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July 21, 2016

Growing the Tower Garden in Cold Climate

Our Experience Growing the Tower Garden in Cold Climate

We are Tower Garden growers in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada โ€“ elevation 1,037 m (3,402 ft). Itโ€™s cold here! The short growing season and the cool, short summers were the main reasons we got into Tower Garden gardening and through the Tower Garden into hydroponics. We wanted to be able to grow more in a short summer, and also grow in the off season indoors all winter long. Here is our experience growing the Tower Garden in cold climate.

How does the Tower Garden help us to grow food in the short summers?

Our Experience Growing the Tower Garden in Cold Climate

We have about 100 frost free days in the summer. For heat loving summer crops like peppers and eggplants, this is not enough. Using aeroponics and the specially formulated plant food, we can grow up to 30% more produce compared to traditional soil gardening during the same time period. Simply put, this means with the Tower Garden we get 30 more growing days. This is huge for us.

Our Experience Growing the Tower Garden in Cold Climate

Plus the Tower garden can be planted indoors and moved outdoors without disturbing plants, adding even more growing time. This way we can harvest peppers and eggplants here in Alberta from July until the frost ends our growing season often in early September.

How does the Tower garden help us to grow food in cool weather?

Our Experience Growing the Tower Garden in Cold Climate

Growing vertically, the Tower Garden allows you to grow up to 28 plants in less than six square feet of land! Because of its very small footprint, we can use micro climates in our garden and build wind braces for the Tower garden. Our Towers stay at the south facing wall with a glass wind break. It is the warmest spot in our back yard. Since the plants in the Tower Garden are always perfectly watered, even some hot weather stages are not a problem. The Tower Garden works great for hot climate, therefore in our cool climate we do not have to worry about some unexpectedly hot days.

Growing cucumbers has always been a challenge in our cool climate. In the protected Tower Garden they grow amazingly well.

Our Experience Growing the Tower Garden in Cold Climate

The Tower Garden can also easily be wrapped into a Plant Protection Blanket during cold nights. If sudden snow occurs (can happen here at any time) we have even placed a heater under the blanket to add additional protection.

Our Experience Growing the Tower Garden in Cold Climate

We also use a water heater to protect the water from getting to cold. Heating up the soil would not work as easily as heating up the solution for the Tower Garden does.

Can we grow food in the off season with the Tower Garden?

Winter Garden Our Experience Growing the Tower Garden in Cold Climate

Once the summer crop is done, we clean the Tower Gardens and take them indoors. Now we replant them with greens and herbs for winter growing. We use grow lights and the water heater as needed. Greens and herbs grow very well in the Tower Garden indoors all winter long.

Growing the Tower Garden in Cold Climate

Over time we have had the Tower Garden in our laundry room, basement, and the Garage Greenhouse. Anywhere where there are about six square feet of space, the Tower Garden can be placed to grow food. Since we grow mostly greens in the winter, the environment does not have to be very much heated. If you want to grow tomatoes you would need a warm spot in the house.

Would we recommend a Tower Garden for short growing seasons and cold climates?

Our Experience Growing the Tower Garden in Cold Climate

Absolutely yes. The Tower Garden helps us to grow plants we would not be able to without it, like peppers, melons and eggplants in our short cool summers. And also enables us to grow our own salad greens all throughout our long Canadian winters. We started with one Tower Garden, and now we have three of them – yes we love Tower Garden gardening.

If you want to grow a Tower Garden find a Juice Plus distributed in your area or go directly to the Tower Garden website.

There are other great aeroponic systems available. Also, over the years we have built our own high-pressure aeroponics and NFT hydroponic system.

Grow an indoor edible garden

Hydroponics is one of the best ways to grow an indoor edible garden. Take a look at all the posts we already shared about growing food indoors and seedlings for the summer garden.

We invite you to subscribe to Northern Homestead and follow us on Facebook or Pinterest so you don’t miss a thing.

