Choosing Plants

Choose plants that are suitable for your growing conditions considering natural or artificial light, temperature, etc. Our Plants page has information about assessing your indoor or outdoor environment and choosing the plants that will thrive in those conditions. You can also choose to purchase the Research & Design Service to have a Living Wall designed specifically for your environment and desires for your garden.

Planting
When you know what your plants will be, purchase approximately three full sized 6-inch plants or one full sized 8-inch plant. For gorgeous living walls, we suggest combining three types of plants:

1. Spillers – plants that hang
2. Fillers – plants that cover
3. Thrillers – exciting plants

Arrange your plants in your pockets prior to planting by leaving them in their plastic pots to make arranging easier. Once you know how you want to plant them, take them back out of the pockets. Start with the top row (if you have multiple rows).  With your pockets on the wall, fill them almost all the way to the top with a good quality potting soil. Be sure to get the corners. Remove the plants from their pots. Consider gently soaking the plants roots in water before planting. Make small holes in the soil and place your plants in the holes.  Once the plant is securing embedded in the soil, feel free to top off with soil.

Wally Pockets have a tongue, or a felt flap inside the Pocket that makes watering easy. The Tongue sits on top of the moisture barrier, absorbs the water you pour onto it, and carries it down to the roots of the plant. So when watering the plants, water Wally’s Tongue directly. Any excess water accumulates in Wally’s reservoir or evaporates through Wally’s breathable sides-- this prevents over-watering and conserves water.

What Kind of Water, How Much & How Often?

We recommend watering Wally with filtered water, especially when watering indoors. The amount of water necessary for plants to thrive varies, so check each plants’ watering requirements. On average we recommend watering Mini Wally approximately one cup of water once each week (a long-spout watering can or a wine bottle works great as a water receptacles). Wally likes to be watered slowly so that the Tongue can absorb all that moisture. Use these guidelines as a jumping off point and assess how well the plants are doing, adjust watering accordingly.  For larger applications, consider setting up a drip irrigation system. See the DIY Automatic Irrigation Page for more information.

What About the Floors & Walls?  Will they get wet?

In a word, no! Wally has a military grade built-in moisture barrier that wraps around the bottom of the Pocket, from back to front.  This barrier creates a reservoir and ensures walls and floors don’t get wet.  The barrier also conserves water and helps to keep soil’s nutrition in your Pocket. The ‘no reservoir’ option, good for outdoor applications in rainy environments, has a recessed moisture barrier that allows proper drainage when it rains.

Wally Pockets are made from 100% recycled plastic water bottles. They are soft-sided, breathable, and modular. They come in three sizes: one pocket (or Wally One), two pockets (Wally Three), and five pockets (Wally Five). Each pocket holds .4 cubic feet of soil.

Wally One:
Height = 15 inches
Width = 24 inches
Soil Volume = 0.40 cubic feet

Wally Three: 

Height = 15 inches
Width = 62 inches
Soil Volume = 1.20 cubic feet

Wally Five: 

Height = 15 inches
Width = 112 inches
Soil Volume = 2.00 cubic feet

Vertical gardening is a fun and rewarding way to grow your favorite plants. Spending a little time in the beginning to get your new garden off to a good start can go a long way towards insuring a healthy vertical garden for many seasons to come. 

First Steps For Your Plants
If your plants came to you in pots, discard any packing material clinging to the leaves or soil. Water the plant thoroughly until water runs out the holes at the bottom of the pot. If your plants were shipped to you in the vertical planter, remove the planter carefully from the box. Next, place the plants in a shaded, protected (not windy) location for a few days. This allows the plant to acclimate to your garden without the added stress of being transplanted. After spending some time in the shipping container, direct sunlight is too strong and can damage sensitive leaves.

Location, location, location
Choose a location for your garden that matches your plant’s light requirements, unless you plan on supplementing with grow lights. Watch your plants carefully in the next few months to see how well they are adjusting to their new home. Do not hesitate to take action if they appear unhappy. The growing information for your specific plants will give you specific instructions for caring for your plants.

Lighting - Indoor environments provide a wide range of lighting environments. It is very important to accurately measure the amount of light that will be provided to your vertical garden and plan accordingly. The Plants page can help you identify the amount of light in your environment. Custom designed grow light systems are available for purchase on the site to supplement your lighting needs if needed.

Feeding - With each watering, a gentle organic-based fertilizer is suggested. The soil volume per plant is limited and the plants will depend on the nutrient content of the water. Some plants will require more fertilization than others, and some have specific nutritional requirements. If you purchased your vertical garden with plants, you can consult the Growing Information included in your Guide for specific information about your plants. If you planted the wall with your own plants you can consult the nursery where you purchased your plants for more information about the nutritional requirements.

