Best Tower Garden Reviews & Guide
The tower garden systems have slowly been gaining popularity among gardeners.
Yet, many people are still intrigued about how exactly it works.
This article introduces you to everything you need to know about tower gardening, particularly aeroponics (I’ve explained what this means below).
I have also included reviews of the best tower garden you would find so as to help you get started immediately you read the article. Enjoy!
Best Tower Garden
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Image | Product | Features | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Green Thumb | Garden Tower 2 |
| Check Current Price |
Best Choice | Juice Plus Tower Garden |
| Check Current Price |
Solid Option | Mr. Stacky Smart Farm |
| Check Current Price |
High Ratings | Aerospring Indoor Growing System |
| Check Current Price |
Easy To Install | Mr. Stacky 5-Tier Strawberry and Herb Garden Planter – Stackable Gardening Pots with 10 Inch Saucer (Stone) |
| Check Current Price |
Best Tower Garden Reviews
1 | Garden Tower 2: 50-Plant Composting Container Garden
- Plants: 50 or more
- Dimensions: 43″ Tall x 24.5″ Wide
- Weight: 36 lbs (~220 lbs with moist soil)
One of the benefits of tower gardening is how it conserves space. This tower garden demonstrates how you really stack up to save space.
With it, you can grow up to 50 garden beauties grown from seeds at the same time in only four square feet.
You can easily grow them in your kitchen without any inhibition. The tower can support a weight of up to 1000 pounds and that enables you to grow many fruit crops started by seeds without worrying about burdening the container.
However, it is not an aeroponic system as it requires some soil to grow.
But I don’t think that diminishes the quality and benefits to be gained.
For example, as apparent from its name, it is integrated with a vermicomposting nutrient delivery system which boosts the nutrients available to the garden and makes them grow better.
This vermicomposting system at the tower’s core is powered by kitchen waste such as food scrap and so it’s a good way to put your waste to use rather than trashing them.
The Garden Tower 2 has 6 steps which can be easily rotated to allow every plant optimum sunlight. That means I would be gardening for a long time without having to worry so much about my tower container.
PROS
- You can grow not 20, or 30, but 50 garden green vegetables, herbs, or flowers
- It requires a tiny space
- The container is lightweight but strong enough to support the weight of many fruit crops.
- The vermicomposting nutrient delivery system provides optimum conditions for plant growth.
- Easy to recycle kitchen waste as manure
CONS
- No integrated watering system
- Not suitable for planting vines
- Required to change the soil and clean the container
CHECK CURRENT PRICE: Garden Tower 2: 50-Plant Composting Container Garden
2 | Juice Plus Tower Garden – Grow 32 Plants
- Plants: 32 or more
- Dimensions: 58″x 24″ x 24″ inches
- Warranty: 5 Year limited
The Juice Plus Tower Garden HOME is designed to help you get started with gardening immediately you purchase it. I would explain.
One, it comes with a variety of starter seeds that are ready to be grown, alongside other materials necessary for their growth. It’s like you are purchasing a full, customizable farm.
The tower also comes with a germination tray for the seeds, Rockwell cubes that are a primary growing medium for veggies, and vermiculite that ensure that the garden grow under perfect conditions.
Other tools included are a measuring cup, pH test kit, etc., all to enable optimum plant growth.
It also has a water pump and its own automatic watering system operated by a timer so that you don’t have to worry about your plant’s growth.
There are also LED lights fitted into the tower to provide the garden with regular lighting especially if you decide to set up the tower garden indoors because of harsh weather. In all, it is a sophisticated watering system with spaces for up to 32 plants.
It is also the most expensive item on this list, but to me, its features and effectiveness justify the high cost.
However, even the manufacturers allow installment payments while providing excellent customer support with repairs for defective parts.
PROS
- Multiple accessories to aid plant growth
- Automatic watering system
- LED lights fitted
- Superior Customer support
- An aeroponics system requiring no soil
CONS
- Very expensive one for a garden container
CHECK CURRENT PRICE: Juice Plus Tower Garden – Grow 32 Plants
3 | Mr. Stacky Smart Farm
- Plants: 20 or more
- Dimensions: 18.5″ x 18.5″ x 49″
- Water Reservoir: 16 Gallon Tank (Lasts 2-3 Weeks)
The Mr. Stacky garden container can handle only twenty plants, which is common with most tower garden containers.
But what most people love about it is that it’s, as its name says, smart!
People may automate different garden functions and that greatly reduces the amount of time and effort I’m spending.
For instance, it comes with a water tank that ensures the automatic watering of the plants based on the timer you have set.
