A Tower Garden doesn't require a lot of maintenance, but a few simple cleaning and maintenance habits will help keep your plants healthy and your system running smoothly. This guide covers what to check weekly, when to clean the pump and reservoir, and when it's time for a more thorough Tower Garden cleaning.
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Routine Cleaning & Maintenance
A few simple maintenance habits will help keep your Tower Garden running smoothly. Use this schedule as a practical guide rather than a rigid checklist.
👀 Daily / Every Few Days
Give your Tower a quick once-over for signs of pests or disease. Check the tops and undersides of leaves, stems and new growth. It's much easier to deal with pests when you catch them early, before they get out of hand.
Read the Pests & Diseases Guide →📅 Weekly
- Check the water level and top up the reservoir as needed. You may need to check it more often during hot weather or when you're growing large, mature plants.
- Check the pH and adjust if necessary. If your pH doesn't fluctuate much, you can check it less often. Be sure to check after adding water and minerals or if your plants start to yellow. Read the Tower Garden pH Guide →
- Add nutrients as needed based on how much water you're adding. See the Tower Garden Nutrients Guide →
- Remove long roots from the reservoir by reaching in, grabbing them and pulling them away. There's no need to use scissors. There's tubing and an electrical cord in the reservoir, and you don't want to cut either of those by mistake.
- Wipe down the outside of the Tower to remove algae, mineral buildup and general dirt.
- Remove dead, yellowing, damaged or diseased leaves from your plants.
- Remove fallen leaves and plant debris from the Tower and reservoir.
- Harvest regularly so mature plants don't become unnecessarily large or overcrowded. Overgrown plants reduce airflow and can increase the chance of pests and disease.
🧼 Monthly
Clean the pump and pump filter. Regular cleaning helps maintain good water flow and can help extend the life of your pump. Newer pumps don't have a mesh filter, so don't worry if yours doesn't have one.
See How to Clean the Pump →💧 Every 1–2 Months
Empty and refill the reservoir with fresh water and nutrients. Periodically starting with a fresh reservoir helps prevent an imbalance of minerals from developing over time.
Learn More About Nutrient Lock →🧽 About Every 6 Months / Between Major Crops
- Remove the remaining plants from the Tower and place the roots in a plastic container of water. There's no need to add minerals to the water; the plants will only be there for a short time while you clean the Tower.
- Drain the reservoir completely.
- Disassemble and thoroughly clean the Tower, reservoir, pump and other components before reassembling.
You don't have to clean your Tower on an exact six-month schedule. If you're planning to take it down in another few weeks, finish your crops and clean it then. The goal is simply to give the entire system a thorough cleaning periodically.
Follow the Complete Tower Garden Cleaning Guide →Common Cleaning & Maintenance Mistakes
Tower Garden maintenance is simple, but a few common habits can create unnecessary problems over time.
💧 Letting the Reservoir Run Too Low
Don't wait until the reservoir is almost empty before topping it up. Large, mature plants can use water surprisingly quickly, especially during hot weather. Check the water level regularly and increase how often you check it as your plants grow or temperatures rise.
🌱 Letting Roots Grow Into the Pump
Large root systems are perfectly normal. The important thing is keeping them from being sucked into or wrapping around the pump. Check around the pump regularly and simply grab and pull away any roots that are getting too close.
🐛 Waiting Until You See a Pest Problem
By the time pests are obvious from a distance, you may already have a much bigger problem to deal with. Get into the habit of looking underneath leaves and around stems and new growth so you can catch problems early.
🍂 Leaving Dead Leaves & Plant Debris
Remove dead or damaged leaves and any plant material that falls onto the Tower or into the reservoir. A quick cleanup each week keeps debris from accumulating and staining your Tower Garden.
⚙️ Waiting Until the Pump Has a Problem
Don't wait for the pump to stop working before you think about cleaning it. Regularly cleaning the pump and filter helps maintain good water flow and can help prolong the life of your pump.
