www.EasiestGarden.com's

Vertical Gardening Made Simple Plans and DVD Set

Many people would love to have a garden of their own, but can't because of zoning restrictions, not enough space, or simply because there is too much work involved. This system aims to solve all those problems at once by gardening not horizontally, but vertically!

The process is quite simple; we show you how to make gardening "beds" out of two ordinary 4" thinwall PVC pipes, 10 feet long, using only a saw and a heat gun. You simply cut the pipes in half making four 5 ft long pipes and connect them with standard fittings, so they will drain into a standard 5 gallon plastic bucket. A small pump feeds nutrient enriched water into the top of the pipes; flowing past the plant roots, which are held in place by an inexpensive, inert substance called Perlite. Then it's just a matter of adding water and fertilizer to your bucket from time to time, and picking your produce, which you can reach easily without bending over or kneeling down on the ground. So let's get started!

CHAPTER 1: WHAT YOU WILL NEED 2 - 80" 2x4 treated lumber 1 - 4 3 " 2x4 treated lumber 1 - 40" 2x4 treated lumber 2 - 1 0 ' pieces of 4" thinwall PVC pipe 4 - 2" to 4" schedule 20 (thinwall) adapter 2 - 2 " "Ls" 3 - 2 " "Ts" 5' - 2" PVC pipe Approximately 30# of Perlite 10' septic drain sock 1 - cut-your-own air conditioning filter 1 - fountain pump (approximately 200 GPH flow) 15' - 1/2" black poly irrigation tubing 10' - 1/8" black poly irrigation tubing 1/8" tubing poker 1/2" electrical conduit brackets Foil backed plastic bubble insulation

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Foil backed "duct" tape A few nylon zip ties 1 - clean food-grade 5 gallon bucket and lid Fittings as needed to adapt the 1/2" poly to your chosen style of pump

Notes on the materials needed: On the 4" PVC pipe it is absolutely necessary to have thinwall pipe.

This is also known as Schedule 20, Sewer and drain (S&D), etc. It can be difficult to find in some parts of the country, but it's almost always available. The 2" PVC pipe can be thickwall (Schedule 40) or thinwall (Schedule 20). Try to buy PVC pipe that has been stored indoors, or from the inside of the stack if stored outside. Otherwise the PVC can break down in sunlight and become brittle.

4" thinwall PVC has a different outside diameter than thickwall. Because of this each has their own fittings. 2" to 4" thinwall PVC fittings may be available in your area, and it will be cheapest and simplest to use them if so. However if they are not available, buy 2" to 4" thickwall adapters AND a thickwall-thinwall reducer. This is a small 4" bushing that slides into the thickwall 2" to 4" adapter and makes it fit thinwall PVC.

Perlite is a readily available material used in potting soils. It consists of small white balls between the size of a pea and the size of a grain of rice. They absorb water readily and hold it for the plants, and help to stabilize the plant in the pipes.

The air conditioning filter is a plastic-based filter screen designed to allow you to cut a washable screen to fit your filter, and works

marvellously in the bottom of these pipes to keep the Perlite from flowing into the bucket as the water drains.

The fountain pump must be capable of lifting water 7' or more. It should have a flow of about 200 GPH as rated at 1' lift. As each pump is slightly different, you'll have to adapt the pump's output side to attach to the 1/2" tubing. The store where you purchase your pump should be able to help you find the appropriate fittings.

The 1/2" and 1/8" tubing is available in the irrigation section of most home improvement stores. They are flexible, but relatively rigid (as compared to a garden hose). You will also need an 1/8" tubing punch, available in the same section. It is designed to poke an 1/8" hole in the 1/2" tubing.

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The foil insulation should be available at most hardware stores; it is approximately 1/4" thick, made of plastic bubbles like packing material, covered in a thin coat of aluminum foil. The dead air space in the bubbles insulates while the aluminum foil reflects the heat and light. The foil tape is designed for use in ducts, but it is NOT "duck tape". It is a sticky backed foil tape.

Septic drain sock is a fabric "sock" that is placed over the outside of 4" septic drain line to prevent it from silting in. It will filter out the debris that may get past the filter in the 4" pipes in this vertical gardening system.

One tool that you must have is a heat gun. This is a tool designed to provide 1000-1500 degrees similar to a hair drier but for stripping old paint. This will allow you to soften the pipe to make the holes for the plants as described later.