The water tank measures 16 gallons and can last up to two or three weeks. That means I don’t have to worry about my plants even if I’m away from home for some days, as far as I have set the watering timer.
It is more of a hydroponic system (water-based, rather than aeroponic) though you can decide to use soil too if you like.
The freedom of choice is helpful for those who are undecided or still don’t know much about growing a hydroponic garden.
However, the manufacturer provides support through a written growing guide and online chat for customers who are not yet used to hydroponics, which I think is excellent.
It is a smaller and cheaper option compared to Garden Tower 2. I’ve come to realize this if you are not going to grow too many plants yet desire a tower garden that fits your basic needs.
PROS
- Automated irrigation
- Versatility (you can grow plants with dirt or water)
- It requires even smaller space
- It comes with liquid nutrients
- Rotatable pots
CONS
- Expensive for a tower garden
- It does not have a wheelbase for easy movement around
CHECK CURRENT PRICE: Mr. Stacky Smart Farm
4 | Aerospring Indoor Hydroponic System
- Plants: 27 or more
- Dimensions: 72″ x 28″ | 185cm x 72cm
- Weight: 70 lbs (~250 lbs in operation)
This is a unique product, the most versatile tower garden on this list and unlike the two products above, it’s an aeroponic gardening system.
At ten feet, it takes a little more space than each of the previous options, but that isn’t too much to deal with, especially as it can hold up to 27 plants. So get your seeds growing.
If you hardly have any outdoor space for growing a garden, then Aerospring would make a good choice since it is designed for both indoor and outdoor use.
Many gardeners have to wait for favorable months to grow their plants. But with Aerospring, you can grow plants all-year-round.
It comes with an indoor accessory kit and professional LED lights to keep the plants healthy regardless of the weather.
The indoor accessory kit consists of a transparent tent that keeps your plants protected.
It also comes with an automatic watering system to keep your plants fresh all day long.
You can control both the lighting and irrigation systems with a mobile app. It is one of the most comfortable garden towers that I have seen.
Besides, you can move it around anywhere you want indoors since it has a wheelbase. I love this 2-in-1 gardening system because it is smart, versatile, and convenient to use.
PROS
- The most versatile (soil, aeroponic, or hydroponic, as well as indoor or outdoor)
- LED lights to keep plants growing indoors
- Automatic irrigation system
- Mobile app for easy operation
- Wheelbase for easy movement around
- It can be used to grow up to 27 plants
- Easy airflow management
CONS
- Takes up a large amount of space
- High upfront cost
CHECK CURRENT PRICE: Aerospring Indoor Hydroponic System
5 | 5-Tier Strawberry and Herb Garden Planter
- Plants: 20 or more
- Dimensions: 12″x12″x18″
- Total Soil Volume: 28 Quarts
This is the lightest weight product to use but it is strong enough to support the weight of many fruit crops.
It is also the cheapest option on this list. If you want a garden tower without having to shell out a lot of money, then this might be the best affordable option for you.
The tower itself consists of, according to its name, 5 tiers of 4 planting units each, which means you can grow up to 20 plants at the same time.
The same Mr. Stacky brand is the manufacturer of this as well, by the way. Though the name carries ‘strawberry’, you really can use it to grow most types of herbs and fruits.
And yes, you can do this outdoors or indoors, since it is compact and only takes a tiny amount of space.
The only downside might be that it doesn’t have the sophisticated functions that the others have. But that’s okay since it’s designed to be a basic option.
However, it has a special water flow system that allows water to pass easily from the top to the bottom. That means you would only need to water the top-level plants. Also, it requires soil, though in little amounts for the plants to grow.
I would recommend it, especially for beginners to tower gardening who are still unfamiliar with hydroponics and aeroponics.
PROS
- Least Expensive of the bunch
- Strong and durable material
- Tiny size so it takes up only a little space
- Easy water flow management
CONS
- Soil is required
- Lacks automation and other smart functions
- Ideal for only small plants
CHECK CURRENT PRICE: 5-Tier Strawberry and Herb Garden Planter
What is a Tower Garden?
Back in high school, our science teacher had us carry out an intriguing experiment. Each person was to get a tin or jar and sprout a bean seed in it with nothing else but tissue paper and some water.
It worked! And then we transplanted the sprouts to the school’s farm to sprout normally.
Before that experiment, I never knew that any plant could grow without soil, and that was an important lesson.
Later on, I would find out that you could even do without water.
That is called aeroponics, of which tower gardens are a prominent type. Aeroponics is a system of growing plants in an air or mist environment.
A tower garden is a vertical garden that allows you to plant a wide range of vegetables, indoors or outdoors.
So, it is basically a garden on a tower. And in this case, the tower is a plastic container, but not just any type of plastic container.
