What is a vertical vegetable garden?

A vertical vegetable garden is one in which vegetables are grown in vertical spaces instead of horizontal garden beds. This method is especially useful for gardeners with a small amount of space.

In vertical gardening, trellises, ladders or fences are used to allow vining plants, such as cucumbers, pole beans and tomatoes, to grow upward instead of spreading out over a large space. Hanging baskets, fabric pockets and stacked pots are used for shorter plants such as strawberries, herbs and lettuces. Vertical gardening results in fewer weeds and less water and fertilizer use. Because of better air circulation around the plants, vertical vegetable gardening decreases the amount of pests and diseases.