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CHAPTER 2: STARTING THE ASSEMBLY On a large, flat surface lay out the 80" 2x4s parallel to one

another 40" apart, with the wide side vertical. On one end, lay the 43" 2x4 across them with the wide side horizontal. Make certain all ends are square, then put three long screws into each end. Measure 57" down from that end (which will become the top) and make a mark. Then measure 3.5" down from that and make another mark. Do the same on the other 80" board. Screw the 40" board between those marks on each 2x4. The drawing at right shows how it will look when finished.

Next take the 4" pipes and cut them in half to approximately 5'. Make them all the same length. Mark two parallel lines 2" apart on the pipe, running the full length. Make sure they are not twisted relative to the pipe. An excellent way of doing this is to use 1.5" angle iron, which sets firmly on the pipe to give a solid, straight mark.

Mark one line at 2" from one end (which will be the top), then 1' 2", 2' 2", etc, until you run out of room. Then mark the other line at 8" from the top end, then 1' 8", 2' 8", etc. These marks will be the center of the cuts you make. The cuts should be crosswise with the pipe, and approximately 2.25" wide, and as thin as you can make them. Use a reciprocal saw, hacksaw, circular saw (with a plywood blade turned backwards), or a similar tool to cut out these slots. Mark each one at the proper width if necessary.

When all four pipes are slotted this way, cut a piece of 1.25" PVC pipe about 1' long, and smooth the burrs off of the ends. Then use the heatgun to soften each side of the slot in the 4" PVC. The goal is to push in the top side and pull out the bottom side, thereby making a hole approximately 1.5" in diameter when viewed from the top in which the plants will be placed. To accomplish this you must gently heat an oval-shaped area, with the longer side of the oval running the length of the pipe. As you do this, you must keep the heat gun moving so that no one spot gets too hot and starts to brown. When it is the right temperature, that part of the pipe should yield readily to a firm pressure from the 1.25" pipe. When it does, push the top side in and work the 1.25" pipe under the bottom side and hold at a 30-45 degree angle. Spritz water onto the hot plastic to cool it quickly and make it hold shape. Then repeat for each of the other slots on all four pipes. Obviously, it is best to practice the process on a scrap piece of pipe before starting this on any of the real pieces.

This is a good time to cut the filters for the bottom of your pipes. Lay your filter material on a stable surface (that you don't mind some cut marks in!) and lay the 4" adapter on top of it, and cut around it with a sharp knife. Make four filters (one for each pipe).

Next begin assembling the manifold for the drain. Start by gluing the thickwall to thinwall adapters into the 2" to 4" adapters. Then glue a short piece of 2" pipe into the adapter. Then glue an "L" into that. Repeat for the other "L" and then both "T"s. Then glue a 10" piece of 2" pipe into the end of both "L" pieces, but NOT the "T" pieces.

Lay a "T" assembly next to an "L" assembly. Measure from the middle of one pipe to the middle of the other, and set them 11" apart. Mark, cut, and glue the 10" piece of 2" pipe that you glued into the "L" so that when glued into the "T" the pipes will stay 11" apart. Make sure they are aligned with one another and both 4" fittings point exactly the same direction.

Repeat with the other "T" and "L" assemblies. You should now have two "TL" assemblies finished. Glue a 4" piece of pipe into the only remaining "T" joint on each assembly. Then lay another "T" in between the two "TL" assemblies, facing the opposite direction from the assemblies; the water will all drain into this "T" and down into the bucket. Set the "TL" assemblies 11" apart as before, and mark, cut and glue the pipes so that when glued into the final "T", each 4" fitting will be 11" from the other, center-to-center. Make sure that each 4" fitting is pointing in exactly the same direction, while the last 2" "T" should point

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in the opposite direction. On paper this looks much more complicated than it actually is, so refer to the video if this seems confusing.

Now it is time to mount this manifold you just made to the frame. With the frame standing upright, the manifold will set with the 2" part of the 2" to 4" adapters up against the horizontal 2x4. You can mount it securely with 2.5" brackets, if available; a 2x4 mounted over the manifold in front of the other 2x4, screwed to the back board; or you just attach it with plumber's strap.

Once attached, press the filters you made earlier into the 4" adapters. Then set the 4" pipes into the fittings like they are going to go. Make sure that each is aligned properly, with the "lips" of the holes facing outward. Then put a small mark connecting the 4" fittings and the pipes; this way as you glue them in you'll know exactly where to twist them for the proper orientation. Then glue them in place.

