Many people decide to grow fresh food in their backyards. It's the freshest food you'll ever get. If you grow your own fruits and vegetables, you can get all the groceries for your family and have all those that tasty and healthy food on your table, right from the garden. Home vegetable gardening opens numerous opportunities you sure want to take.

There is an indisputable proof that homegrown, fresh food is much healthier, tastier and cheaper than the one purchased from a local grocery store. It's therefore not surprising that many gardeners decide to grow their own produce.

While it's usually impossible to grow all of the produce your family needs, but you can grow a lot of it. You will save money and get much fresher and tastier food on the table.

However, not everyone has a large enough garden to seize this opportunity. Some people have only a small area to dedicate to gardening. It seems impossible to grow all those vegetables in such conditions. Or is it?

If you have a small garden or a very small area to dedicate to gardening, don't worry. There is a way to grow all those tasty fruits and vegetables. The solution is to go vertical. Vertical gardening gives you more space so you can grow plenty of vegetables and fruits in a really small area.

Vertical Gardening Brings Numerous Advantages

Even if you do have enough space, consider going vertical. Vertical gardening offers numerous opportunities to home gardeners. You should be aware of them and you might realize this is the best gardening method for your needs.

Keep in mind that vertical gardening can be used to grow many different types of plants. While vining plants are great for growing vertically, some smaller plants can also be grown this way. Plants such as strawberries, lettuce and radishes can easily be grown vertically. You can use hanging baskets, stackable containers and wall pockets to grow these types of plants vertically.

Here are some of the main reasons why you should consider going vertical:

Vertical Gardening Saves Space

One of the most important reasons why people go vertical is to save space. Some people don't even have much space to dedicate to gardening, so going vertical is the only option. Others just wish to save some space in their garden.

Whatever your reasons may be, vertical gardening will sure save you a lot of space. This type of gardening allows even people living in urban and suburban areas to grow fruits and vegetables. Even people living in apartments can finally grow their own produce.

Vertical Gardening Saves Time and Effort

Another advantage to vertical gardening is that it saves a lot of time and effort. Such a garden is simply easier to maintain than a regular one. Most of us are really busy, so we might not have much time to dedicate to gardening.

If this is your situation, vertical gardening can help you a lot. There is a less time required for this type of gardening compared to regular, horizontal gardening. There is less soil you need to take care of, especially if you go with container gardening.

Less soil also means less watering. Watering can be very time-consuming, especially for those who choose t hand-water their gardens. Same goes for weeding. With vertical gardening, weeding takes only a few minutes of your time or none at all. Harvesting is also quick and easy with vertical gardening. You can easily pick your fruits and vegetables at eye level. It's really easy to see everything and pick it easily with vertical gardening.

Vertical gardening is also a good choice with physical limitations. Gardeners in wheelchairs will find that vertical gardening is much easier to do than regular horizontal gardening. It's much easier to reach everything when it's vertical and not down on the ground level.

Vertical Gardening Saves Money

Vertical gardening is also great for saving money. Those who wish to make raised beds to grow their vegetables will sure benefit from vertical gardening. You will save a lot of money on purchasing sol because you won't have to build big raised beds. All you need to get is a bit of soil for the roots of your plants.

You will also save a lot of money on compost and soil amendments, even if you choose to make your own. You will only need to add it to the specific are that truly needs it: the plant roots.

While you need to invest some in various structures to make your plants climb, there is a way to save in that area. You can seek recyclable materials in your home or around it. You can basically use anything to make your plants climb. Not to mention that smaller beds mean a smaller water bill.

Vertical Gardening Means Less Problems

One of the best advantages of vertical gardening is that it brings less problems such as weeds, pests and diseases. Those few weeds you might get can easily be removed in just a few seconds.

Keep in mind that plants that are grown vertically get a much better air circulation. A better air circulation around plants also means less problems with pests and less diseases. Vertical planting makes plants stronger and healthier, which means you will have less problems while growing them.

With vertical gardening, you will have less fruit waste due to rotting. When you allow plants to grow up instead of out, you limit their contact with neighbor plants. It is another advantage since many diseases are quickly transmittable through physical contact between plants.

Vertical Gardening Brings Higher Yield

Vertical gardening can increase your fruit and vegetable production so you will have more food for your family. It's because the plants will receive better air circulation as well as sunlight. Healthy plants with less pests offer bigger yields, even if you grow them in a smaller space.

Photo credit: Ruth Hartnup