Water - Plants have unique water requirements, so the watering schedule for your garden will depend on the plants you are growing. However, because the soil volume is limited with the Woolly Pocket gardens, a plant grown in this systems will require water much more frequently than the same plant grown in the ground or in a larger container. If you purchased your vertical garden with plants, you can consult the Growing Information included in your Guide for specific information about the needs of your plants. If you planted the wall with your own plants you can consult the nursery where you purchased your plants for more information about the water requirements.

Safety Instructions
- To guard against injury and/or damage to property, basic safety precautions must be observed, including but not limited to the following:
- If you are using accessories for your garden which require electricity, such as lights or automatic irrigation systems, you must observe caution when operating these accessories near water. If any electrical component gets wet, carefully unplug the accessory before doing anything else. Make sure components have not been damaged before attempting to reuse.
- Always use a surge protector and a 110V grounded outlet with reliable power for accessories for your garden.
- Always inspect electrical cords for tears, abrasions, or abnormal wear. If it looks damaged, do not use it.
- Read an observe all notices and instructions on all accessories.
- If it is necessary to use an extension cord, always use one that is rated for outdoor use and always use the same gauge cord and plug. A cord that is rated for less amperes or watts than the component you are using may overheat.

If you are using an automatic irrigation system:
    A. Never attempt to lift the water reservoir off the wall when it is full of water.
    B. Never lift your irrigation system with wet hands.
    C. When working inside your water reservoir, make sure all power sources are turned off.

CLOSE SUPERVISION IS VITAL WHEN ANY APPLIANCE IS USED NEAR OR BY CHILDREN. DO NOT INSTALL DIRECTLY OVER PLAYING OR SLEEPING AREAS.

Installation: Please read all directions before beginning.

Now that you understand the safety instructions and have examined the box for contents, you are ready to mount your new vertical garden.

Before hanging your garden, consider the following:

A. Light - Does the spot you are considering provide enough natural light to support the plants you wish to grow? If not you will either need to change your spot, change your plant choices, or supplement your light environment with grow lights. Custom designed grow lights are also available for purchase on the site.

B. Water - How do you plan on watering your garden? Most vertical gardens will need to be watered         daily. Depending on the size and location of your garden this could require that the garden be taken off the wall and moved to a place suitable for water drainage. If this is not something you will be able to maintain, you may need to consider adding an automatic irrigation system which will both water your plants automatically on the schedule you set and catch any excess water that drains from the garden during watering sessions.

C. Level Mount - It is important that the garden be leveled correctly to avoid water from pooling in some areas and not reaching others. Consider hiring a professional handyman to install the garden for you for assurance. 

D. Assistance - It is highly recommended that 2 or more people install these gardens. 

E. Drafts - Check for drafty areas where heat and/or air-conditioning might affect the temperature of the water and/or soil in your garden. Fluctuations in temperatures can cause considerable stress to your plants and in some cases, even death. If you purchased your plants from Edible Walls you will have received care instructions for each of your plant selections which will include information on the optimal temperatures. You can also contact your local plant nursery for more information.

F. Surface of Wall - You will need a flat wall to mount the garden with an electrical outlet nearby if you plan on using lights or an irrigation system. For the cleanest look, hire a certified  electrician to install a recessed outlet customized to fit just above your garden. You will want to be able to access the power cords after the garden is mounted, so do not install it directly behind the garden. A recessed outlet just above your garden would be the ideal location as it would allow you access and will be hidden from view by the plants. Suggestion: If you decide not to install the recessed electrical outlet, a nice finishing touch to hide the cords is to use a cord cover. If you purchased a Complete Irrigation Kit, a cord cover is included in your                   purchase. These can be easily painted to match your walls.  **Local building codes often require specially rated cabling for in-wall use. Please consult an electrician. **

G. Safety - As with any cord, you need to use extreme caution as to where you place the cord. Cords             can cause serious injury and even death to small children. Be aware of this hazard and install         accordingly.

Mounting your vertical garden
A. Decide the exact location and height for your garden, making sure there is power nearby (if you are         using accessories which require power) but that the power outlet is not directly below your  garden. If you are having a recessed outlet installed, you need to complete that step before continuing. Make sure you accommodate for the size of the water reservoir if you are using an Automatic Irrigation System.