Making sure that the pipes are parallel to the edges and each other, put a screw (or two) into the top of each pipe, screwing it directly into the board behind it. Now you have finished the frame and the pipes; it's time to hook up the plumbing.

Start by turning the frame around so that you can work from the back. Using 1/2" electrical conduit fasteners, run the 1/2" poly tubing along the underside of the top 2x4, along the back of a side 2x4, and the back of the lower horizontal one, and down along side the drain where your bucket will set.

Turn the frame around again and drill an 1/8" hole at a 45 degree angle, angling down from the outside, into the side of the top of the pipe approximately 1" from the end. Drill two in each pipe. Using the tubing poker, poke 1/8" holes into the black poly tubing between each pipe. Cut the 1/8" tubing into 12" lengths, with each end cut at a 45 degree angle. Using your fingers only (no tools) to force one end of the 1/8" tubing into the 1/2" tubing. Thread the other one into the 4" pipe through the 1/8" hole.

Next fill up each pipe with Perlite. Wear a face mask to protect your lungs from the dust. Shake the frame/pipe assembly well and top off the Perlite again. Now attach your pump to the bottom of the 1/2" tubing with a hose clamp and any fittings that may be necessary to adapt it together. Set it in the bottom of a clean 5 gallon bucket and set the bucket underneath the drain "T". Cut a piece of 2" pipe 6" long and push (but not glue) it into the bottom of the drain "T".

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The next thing you'll need is the drain sock; tie a knot in one end and cut it off about 6" long from the knot. Place it over the end of the bottom of the drain pipe and put two nylon zip ties around it to hold it in place.

Next hook up the pump; the details of this step will vary depending on the pump you purchase, as you may need to adapt the pump's outgoing side to fit the 1/2" fitting. But once you have done that attach it to the poly tubing so that the pump will set on the bottom of the bucket when the bucket is centered under the drain. Use stainless or plastic fittings and clamps to avoid corrosion in the fertilizer water they will be pumping.

At this point, you should be able to stand back and see your finished vertical garden; when water is added to the bucket it will be pumped up, out the small tubes and into the top of the Perlite, filter down into the drain and back into the bucket; the final step is to insulate the bucket.

The bucket will get extremely hot in the sunshine, which can hurt the growth of your plants; to help this, we suggest wrapping the bucket in silver foil insulation; the dead air space in the bubbles will insulate while the aluminum foil will reflect the heat and light.

This has the added side benefit of keeping the sun from deteriorating the plastic in the bucket and making it brittle. The lid should be wrapped too, by first cutting the bucket lid to fit around the pipes and cords coming out of the bucket, then covering the lid in foil, taping it in place with foil duct tape (NOT the "Duck" tape you're familiar with - a foil backed tape!) and cutting it out as necessary to fit around the pipes and seal in the temperature and keep out most bugs, mice, lizards and other small animals. And that's it - your vertical garden is ready to plant!

CHAPTER 3: MOUNTING OPTIONS This system is designed to be mounted in one of several ways; it can

be mounted directly to the wall of a building by screwing through the upper horizontal 2x4 into the side of the building. Or, it can be mounted freestanding outdoors by driving 8' T-posts into the ground on either side of it, deep into the ground so it will be very stable, and attaching them using wire or brackets.

Finally, if you are in a protected structure such as a greenhouse (where there will never be any gusts of wind that could blow it over!) you can make it freestanding; to do so, cut a 2x4 approximately 4' long (use your own judgment as to the exact length!) and screw or nail the center of it to the bottom of one of the vertical 2x4's (the "legs"). Then

cut two shorter pieces for braces, approximately 2' long at their longest point with opposing 45 degree angles. To make that clear, when holding the finished brace in your hand, with 45 degree angles on both ends, one side of the 2x4 will be approximately 7" longer than the other.

These will be screwed into the "footer" piece, and the vertical piece on each side of the vertical garden as braces. Then repeat all these steps for the other "leg" of the garden. It should be quite stable and gentle nudging should be inadequate to knock it down. But this is only an option to be used at your own risk; let me emphasize that for maximum safety it should be screwed directly to a stable structure!

CHAPTER 4: PLANTING SEEDLINGS Start by filling up the water bucket and plugging in the pump; check

for leaks and make sure everything is working as it should; the Perlite will absorb a great deal of water as you start doing this, so you will need to refill the bucket several times in the first few hours before it is saturated. You will know it is saturated when the lowest "lip" in the pipes has wet Perlite grains all the way out to the edge, and the bucket no longer takes more water.

