Vertical gardening is gardening upwards instead of the traditional outward direction on a flat surface or in the ground.
Dave van Deventer, a resident of Presidents Dam and local businessman, says he started with alternative farming and gardening five years ago.
“We started with hydroponic farming and moved to vertical gardening about three years ago,” he commented.
Dave said he switched to vertical farming because of the potential savings he got from his cost of living.
He took the idea after he saw it worked for his family and turned it into a business of making vertical growers.
“We started before the lockdown to give people access to fresh produce and also something to do with all the extra time we all had.
“This type of gardening works especially for parts of Springs where people live in flats, complexes and homes that don’t have a lot of space to garden,” said Dave.
When asked how he got the idea to use the barrels in his vertical planters, he touched on space and affordability.
“We focused on the idea that one meter by one meter should give a person enough leeway to grow at least 60 different plants.
“We also tried to make the design as simple as possible so it is easy to operate and can remain affordable to those who really need our grower,” he affirmed.
Dave broke down the idea behind the growers he now produces.
“We use food-grade barrels so we are sure that whatever that will be grown by people will be fit for human consumption, we don’t want to make people sick,” he said.
Other advantages of vertical farming include cost-saving benefits.
“With life becoming so expensive, you need something that will help you save. Vertical gardening helps because you don’t use a lot of water, you have the space to grow different plants in a limited space and it will save on grocery costs.
“Not to mention it is healthy as you experience the therapeutic benefits of gardening and you eat fresh produce free from pesticides and harmful steroids and chemicals,” he explained.
He said they are still trying to figure out a way to vertically plant produce like potatoes that grow beneath the soil but other plants like spinach, tomatoes, cabbage, strawberries and peppers, to name a few, can be planted vertically using a grower.
“I also teach people how to make worm tea, also called black gold, which is the best organic fertilising and composting agent.
“Worm tea is produced by worms as they consume organic kitchen scraps. We pour it onto the plants to make them grow better and healthier,” said Dave.
He added that vertical gardening doesn’t require a person to be an expert gardener or to have green thumbs.
“If the soil and conditions are prepared correctly, the plants will grow by themselves and you will only need to water and harvest.
“Vertical gardening is also the best form of gardening as it is suitable for those who are unable to engage in traditional gardening like people who are confined to wheelchairs or the elderly.”
For more information on this type of gardening or enquiries, Dave can be reached on 074 499 4394.
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