B. Locate a stud in the wall by using a stud finder, which can be purchased at your local hardware store.  IT IS ALWAYS PREFERABLE TO HAVE ALL SCREWS DRILL INTO THE STUDS OF YOUR WALL DIRECTLY. However, if the placement of the studs does not allow you to hang your garden in the place you prefer you can use the drywall anchors included with your garden. These anchors are rated for 50lbs each and are designed for this type of installation. Please do not use alternative anchors. If you need replacement parts, please contact customer service at 1-888-652-0080. 

C. Place an X mark with a pencil in the middle of the stud OR where the first anchors will need to be               located to hang the left side of your garden.

D.  For a Wally One: Using a level, mark a spot 22 inches to the right which is level with the first X. For a Wally Three: Using a level, mark a spot 22 inches to the right which is level with the first X. Using this method, mark two additional spots, each 22 inches from the previous spot. For a Wally Five: Using a level, mark a spot 22 inches to the right which is level with the first X. Using this method, mark four additional spots, each 22 inches from the previous spot.      

E. For Mounting to Studs: Using a drill and 1/4  inch drill bit, drill starter holes to screw your screws directly into the studs (not using the anchors). If you do not have a drill you can hand screw the hook directly into the stud. Pliers can be used to create leverage, making this task easier.

For Mounting to Drywall: Using a 1/4” drill bit, drill a hole 1-1/2” deep. Insert the ribbed anchor until it is flush with the wall. Insert the self-drilling screw through the grommet on the pocket and screw into the anchor until flush with the pocket. Do not over tighten.

F. If you are installing additional gardens: Repeat steps B through E. Overlap the Pockets’ grommets       horizontally. Like building blocks, Wallys are modular. Space them 13” apart vertically (from grommet to grommet) – this hides the grommets and ensures plants have enough space to thrive, but are still dense enough to create a lush living wall!

G. Make sure your garden is level.

These hand-made planters are designed to use the micro fibers in PET felt so that all the plants in the garden are watered equally. The felt is made from recycled plastic bottles, a nylon non-toxic fiber that is indestructible. This amazing material provides a safe growing medium that is pH neutral and non-reactive, so you can garden organically right on your wall.

Moisture and Your Walls - Woolly Pockets planters equipped with a marine grade moisture barrier in the bottom of the pocket to prevent moisture run off from the bottom of the planter. Generally water will remain within the unit but there is always the possibility that water can drip from the leaves or that the leaves may direct water outside of the unit during watering. If you intend to use your garden indoors on wood or carpeting, use extra caution and observe the unit closely during waterings. It is recommended that the wall which the garden is installed on be protected with a moisture vapor barrier. These can be purchased from your local hardware store.

Winter Exposure - Woolly Pocket structures alone (not including Automatic Irrigation Systems) are safe to use in freezing temperatures. However, Automatic Irrigation Systems are not designed for frozen water in their tanks. Expansion of freezing ice may damage the tank and cause leaks. It is best to drain, dry, and store indoors for winter if the garden is kept outside.

Children and Pets - As with all gardens, use caution when selecting plants for your vertical garden. Some plants are toxic and must be selected carefully. If you have a pet (or child) that has been known to munch on your plants, please consult a list of toxic plants to avoid. These lists can be found easily by doing an internet search for “Plants that are toxic to humans” and/or “Plants that are toxic to pets”. Your pediatrician’s office and/or veterinarian’s office should also be able to provide you with adequate information. 

REGULAR PLANT MAINTENANCE
1. Make sure your plants are happy and getting the right amount of sunshine and water.
2. From time to time pluck away dead leaves and flowers to encourage new growth on your plants.
3. You can use scissors or pruning shears to trim away unwanted stems and branches.
4. The cuttings of some plants, like succulents can be replanted in gaps between the other plants
5. You can use scissors or pruning shears to trim away unwanted stems and branches.
6. Mist your plants from time to time and brush away any dust that collect on the leaves.
7. We understand that plants could potentially attract some unwanted pests.  Consult the Education Page titled Bugs on the Edible Walls website for more information.
9. Over time, feel free to add plants and experiment with your garden

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
Daily:
- Observe the plants
- Notice if plants look wilted or if they have faded leaves, rotting bases or browned leaves
- Also notice if they have new buds or have made new roots
Monthly:
- Add plant food to the water reservoir (if applicable) or to the water used when hand watering
- Notice plant health and adjust water timing if necessary
- Remove dead leaves
- Remove dead plants and replace
Every 3 Months:
- Change the filter in your outdoor irrigation system if applicable.
- Visually check drip lines to ensure proper functioning.
Every Year:
- Change out the drip lines
- Consider repotting your plants if they have outgrown their space in the planters.