When that is done you need to make a hole in the Perlite large enough for your chosen plants; depending on the size of the plant different tools may be used such as a wide knife, a small trowel, or any other tool that will fit in the "lip" of the vertical pipes. I prefer using the handle end of a screwdriver; it is the right size for most small plants. To use it, hold it vertically and push it firmly into the Perlite at a slight angle; wiggle it back and forth to make sure the Perlite will not fall off the walls and back into the hole you just made.

Although it is possible, this system does not lend itself well to starting plants from seed; seeds tend to fall through the cracks of the Perlite and disappear. If you wish to grow from seed, you will need to use a seed-starter plug that will give the seed a place to live until it starts taking root. These should be readily available in most stores with a gardening section.

A better option is in most places to buy young seedlings or to transplant them. To do so, gently remove the plants and their soil from the tray and (if necessary) gently break up the soil to loosen it. Lower it into a bucket of clean water and swish back and forth several times, being careful not to break off the stems of the young plants. Don't worry if a few broken roots fall away, more will soon grow to replace them.

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When 90% or more of the dirt has been washed away, slowly lower the roots into the holes you made, and nudge them with a screwdriver or butter knife to get fully into the hole, leaving the "crown" (the depth the plant was buried before) at or slightly below the level of the lip. Set it in place so that the leaves face the sun just as they did before transplanting. Repeat until each of the "lips" have been filled. Then take a small scoop of Perlite and fill in around each of the plants, packing the new Perlite gently around the roots. This will stabilize them and keep them surrounded by damp Perlite.

Over the course of the next few days, a few of the outside leaves may wilt, but they should recover from the shock of transplanting and adapt to their new home quickly. Add fertilizer to the bucket immediately after planting, as described in the next chapter.

CHAPTER 5: FERTILIZER The concept of hydroponic growing is that ALL food must enter the

plant through the water, or through the leaves. Unlike soil growing where a hardy plant can draw much "food" out of even poor soil, if the nutrients are not in the water they cannot be in the plant! And by the same token, if you pick 5 pounds of strawberries then 5 pounds of water and fertilizer had to be available for those plants to make them!

The type of fertilizer you use will depend entirely on what you intend to grow; for lettuce, most flowers, and herbs, the following formula works well for us:

0.4 (4 tenths!) ounces Lettuce Formula (8-15-36) (See Chapter 10: Suppliers)

0.4 (4 tenths!) ounces Calcium Nitrate 0.25 (1 fourth!) ounces Magnesium Sulfate All measurements are by weight. Mix together thoroughly and add to

the bucket of fresh water, stirring very well. The mixture will immediately start recycling through the pipes and often you can often see a visible difference in the plants over a few hours after fertilizing. Each plant in each environment will feed differently so you will have to monitor them yourself to know when they need more fertilizer; this will fertilize a five gallon bucket of water for anywhere from a day to a week, depending on how fast your plants are growing and producing, the temperature, the humidity, etc. For a 55 gallon drum multiply all the numbers in the formula by ten.

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When you see your plants starting to look peaked, long and lanky, not very vibrant, a pale yellow color, or see strange spots and odd colors in the leaves, it means they are hungry for something. Which means it's past time to add more fertilizer.

This fertilizer formula works very well for all types of lettuce and most herbs. However each environment and plant is different so you may wish to modify it or add supplements to it from time to time. For growing strawberries, which is one of the primary uses for this system, a similar formula is used:

0.4 (4 tenths!) ounces Strawberry Formula (8-12-32) (See Chapter 7: Suppliers)

0.4 (4 tenths!) ounces Calcium Nitrate 0.25 (1 fourth!) ounces Magnesium Sulfate All instructions are the same as for the lettuce; in addition to adding

fertilizer to the water, we recommend spraying the beds with a solution of fish emulsion and seaweed. Do NOT add fish emulsion to the bucket as it will grow algae and clog up your pipes! Each fish emulsion brand is different and there should be mixing instructions on the package for a foliar spray; for most brands the instructions will direct you to add approximately 1 ounce of fish emulsion and 1 ounce of seaweed extract to 1 gallon of water and put mixture in a spray bottle (atomizer) and spray liberally three times a week, on the underside of the leaves as much as possible as the plants will absorb more from the bottom. This will add nitrogen and trace minerals and enhance the flavor of the strawberries greatly.