It worked!
And then we transplanted the seeds that sprouted to the school’s farm to grow normally. Before that experiment, I never knew that any plant could grow without soil, and that was an important lesson.
Later on, I would find out that you could even do without water. That is called aeroponics, of which tower gardens are a prominent type. Aeroponics is a system of growing plants in an air or mist environment.
A tower garden is a vertical garden that allows you to produce a wide range of vegetables, indoors or outdoors.
So, it is basically a garden on a tower. And in this case, the tower is a plastic container, but not just any type of plastic container.
But note that a tower garden is not always aeroponics. There are some which require soil or even water (hydroponic)
Tower gardens usually have different compartments for each part and the system you prefer would determine the type of tower containers you would purchase.
The smallest types can usually hold up to 20 or more plants. I started using the tower garden system two years ago and I really wish I had been introduced to it much earlier.
Are Tower Gardens Worth It?
Apparently, not every plant can be grown using aeroponics. Some plants simply require soil to even sprout. But you would still have a wide range of vegetables, flowers, spices, etc. to choose from if you decide to go for it.
Tower gardens require less management and resources than traditional gardens would.
You don’t need either soil or water; all you need are chemical nutrients that make the plants produce well. Some tower garden containers even come with their own artificial lighting source.
But you are probably wondering if it’s worth it. I had such doubts too when I began. Then I decided to try a tower garden for some time and compare it to my small traditional garden.
Since that first time, I have always had a tower garden at my house. I spend less money buying fruits and vegetables because I can produce all I want at home.
Besides, the plastic containers in which the plants are grown are food-grade plastics, USDA-approved, and UV-stabilised.
You are also growing plants without soil, which is known to harbor dirt and many contaminants.
Therefore vegetables and fruits grown using tower gardening are totally safe for consumption.
What are the Benefits of a Tower Garden?
So, compared to traditional soil gardening, how would aeroponics tower gardens help you?
- Use Less Space: traditional gardening requires space, lots of space. But not everyone has space to accommodate their gardening needs. Perhaps you fall in that category too.
A tower garden is a vertical growing system, and so, you can produce tens of plants, per your needs and wants, on a tower rather than spread out on the ground. This could save you up to 90% of the space you would use otherwise. - Put Less Effort: some people really want to garden but simply don’t have the time to handle the stress. A tower garden is easier to manage. For instance, soil gardening means you have to weed, till, dig, water, etc.
Tower gardening eliminates all that. In fact, if you are entirely a beginner to home gardening, I would recommend beginning with a tower garden because it eases a lot of stress. - Get Better Results: which are backed by scientific research, the tower garden system can increase yields by up to 30% and even more, depending on the plant.
Likewise, plants that are grown in a tower garden grow up to 3 times faster than those grown in soil.
So if you have been bothered about how much time, effort, and resources, traditional gardening costs, as I had been, tower gardens would make a great alternative, and even yield better results.
What Grows Well in a Tower Garden?
Like I mentioned above, there are many vegetables you can’t produce with a tower garden system. But there are likewise many greens that you can.
For one, you can’t grow root crops using aeroponics for food, though some have experimented with vegetables like carrots.
Such crops simply need soil to grow and there are no alternatives.
Likewise, certain fruit crops can’t be grown as well, especially those whose fruits tend to get very heavy when mature; the container may not be able to support them.
If you want to grow these plants, then you can maintain a small soil garden for them alongside a tower garden for everything else.
Tower gardens can be used to grow most fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc.
Common vegetables & herbs that grow well using this system include:
- Lemongrass
- Okro
- Pumpkin
- Broccoli
- Amaranth
- Lettuce
- Beans
- Beans
- Leeks
- Rosemary
- Spinach
- Thyme
- Tomatoes
- Cauliflower
Most flowers can be grown in a tower garden.
The important thing to note here is that, just like traditional soil gardening, you should research the specific methods that work best for each plant before you set out.
Green thumb Gardener occasionally links to product and/or services offered by vendors to assist you with all your gardening needs. Some of these may be affiliate links, meaning we earn a small commission if items are purchased.
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Final Thoughts
Of all these choices, my favorite is the Garden Tower 2 System.
Even though expensive, it is packed with features, materials, and accessories that would make my plants get bigger under optimum conditions.
If you want a simpler and non-pricey option, then you could go for the 5-Tier Strawberry and Herb Garden Planter. Nonetheless, all the products are great and make for safe planting.
Your final choice would depend on your specific needs, preferred gardening method (soil, hydroponic, or aeroponic), and also your expertise.
I have had a great time and excellent results gardening, especially using tower gardens, and I’m sure you would.