🧽 Skipping the Periodic Deep Clean
You don't need to constantly take your Tower apart, but it does benefit from a thorough cleaning about twice a year. This is your opportunity to remove accumulated roots and debris and thoroughly clean areas you can't easily reach while the Tower is planted.
Tower Garden Cleaning & Maintenance FAQs
Still have questions about cleaning or maintaining your Tower Garden? Here are answers to some of the most common maintenance questions.
How often should I clean my Tower Garden?
Routine cleaning and maintenance should be done throughout the growing season, but you don't need to constantly take your Tower apart. Plan on a thorough cleaning about every six months or between major rounds of crops.
Do I need to empty my Tower Garden while plants are growing?
You don't need to drain and disassemble your Tower for routine cleaning. However, we recommend emptying the reservoir and starting with fresh water and nutrients every 1–2 months. Save the complete disassembly and deep clean for about every six months or between major crops.
How often should I clean the Tower Garden pump?
Clean the pump and pump filter about once a month. It's also a good idea to check around the pump weekly and pull away any roots that are getting too close. Newer pumps don't have a mesh filter, so don't worry if yours doesn't have one.
Can I trim the roots in my Tower Garden?
There's no need to remove plants from the Tower, trim their roots and put them back. Doing so causes unnecessary stress to the plants. If you've followed our recommendations for the number of seeds per rockwool cube and the number of large crops planted in your Tower, excessive roots shouldn't clog the Tower between your thorough cleanings about every six months.
The one area to keep an eye on is the reservoir. If long roots are getting close to the pump, simply reach in, grab them and pull away whatever comes loose. There's no need to use scissors.
What should I use to clean my Tower Garden?
We recommend citric acid for a thorough Tower Garden cleaning.
Do I need to take my Tower Garden apart to clean it?
Not for normal routine maintenance. About every six months, or between major rounds of crops, take the Tower apart so you can remove accumulated roots and thoroughly clean the inside of the system.
How do I prevent algae in my Tower Garden?
Using the appropriate amount of Tower Garden Mineral Blend and wiping away algae as part of your weekly maintenance will help keep it under control.
Should I clean my Tower Garden between every crop?
No. There's no need to take the Tower apart every time you replace a plant or harvest a crop. Aim for a thorough cleaning about every six months.
And don't overthink the timing. If six months rolls around but you know you'll be taking your Tower down next month for a vacation or seasonal break, it's fine to wait and clean it then.
How often should I check my plants for pests and disease?
Give your plants a quick glance every day if possible. Regularly check the tops and undersides of leaves, stems and new growth. Catching a pest or disease problem early is much easier than dealing with it once it has spread.
Continue Your Tower Garden Journey
Good maintenance is only one part of a healthy Tower Garden. Explore these related guides for help with water, nutrients, light, seedlings, pests and troubleshooting.
💧 Tower Garden Water Guide
Learn how your water source, chlorine, chloramine, pH and overall water quality can affect plant health.
Read the Water Guide →🌿 Tower Garden Nutrient Guide
Learn how much nutrient to add, how often to replenish it and how growing conditions affect nutrient strength.
Read the Nutrient Guide →💡 Tower Garden Light Guide
Learn how much direct sunlight or indoor grow lighting your plants need for strong growth and productive harvests.
Read the Light Guide →🌱 Seeds & Seedlings Guide
Learn how to choose crops, start seeds and grow healthy seedlings for your Tower Garden.
Read the Seeds & Seedlings Guide →🐛 Pests & Diseases Guide
Learn how to identify common Tower Garden pests and diseases, spot problems early and take the right next steps.
Read the Pests & Diseases Guide →🔎 Troubleshooting Hub
Yellow leaves, slow growth or unhealthy plants? Find the most likely causes and the steps to get your Tower back on track.
Visit the Troubleshooting Hub →
