Affordable, Self-Watering Greenhouse Vertical Garden

Plant & Flourish Vertical Garden Adapted for Greenhouse Use

For years, I've looked for a simple, affordable way to grow tomatoes and lettuce in a small greenhouse without the hassle of daily watering - and I think I've found it. I bought an off-the-shelf, self-watering vertical garden from Amazon (sadly, no longer available - so now I recommend this one) and hung it on one of the racks in an inexpensive greenhouse.

Using a small, plastic pan as a reservoir tank I added a sub-$10 submersible pump to run water from the tank to the garden through a clear aquarium tube.  I added a smaller airline tube to return water from the garden to the reservoir (I bought the larger tube and fittings from local aquarium stores).

I went to Home Depot and bought a few $4 tomato seedlings and $2 flowers and put them in the self-watered pots and I was done. Instant garden.

No drilling holes in PVC pipes, DIY carpentry or complicated plumbing required.

As a person on a budget - with a small yard and limited DIY skills, this setup is ideal for me.

I still have to add potting soil, drop hydroponic tomato fertilizer and calcium nitrate in the tank every couple of weeks and make sure the Arctic Cove mister is running to keep the greenhouse cool when it's really hot outside - but this setup doesn't take a lot of babysitting.

Varmints and insects can't get to my plants, and I don't have to worry about watering them every day.

God willing, in a couple of months, I should have a plentiful supply of several varieties of tomatoes to choose from.