Patch & Pot
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Lesson 6

Vertical growing and space hacking

Vertical space is free space. A south-facing wall or fence can support espalier fruit trees, climbing beans, trailing tomatoes, or modular wall planters. Climbers like cucumbers (Rocky, a compact ridge type, or the heirloom Telegraph Improved for greenhouse or sheltered spots) and squash (Tromboncino, an Italian climbing courgette with 60cm fruits) produce heavily upward rather than outward.

Tiered shelving or a ladder shelf multiplies your growing area. Arrange pots by height and light needs: tallest crops (tomatoes, peppers) on the ground; mid-height herbs (basil, coriander) on the middle shelf; trailing plants (trailing nasturtiums like Jewel Mix, Tumbling Tom tomatoes, or cascading Surfinia petunias for pollinators) on the top. Ensure the top tier does not shade the lower.

Hanging baskets and window boxes are underused for edibles. Trailing cherry tomatoes like Gartenperle (German, tiny red fruits, very early) or Hundreds and Thousands (British, prolific yellow currant type) excel in 30cm baskets. Herbs like trailing rosemary (Prostratus types), oregano, and thyme cascade beautifully. Line baskets with coir or recycled wool to hold moisture.

Succession planting in the same pot extends harvests. After early salad finishes in May, plant basil or French beans in the same compost (refreshed with a handful of fertiliser). When beans finish in September, plant winter salad or garlic. A 40cm pot can produce three separate crops in one season if you plan the relay.

Common mistakes

  • Overloading hanging baskets — 3 plants maximum in a 30cm basket
  • Placing tall pots at the front of a tiered display — shades everything behind
  • Ignoring wind exposure on balconies — tall plants topple, compost dries in hours
  • Forgetting that vertical crops still need 30cm root depth — shallow planters fail

Building a simple pea or bean tower in a pot

  1. 1.Fill a 35cm pot with vegetable compost; firm gently.
  2. 2.Push 4–6 bamboo canes (180cm tall) into the compost in a circle, 5cm from the edge.
  3. 3.Tie the cane tops together with twine to form a wigwam.
  4. 4.Sow 2 beans or peas at the base of each cane, 3cm deep.
  5. 5.Water well; thin to the strongest seedling per cane once they emerge.
  6. 6.Train young plants anticlockwise around canes; they climb naturally once started.
  7. 7.Feed weekly with liquid fertiliser from flowering; harvest pods when plump.

A single 35cm pot with a bean wigwam yields 2–3kg of fresh beans over 8 weeks — more than enough for two people.