Vertical Gardening

for Food Production in Urban

Communities1

1 Seminar presented at DA-BAR, Diliman, Quezon City, March 23,2017 2 University Researcher, UPLB, Institute of Crop Science

Elena C. Ros2

Technology Enhancement

and Promotion of

Rooftop and Vertical Gardening for

Food Production in Urban Communities

Lead Agency: Institute of Crop Science , College of Agriculture & Food Science, UPLB,

College, Laguna

Funding Agency: Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agriculture Research, Diliman,

Quezon City

Project proponents:

Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr. (UPLB Chancellor & Project Leader)

Ms. Elena C. Ros (University Researcher/Co-project Leader)

1

Why grow vertically?

•enable to grow veggies without bending or getting on your knees,

avoiding back pain

•space saving especially where there is no land or limited area

•can be moved from outside to indoors especially during bad

weather

•easy to set up, low maintenance, easy to clean

•keep veggies off the ground, protecting plants fron soil-borne

pests/diseases

•can be moved to places to take advantage of sunlight & air circulation

•soilless culture means no or fewer weeds in medium

•can avoid prying eyes of intruders

•easier harvesting

Limitations/considerations

•need a sunny wall space, most veggies need

minimum of 6hrs sunlight/day

•garden should not be taller than you can

•support system must be strong enough to handle

the weight

•garden should be near source of water

•garden should be away from trees or shrubs which

will shade or compete with garden for sunlight

Advantages of having a garden at home (balcony, terrace, garage)

•filters noise & dust

•helps cool the air flowing into your home through open windows

•provides pleasure by enhancing views from the inside

•positive impact on the environment = mitigating urban heat island

effect

•makes an underutilized space into a cherished outdoor room

•pleasure of preparing meals from vegetables harvested in your own

garden

Where to place vertical garden

•balconies, veranda, terrace

•garage

•rooftop/deck

•wall

•side of fence

•green house

Design of vertical garden depends on

•available material

•space

•local preferences

•creativity & imagination of the users

Crops that can be grown in vertical garden

•vegetables

•herbs

•ornamentals

•medicinal plant

Growing media

•garden soil and its combination

•lightweight,soilless material (perlite,vermiculite,

carbonated rice hull, sphagnum moss, clay pellets,

coco peat )

Vertical garden ideas/designs

Pyramid garden

Tower garden

Hanging garden/bottle garden

Tray garden

Stair /pyramid garden

Trellis

Steel frame garden

Flora felt/ pocket

Gutter system

Freestanding garden/layered wooden boxes in a frame

Panel/modular garden

Panel

garden

VERTICAL & ROOFTOP

GARDENING AT UPLB-

INSTITUTE OF CROP SCIENCE

Cherry tomato

Hydroponic drip irrigation

system

Cucumber

sweet peas

sweet pepper

eggplant

Control Panel(timer)

Return Pipe (Filter Catch Basin)

Solenoid Valves

Irrigation Lines

Source Tank (1,000 Liter)

Pump

Drip irrigation system

Sphagnum Moss Perlite Clay Pellet

Coco Peat Vermiculite Carbonized Rice Hull

soilless growing media

Vertical Container Gardening using Wick System Culinary herbs grown using wick irrigationsystem

Sphagnum Moss

Perlite

Clay Pellet

Vermiculite

Growing Media in Vertical Wick System soilless growing media

Wick System Diagram wick irrigation system

cucumber

celery lettuce coriander

baby carrot lettuce

Culinary herbs in coco peat & sphagnum moss

(wick) and cucumber in dutch bucket Lettuce in pyramid & tower planter

lettuce

Cherry tomato Cherry tomato & eggplant

Baby carrot Lettuce

rooftop/vertical garden serves as learning laboratory of Crop Science Students

UP Pres. Danilo Concepcion & his wife Atty. Concepcion plus UPLB officials &staff

UP President Danilo Concepcion & party at the rooftop/vertical garden at UPLB (March

10,2017)

Garden enthusiasts from UPLB Office of the Vice Chancellor for Admin.

visited the rooftop/vertical garden (March 16,2017)

Seminar/lecture/technology demonstration and field

visit may be conducted upon request by interested

group /organization etc.

Kindly address your request to:

Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr.

Project Leader & UPLB Chancellor

Institute of Crop Science

College of Agriculture & Food Science

UP Los Banos

“ Gardening simply does not allow one to be mentally old, because too many hopes and dreams are yet to be realized ’’ -- Allan Armitage

Thank You!!!

“Go Green… Grow Veggies”