Huge 4 Tier GreenStalk Vertical Planter – for Urban and Small Space Gardening (Stunning Stone)

If you're considering a similar purchase, you should really go check out the Greenstalk site. There are many stackable planters, but none have the particular watering design that makes sure each tier gets the right amount of water. That feature was ultimately why I chose Greenstalk.I like that it's available in 3, 4, and 5 tiers, and I've grown lettuce, carrots, kale, beans, chard, and more just in the few months I've had it. It requires a lot of potting mix but is much easier than trying to do a raised bed garden. I also have had no pest issues - though they sell a net if you need it - while my ground garden has been eaten up like crazy.I've been trying to use it on an uneven brick patio, so the tower kind of leans. It's held up through tropical storm-force winds, though, so I'm not too worried about it falling over. The leaning is not very attractive, though. As a matter of taste, I would love to see a more decorative design. I feel like it could be a pretty part of the landscape if it had some flourishes and didn't lean.The only thing I'm not crazy about is the price. It seems high for some plastic (even if the plastic is high quality), and the spinners and rollers to move the Greenstalk are also kind of expensive. I still gave it five stars because there is nothing else like it. By ordering from Amazon, I saved on the shipping even though the site offered a promo code.

Loved it! Kept my plants so healthy!

I love that these are made in the US. I purchased two of these and I almost purchased on Amazon but found a better price elsewhere. Once they are assembled, filled with dirt and watered they exceed 150 lbs even with only seedlings instead of full grown plants. This requires a top quality dolly to move. I purchased the dolly advertised with it but they are made of plastic and the casters are weak. When I only want to turn it around for more sun on one side the wheels creek and are barely able to move. I would not be surprised if they break under the weight. So that is one weakness I found in the design. To actually move it on even ground 10 feet it barely budges and the wheels have a hard time aligning to turn in the same direction. Perhaps the use of WD40 would help but it is impossible to grease the wheels once the unit is fully assembled and planted. If you are on uneven ground, say a lawn, it is very unsteady and top heavy because the mover can't operate on uneven ground. The moving unit needs to be something other than plastic and the casters wheels need to be heavy duty.The top is left open to the environment. In order for the unit to work as designed, the hole in each watering section AND the top water reservoir, must be clear. They are tiny and get clogged easily with soil in the individual watering sections. A few of the holes were not uniform and had bits of plastic adhering to them. I used an ice pick to open them fully. There are five tiers, six holes each for a total of 30 drip holes and an additional 6 holes in the reservoir. You must be very focused during assembly not to allow any of the dirt used in each tier to get into the watering section for that tier because the holes are so tiny that they can clog with a single tiny particle of dirt. As for the top water reservoir, it should have been designed with a snap on fine mesh lid to keep out falling leaves and other items carried in the wind. Even tiny particles of plants that somehow make it up to the reservoir will clog a water drip hole. I rigged a top for the 13" diameter reservoir from a kitchen 13" splatter screen by bending the handle down to lie between the planting wells. It is crude, but it works.Even while the unit was assembled with utmost care, it did not sit level one on the other. There is one section that just refused to align with one of the slots it was meant to drop into. The five-year warranty I believe is a stretch. IF it is kept in the shade, IF it is kept on even ground, IF you take every measure to keep drip holes from clogging and IF you do not attempt to overfill the planting wells and IF you keep it out of extreme temperatures, storing it inside a shed over winter, maybe it will last 5 years but you really have to go the extra mile, I believe.Regarding volume of planting, each of the six sections on a planting level holds the equivalent of a little over 7 dry liters of planting material (compost, earthworm castings, top soil mix, etc). There are no divisions between planting sections so root systems can become tangled. For this reason I would only plant 1 kind of plant on each level, i.e. herbs in one container; lettuce in one of the other levels, etc. Also, plants can only grow as large as the root system is given room for and the room of the tower sections is limited.Lastly, the plastic support system, in my opinion is weak and limited to plant size and weight. Ideally this is a planting tower well-suited to a balcony or patio and used for growing lettuce, spinach, pak choy, asian greens, herbs; the plants that most often draw pests in the garden. Having those plants in planters and up off the ground will minimize any pests. Perhaps you can add cherry or grape tomatoes on lower levels because those plants are heavy and the weight will dispersed toward the bottom of the tower if you plan to move it around. In this way it will be stabilized and less prone to tipping.In summary, the unit is limited to certain kinds of plants; the moving system needs to be ramped up to handle the weight with casters that are more commercial grade; the open water reservoir needs a top to filter out any debris that will clog the drip holes, the planting levels should sit straight and the support system is weak and not really worth buying. I recommend with one caveat, put it together first without dirt and plants just to assess whether there might be any problems in alignment and use. Also try out the mover with a heavy planter before assembly to see if the wheels move smoothly.EDIT: Correction, this is for the 4 tier, I bought the 5 tier.

I ordered this vertical garden to grow potatoes and some other delicate root plants (beets, carrots, etc.). It was incredibly to assemble (about 1 cubic foot fo soil per layer) and didn't weigh too much which was nice. I cant wait to see how things grow over the summer and then use it again in the winter.

Quality product - I have all my greens and some tomatoes growing wonderfully in this. I would suggest buying the wheels sold separately so you can turn the vertical garden as needed. Cute note from the family along with worm castings and great tips for gardening. Amazing idea for urban gardening in small spaces and looks fantastic!