The many ways to fertilize are nearly infinite; unfortunately due to the large amount of possibilities involved, we can't offer any more detailed advice than we already have here - trial and error will teach you the exact requirements of your environment.

CHAPTER 6: MAINTAINING YOUR VERTICAL GARDEN One of the greatest things about this gardening system is that it is

almost entirely maintenance free. There are no weeds, few bugs, and all the work is at waist-level so there is never any bending or kneeling to work on your garden.

Your vertical garden should be visually checked on a daily basis if possible. You will need to add water several times a week in most

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weather, and add fertilizer whenever you add water. Periodically you may need to change or clean the filter sock.

Occasionally if a small particle gels past the filter it may partially clog up the 1/8" tubing lines, and cut down the supply of water getting to that pipe, or cut it off completely. That is why you must use two lines for each pipe, to double up and give yourself a safety net. So if you notice one pipe wilting more than the others, make sure it is getting adequate water by pulling the 1/8" lines out of that 4" pipe and checking the flow visually. If it is not putting out a full flow, pull the 1/8" line out of the 1/2" tubing and end-for-end it and put it back in; this will usually fix the clog by blowing it out the other end.

Also, particularly in hot weather, it is helpful to aerate the reservoir bucket by putting an aquarium pump with a stone bubbler on the end into the barrel. They are available at any pet store and will help oxygenate the water.

The only thing that you must bear in mind is that this is a constant flow system; if the power goes out, water will stop running, and the plants will start to dry out; fortunately the Perlite holds a great deal of water, but even so you should try to limit times without power to a few hours (except on cool, dark days and at night, when they will last a good deal longer without problems); if nothing else, add some water to the top of the pipes manually to keep them hydrated. And that's really all there is to it; beyond that, all you have to do is pick it!

CHAPTER 7: SUPPLIERS While many stores can supply seeds, often they are old or of poor

quality. A source for good quality and exotic seeds of lettuce and other herbs and plants is Territorial Seeds at www.TerritorialSeed.com.

Seedling plants can be purchased reliably through too many online stores and catalogs to list, as well as in local nurseries; Magnesium Sulfate (also known as Epsom Salts) is available at most gardening stores or pharmacies. Other fertilizers can be purchased from www.Hydro-Gardens.com which also offers many other specialized hydroponic growing supplies. Unfortunately their website is a bit difficult to navigate currently. A direct link to a product index is www.hydro-gardens.com/director.htm which simplifies things somewhat. These supplies may be available locally but are listed here as options.

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CHAPTER 8: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What can't I grow? Technically you can grow anything, but some types of plants require

their own fertilizer; spinach for example, doesn't grow well in the lettuce fertilizer mix. Neither does cilantro. Many other types of plants grow too large and won't fit in the pipes once they reach maturity (tomatoes, squash, etc) and also don't grow well in the fertilizer mixes mentioned, though of course there are other fertilizers available. Also it is theoretically possible to use larger pipes, such as 6-8", to grow those larger plants; thus far it has not been attempted to my knowledge.

Is this the only way this system can be made? Certainly not! This is just a basic idea; you can adapt this in many

ways depending on what you want to grow, how much of it you want, and where you live; for example, you could run 8 pipes off the manifold instead of 4 - just add more "T"s. You could use a larger reservoir than the bucket, such as a 30 gallon or 55 gallon drum partially buried in the ground, so you wouldn't have to adjust the fertilizer and add water as often.

You could make these pipes run 8' long instead of 57", by burying your reservoir and putting your manifold at ground level and just making the pipes and frame longer to match; you could make several of these vertical gardens and slave them all to a single pump by draining them all into the same bucket and running all the pump lines off of one (larger) pump. The possibilities are endless; use your imagination.

CHAPTER 9: DISCLAIMER Pinnacle Switch Builders, Inc. is not responsible for the use or

misuse of any information contained in this booklet or companion DVD or of accidents or injuries or damages caused by use or misuse of any items purchased from Pinnacle Switch Builders, Inc. Use all instructions at your own risk. When working with electrical pumps underwater there is always a risk of shock so use caution. Do not drink fertilizer mixes or ingredients and keep out of reach of children and pets.

All plans, instructions, and images presented here and in the accompanying DVD are the sole properly of Pinnacle Switch Builders,Inc., and are not to be redistributed without express written consent. Copyright © Pinnacle Switch Builders, 2008.

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