How to Keep Your Tower Garden Thriving All Summer Long!

Summer’s rolling in hot—especially if you're in Florida! But don’t sweat it. With a little planning and a few simple tweaks, your Tower Garden can flourish all summer long. Ready to grow? Let’s dive in!

1. Start Fresh: Clean That Tower!
2. Pick the Perfect Location
3. Choose Your Crops Wisely
4. Dial in Your Nutrients
5. Water Wisely

1. Start Fresh: Clean That Tower!

Before kicking off your summer garden, give your Tower Garden a good cleaning. If it’s been growing for six months, it’s time to take it apart and freshen it up. Trust us—it makes a world of difference! Need help? Check out our post on how to clean your Tower with one magic ingredient (spoiler: no heavy scrubbing required!).

2. Pick the Perfect Location

Where you place your Tower Garden makes all the difference! Consider these key factors:

Temperature

• If your highs are under 105°F, outdoor growing is totally doable (with the right tricks).
• Over 105°F? Consider bringing your Tower indoors with LED grow lights.
• We highly recommend using the Tower Garden FLEX outdoors in summer—its larger 20-gallon reservoir holds more water, keeping your plants happy and hydrated.

Sunlight: More is More!

• Leafy greens, herbs, and non-fruiting crops need at least 5 hours of direct sun.
• Fruiting crops like tomatoes and peppers need at least 8 hours of direct sun.
• Don’t make the mistake of putting your Tower in the shade—plants need sunlight to thrive!

Shade Cloth: Do You Need One?

• If temps are under 100°F, skip the shade cloth.
• If temps exceed 100°F, a 30% shade cloth can help. But remember—shade reduces light, so factor that in when planning your crop selection!

Surface Matters!

• Placing your Tower on a hot surface (like concrete or a deck that burns your feet) can overheat your water.
• Use a dolly or rubber mat to minimize heat transfer and keep your plants from getting too toasty!

Quick Recap:

✔ Only use a Tower Garden FLEX outside in summer.
✔ Under 105°F? Grow outside. Over 105°F? Move indoors.
✔ 5+ hours of sun for greens & herbs; 8+ hours for fruiting crops.
✔ Hot surface? Use a dolly or mat to protect your reservoir.

3. Choose Your Crops Wisely

Not all plants love the heat! Stick with heat-tolerant varieties to avoid frustration.

Good Summer Crops:

• Lettuces (yep, some varieties can handle the heat!)
• Squash
• Peppers
• Eggplant
• Celery
• Basil (and other herbs!)

Pro Tip: Limit large vining crops to six or fewer—they guzzle water like crazy, and an overgrown Tower can invite disease. New to Tower Gardening? Check out our detailed post on Selecting the Best Seedlings for success!

4. Dial in Your Nutrients

Getting the right balance of nutrients is key! Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Use 20ml each of Mineral Blend A & B per gallon of water (full strength).
• When starting fresh seedlings, cut that in half (10ml each per gallon).
• If temps exceed 85°F, reduce nutrients to half-strength (or even quarter-strength in extreme heat).
• More water doesn’t mean more nutrients—keep the balance right!

Golden Rule: Less is more when it comes to minerals in the summer heat!

5. Water Wisely

Water is the lifeblood of your Tower Garden, but not all water is created equal! Here’s what you need to know:

✔ Well Water: Great to use! Just don’t run it through a softener first.
✔ Rainwater: Generally fine, but may need pH adjustments.
✔ Reverse Osmosis (RO): Works well.
✔ City Water: Contains chlorine & chloramine—use a simple outdoor filter to remove them!

Final Summer Success Checklist

✅ Choose a sunny location (5+ hours for greens, 8+ for fruiting crops)
✅ Use a shade cloth & dolly if necessary
✅ Pick heat-tolerant crops
✅ Adjust nutrients to half or quarter-strength in high temps
✅ Use filtered water if on city water

Follow these simple steps, and you’ll have a thriving Tower Garden all summer long. Happy growing! 🌱☀️