cut out a circle from the traced shape so that there is a hole for the tower pillar’s pipe to fit through.
- Once you’ve done that you’ll drill several holes around the inner edge of the cut-out circle and lightly sand them down.
- Next, you will drill two holes on the bucket for attaching the PVC bracket.
You want to make sure these holes aren’t so close to the lid that they will interfere with why you need to open and close it.
Step 5: Assembly
Now that your tower pillar and water reservoir are ready to go, you can now put them together and finish your hydroponics system!
- First, glue your PVC collar to the pipe that comes out of the reservoir (this is the shorter pipe you cut in step 1).
- While this shorter pipe is in the bucket, you can put the submersible pump into the water reservoir, and mark where the pump tubing will exit the reservoir.
- After hooking up the pump, add the tower pillar to the reservoir using the PVC collar, making sure to apply glue so that the two parts are completely stuck together, with no spaces between them.
- Now, add the tubing to the pump, and turn it on to check for leaks. If there are any leaks, let it dry up completely before carefully applying silicone.
Otherwise, leave the pump on for the night, to make sure everything works well.
Step 6: Set up the Grow Lights
Grow lights are the man-made alternative to natural light, and they work great for those who do hydroponics gardening indoors where there is no sun.
Setting up grow lights is very easy and doesn’t take a professional.
What you need is a solid structure to hold the light fixtures.
The light fixtures must be arranged vertically as you want the lights to cover as many plants as possible, and you need to correspond the arrangement of your light fixtures to the arrangement of your crops on the tower pillar.
Make sure to select a shelved structure to house the fixtures. Again, how many shelves depends on the height of your vertical gardens.
For example: A pillar that is six feet tall will require a structure that has at least three shelves, each shelf must have a 48″ grow light.
Step 7: Fill Up the Container
Once you have put it all together and get grow lights installed, let’s add water to the reservoir. While you are doing this, make sure you are leaving room to add your nutrient solution.
Also, make sure you know how to read the manufacturer’s guide so you are not mixing the nutrients incorrectly.
Once you have added water and the nutrients, check the pH level of your solution.
You will want to be at 6.0. If the pH is higher, you can add a few drops of phosphoric acid to reduce the pH, but you will need to do this slowly.
Make sure you wear gloves when handling phosporic acid.
Step 8: Plant Your Crops
The final step is to plant your crops.
Now it is time to carefully insert the seedlings into the cup holder and use hydroton for support.
It is a good idea for you to wrap an insulation foil around the outer rim of the bucket to help prevent the growth of algae and keep the temperatures cooler.
Post Preparation Care for Hydroponic Tower Gardens
Remember the work never just stops at planting your crops in your vertical garden.
Once you have the structure installed, you’ll need to conduct regular maintenance practices to keep it in pristine conditions that ensures you get high yields every planting season.
Such practices include:
- Checking for leaks – You should check your garden regularly for leakages. When the water leaks, not only is it a waste of a precious resource, but it also undermines the integrity of the structure. Water exposure may shorten the life of PVC structures if exposed to sunlight.
- Cleaning – At the end of every growing round, sterilize your tower using a bleaching agent.
- Monitoring electrical conductivity (EC) pH levels – Make sure that the pH of the contents in your reservoir correlates with the needs of your plants. (See the chart below)
| Crops | EC (m $/cm) | pH |
|---|---|---|
| Asparagus | 1.4 to 1.8 | 6.0 to 6.8 |
| African Violet | 1.2 to 1.5 | 6.0 to 7.0 |
| Basil | 1.0 to 1.6 | 5.5 to 6.0 |
| Bean | 2.0 to 4.0 | 6 |
| Banana | 1.8 to 2.2 | 5.5 to 6.5 |
| Broccoli | 2.8 to 3.5 | 6.0 to 6.8 |
| Cabbage | 2.5 to 3.0 | 6.5 to 7.0 |
| Celery | 1.8 to 2.4 | 6.5 |
| Carnation | 2.0 to 3.5 | 6 |
| Courgettes | 1.8 to 2.4 | 6 |
| Cucumber | 1.7 to 2.0 | 5.0 to 5.5 |
| Eggplant | 2.5 to 3.5 | 6 |
| Ficus | 1.6 to 2.4 | 5.5 to 6.0 |
| Leek | 1.4 to 1.8 | 6.5 to 7.0 |
| Lettuce | 1.2 to 1.8 | 6.0 to 7.0 |
| Marrow | 1.8 to 2.4 | 6 |
| Okra | 2.0 to 2.4 | 6.5 |
| Pak Choi | 1.5 to 2.0 | 7 |
| Peppers | 0.8 to 1.8 | 5.5 to 6.0 |
| Parsley | 1.8 to 2.2 | 6.0 to 6.5 |
| Rhubarb | 1.6 to 2.0 | 5.5 to 6.0 |
| Rose | 1.5 to 2.5 | 5.5 to 6.0 |
| Spinach | 1.8 to 2.3 | 6.0 to 7.0 |
| Strawberry | 1.8 to 2.2 | 6 |
| Sage | 1.0 to 1.6 | 5.5 to 6.5 |
| Tomato | 2.0 to 4.0 | 6.0 to 6.5 |
A table showing the recommended EC and pH levels for common hydroponics plants.
Top Reasons to Build a DIY Hydroponic Tower Garden
While grow lights aren’t a necessity, and you can definitely live without them, grow lights could mean the difference between a mediocre yield and stellar yields.
Here are the top reasons grow lights would definitely be a smart investment!
Get Ahead of Other Farmers Every Planting Season
Most types of farming will require waiting until the conditions are warm enough for you to start planting your crops.
The reason for this is that the cold conditions of winter can prevent appropriately germinated seeds from sprouting.
Using grow lights, however, you supply the warm conditions to grow your plants any time of year.
When the other farmers have started with their standard growing methods, your plants will already be growing.
Works better: Your production cycle will complete faster and you’ll be generating more profit due to less competition.
Grow Food Indoors
Another cool thing about grow lights is that they allow you to do indoor gardening.
For example, you can produce small plants like lettuce and other green vegetables.
Not only could it be a fun hobby, but you wouldn’t have to make multiple trips to the local supermarket.
Plus indoor gardening allows you to practice some farming whatever the time of year.
This is especially handy for people in the areas that have really harsh winters.
Better Seed Germination Rates
Ultimately greenhouse environments are a lot more constant than outside conditions for your plants.
You will have a lot more control over your indoor temperature, humidity, and moisture levels than with outdoor garden.
This enhanced control comes with several benefits such as better germination rates with seeds.
Additionally, indoor gardens offer protection from pests that may dig up the seed before it germinates or eat it immediately after it pops out of the soil.
Final Words
Even without grow lights, hydroponics is far better than any farming method.
It enables access to nutrients, oxygen, and water —so plants grow faster than crops grown in soil.
Even better, you have zero risk of catching the infections from pathogens in the soil.
When lights are added to your hydroponics system, you receive faster growing plants and less reliance on sun exposure.
The grow lights are inexpensive, and if you select LED, you will use those lights for over 50,000 hours (which equals over 5½ decades) before needing to replace them.
Hydroponics is perfect for people with limited garden area, farming enthusiasts who want a look at indoor gardening, and those homesteaders with bad soil on their farm.