Where Should I Put my Tower Garden for the most success?

Where Should I Put my Tower Garden?

So, you’ve decided to purchase a Tower Garden but you may be asking “Where should I put my Tower Garden”?  Front porch, back porch, kitchen, garage, or anywhere in between? The location of your Tower Garden, in my eyes, is the single most important decision you will make when it comes to growing your Tower. So how do you decide on where to put it?

The sun is the ultimate source of energy for virtually all living organisms.  The crops you are soon going to be growing in your Tower Garden are no exception.  It’s as simple as this, you are going to want to place your Tower Garden in a sunny location.  The more sun it gets, the more it will produce. Simple!

As we move into Fall and then Winter, it’s important that your Tower is in a location that gets the most sun, due to the shorter days.  Now your leafy greens, lettuces, and herbs will do great with just 4 or 5 hours of direct sunlight.  Anything above that will be a bonus and will give you a better yield.   Fruiting crops (like tomatoes, squash, beans, peas, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, etc) require much more sun in order to produce blooms, and fruit and then ripen that fruit.  You want these crops to receive at least 8 hours of direct sunlight.

In the greenhouse in Eustis, Florida, they have reached temperatures of 120+ in the height of summer. Yes, you read that right.  120 degrees or more.  We have no cooling, chilling, AC, or any other magic at play. In fact, I’ll even share our secrets of growing in the summer with you.  You’ll want to read 8 summer time growing tips that will ensure you are growing successfully in the summer too.

If you’re just reading this and it’s coming into spring or summer where you live, the exact same guidelines above apply.  Now I want to PROMISE you this.  Tower Garden’s CAN and DO grow in triple-digit temperatures.

There’s a simple way to determine how many hours of sunlight a particular area gets.  So simple, that you will kick yourself for not thinking about it before.  Are you ready?  I’m going to tell you what you need!

I suggest doing this on a weekend, or a day you plan to be at home most of the day. Now, depending on your normal day-to-day schedule, you may have to get up a few hours earlier than normal. All you need is your smartphone (or digital camera) and if you’re like me, it’s probably not that far away.  Snap a picture of your backyard, front porch, patio, or outside location you might be placing your Tower Garden.  In two of three hours, do the same thing again, and again, and again, until the sun goes down.

Next you’re going to compare these pictures whilst noting the time and bingo!  Now you can figure out what area gets the most hours of sunlight!  It’s so simple, yet so effective.

Now before you go putting your Tower out by your shed, way at the back of your yard have a think.  Are you going to look over it each day way out there? I promise, if it’s close to the house or kitchen it’ll be less likely to run out of water, you’ll have bugs under control, and get this, you’ll eat more too!

Now I know not all of you live in a climate that allows growing outside year-round. Some of you may also have limited space or want to grow it inside your office or school. That’s okay too, you just need the right supplemental lighting.

Now I’m not going to get into all the different light sources available, I could spend hours on that. What I will do is give you some pointers.

1. If growing inside, 9 times out of 10 you will need to grow lights. Most windows have UV filters on them that filter out, yep you’ve guessed it, the UV light your crops need.
2. When growing inside with grow lights your crop selection is going to depend on the lights you have. Not all lights are created equal.
3. Pollination is your last consideration when growing inside. Unless you have bees living in your home or office, you’re going to need to be the bee.

Is there an outlet nearby? Can you safely run an extension cord without the risk of running over it with the lawn mower? Will you need to put the timer in a weatherproof box or plug in a water-resistant cord cover? These are things you need to consider when it comes to powering your Tower.

Now, after you’ve considered sunlight and electricity, the last piece of this puzzle is water.  You’re going to need an easy way to get water to your Tower.  Most people will simply use a long hose, with a filter attached, if they’re on city water.  you can skip the filter if you have well water or RO water.  If you have a softener system, be sure to use a spigot BEFORE the water goes through the softener.  You don’t need all of that extra salt!

And that’s it!  You’ve found the best place to place your Tower Garden.  Now with some water and nutrients as needed, and a loving touch, you’ll soon be eating some of the best-tasting food you’ve ever had! Bon Appetit!