Starting Seeds Indoors

Starting Vegetable Seeds Indoors

Exploring Alternatives to Starting Seedlings Early

Exploring Alternatives to Starting Seedlings Early

Indoor vs Outdoor Hydroponics: Easy Tips for Successย 

Indoor vs Outdoor Hydroponics: Easy Tips for Successย 

Easy DIY NFT Hydroponic System (Nutrient Film Hydroponics)

Easy DIY NFT Hydroponic System Build

How to Grow Tomatoes Indoors

Complete Guide on How To Grow Tomatoes Indoors

Growing and Caring for Geraniums

Growing and Caring for Geraniums: A Simple Guide

8 Years of Year-Round Growing in Zone 3 Review

8 Years of Year-Round Growing in Zone 3 Review

Four Season Greenhouse:Growing Room Review

Four Season Greenhouse/Growing Room Review

Winter Solstice 2021 Indoor Garden Update

Winter Solstice 2021 Indoor Garden Update

Indoor Decorative Plants

Indoor Decorative Plants

Growing Cucumbers Indoors

Growing Cucumbers Indoors

Trouble-shooting in an Indoor Edible Window Garden

Troubleshooting in an Indoor Edible Garden

Start growing food the the Kratky hydroponics way today! It is a simple and fun container gardening method suited for off-the-grid and water saving growing.

Growing Food Using the Simple Kratky Hydroponic Method

Temperature and humidity for an indoor edible window garden is important. You want to adjust what you grow to how warm or cool your room is.

Temperature for an indoor edible garden

Additional light for an indoor edible window garden

Additional light for an indoor edible window garden

What to Grow in an Indoor Edible Window Garden. Over the years we have grown a whole lot of plants indoors at a window: Microgreens, herbs, Aloe Vera, strawberries, lettuce, winter greens like kale, root vegetables like carrots, winter vegetables like broccoli, summer vegetables like tomatoes and even water melons.

What to Grow in an Indoor Edible Garden

Growing an indoor edible garden in soil

Growing an indoor edible garden in soil

Planting a Hydroponic Garden

Planting a Hydroponic Garden

Preventing birds from flying into windows

Preventing birds from flying into windows

Fresh and dry basil in the winter

Growing and Preserving Basil

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Debbie says

    July 22, 2016 at

    I would like to learn more. We live in Edmonton and have no space for cold frames or a greenhouse

    Reply
    • Anna says

      July 22, 2016 at

      Hi Debbie, for the Tower garden you do not need a greenhouse. Since Edmonton is further away from the mountains compering to where we are, your summer will be sufficient for growing a great garden. I will email you.

      Reply
  2. Linn says

    July 22, 2016 at

    Can you grow tomatoes, cucumbers, beans during the winter if living in Edmonton?

    Reply
    • Anna says

      July 24, 2016 at

      You can, however the plants you listed are all heat loving plants. If you like it very warm (above 20C during the day) in your greenhouse or house and you have a sunny window in addition to the grow lights, you can grow this plants. The cucumbers would also have to be a greenhouse variety, that do not need pollination.

      Reply
      • Randi Charron says

        May 1, 2018 at

        Hi,
        We live in Vermont and I would like to know where to purchase an aeroponic garden tower?

        Reply
        • Anna says

          May 2, 2018 at

          The best way is to find a Juice Plus representative in your area or go directly to the Tower Garden website (link is in the post).

          Reply
  3. Jen says

    May 3, 2019 at

    Is be happy to help any fellow homesteaders with their TowerGarden questions. Please checkout my TowerGarden website:
    LoveJenLarson.com

    Reply
  4. Debbi Bearinger says

    February 4, 2021 at

    Just purchased one. We are in Ontario.

    Reply
    • Anna says

      February 7, 2021 at

      Good for you, enjoy.

      Reply
  5. Cara says

    October 12, 2022 at

    Do you typically only grow greens & herbs inside? Are there any other things you can grow inside during the winter? Do you buy the seedlings and the mineral mix(to add to water) from the same company that makes the tower?

    Reply
    • Anna says

      October 12, 2022 at

      Hi Cara, we have grown a lot more than just greens inside. Tomatoes, cucumbers, kohlrabi, herbs, etc all did well. It really depends on your indoor conditions. If the room is warm and you got the right light conditions, you can grow heat-loving plants. If the location is darker and cooler, grow greens.
      I usually started my own seedlings and we also mixed our own mineral mix. There is no need to buy the expensive original mix. Search locally in hydroponic stores for what is available. Also, look through all the indoor gardening and hydroponic gardening blog articles we have, there is lots of information. You find the list here: https://northernhomestead.com/growing/

      Reply

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