Hydroponic Living Walls – DYI – Really? Over the years I haven’t done particularly good job writing about hydroponic based technology, more specifically hydroponic green walls. I would contribute that to the fact beyond the ever popular Patrick Blanc the technology was still being developed for vertical walls. I personally found them a cumbersome maintenance project; however there are advances in materials and easy applications but not without a “fine line” between success and failure. I’m going to share some of my experiences and explain that “fine line” that includes the detailed variables. Like green walls in general hydroponic techniques are not new, the Greek terms “Hydro” means water & “Ponic” is labor. Even the gardens of Babylon had a pumping system to bring water to the top of the garden letting it trickle back to the lower pools. Nature irrigates naturally occurring walls through runoff that collect nutrients from the natural decomposition to feed the plants clinging to the side of cliffs and walls. In a previous article (ENTER DATE OR LINK) I described the origin of green walls and the natural rock faces created by Mother Nature. Nutrients & minerals are created naturally, picked up by runoff as the roots are bathed in a nutrient rich solution. Sounds simple right? Not so fast! We’re talking about Mother Nature here. I have documented and studied naturally occurring green walls over the years. Since I live in upstate New York (USA) I am much more adapt to the native plant types locally except for my time spend outside of Portland Oregon hiking to Multnomah, Latourell, Wahkeena and Horsetail waterfalls along the Columbia River. The walls I have studied are the epitome of “Native Living Walls”. Before I continue let me make reference to the nomenclature of “Green Walls” as a general term which is divided into “Green Facades” and “Living Walls”. Since living walls are defined by having the root system throughout the wall, naturally occurring green walls are defined as living walls. A green façade is usually a 3d trellis like support structure with a climbing plant found at the base. In nature climbing plants are also naturally occurring however for the purpose of this article our focus is living walls. Although my hiking has decreased to almost none over the past year due to knee surgeries the naturally occurring living walls provide a spectacle only found in nature. Plants we see as common or to the untrained eye seem like nothing more than moss & ferns. A close look displays an awesome range of colors and textures, to the touch on a hot summer day the walls are cooling and provide a haven for Top Right: Mile marker to various trails along the Columbia River Gorge. Left: Living Wall by Mother Nature along the Larch Mountain trail OR, consisting of various native plants including various lichen & ferns.
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Transcript
Hydroponic Living Walls – DYI – Really?
Over the years I haven’t done particularly good job writing about hydroponic based technology,
more specifically hydroponic green walls. I would contribute that to the fact beyond the ever popular
Patrick Blanc the technology was still being developed for vertical walls. I personally found them a
cumbersome maintenance project; however there are advances in materials and easy applications but
not without a “fine line” between success and failure. I’m going to share some of my experiences and
explain that “fine line” that includes the detailed variables. Like green walls in general hydroponic
techniques are not new, the Greek terms “Hydro” means water & “Ponic” is labor. Even the gardens of
Babylon had a pumping system to bring water to the top of the garden letting it trickle back to the lower
pools. Nature irrigates naturally occurring walls through runoff that collect nutrients from the natural
decomposition to feed the plants clinging to the side of cliffs and walls. In a previous article (ENTER
DATE OR LINK) I described the origin of green walls and the natural rock faces created by Mother
Nature. Nutrients & minerals are created naturally, picked up by runoff as the roots are bathed in a
nutrient rich solution. Sounds simple right? Not so fast! We’re talking about Mother Nature here.
I have documented and studied naturally occurring
green walls over the years. Since I live in upstate New York
(USA) I am much more adapt to the native plant types
locally except for my time spend outside of Portland Oregon
hiking to Multnomah, Latourell, Wahkeena and Horsetail
waterfalls along the Columbia River. The walls I have studied
are the epitome of “Native Living Walls”. Before I continue
let me make reference to the nomenclature of “Green
Walls” as a general term which is divided into “Green
Facades” and “Living Walls”. Since living walls are defined by
having the root system throughout the wall, naturally occurring green walls are defined as living walls. A
green façade is usually a 3d trellis like support structure with a climbing plant found at the base. In
nature climbing plants are also naturally occurring however for the purpose of this article our focus is
living walls.
Although my hiking has decreased to almost none over the past year due to knee surgeries the naturally
occurring living walls provide a spectacle only found in nature. Plants we see as common or to the
untrained eye seem like nothing more than moss & ferns. A close look displays an awesome range of
colors and textures, to the touch on a hot summer day the walls are cooling and provide a haven for
Top Right: Mile marker to various
trails along the Columbia River Gorge.
Left: Living Wall by Mother Nature
along the Larch Mountain trail OR,
consisting of various native plants
including various lichen & ferns.
animals & insects of all kinds. Every wall I have seen up-close has contained a variety of liverworts, ferns,
mushrooms, lichens and wild flowers.
The pictures provide just a small sample of what can be found growing on the natural living walls.
Without the use of synthetic fertilizers this is natural hydroponics at its best.
Trying to duplicate Mother Nature’s efforts is no easy task. In
nature plants adapt and are conducive to the environment, they are
naturally at home. Installing a hydroponic living wall is relatively easy;
the challenge is to meet all the needs of a plant pallet that is part of the
man made ecosystem, totally unnatural and more times than not
combining plants that are not of the same needs is the main reason for
failures. Hydroponic living walls are also much different than the
traditional horizontal technology developed to grow food. For starters
the living walls are vertical unlike food producing units that are
horizontal, even if they are “stacked” as towers and allow the
vegetation to climb vertical (Green Façade). Before we talk about the
materials and “How to” part, start with the types of hydroponic
systems available. There are active and passive hydroponic systems,
easily remembered because “active” means with a mechanical pump (which is the common for
hydroponic living walls) is moving water that is infused with chemical nutrients as it passes over the
roots. A passive system works without a pump and utilizes a wicking fabric or some type of inorganic
media that that draws water to the roots. The green wall systems I have had the opportunity to trial and
work with have a combination of materials, everything from felt, to cleaning scrub pads, plastic, poly
vinyl chloride (PVC) and coco husk and they all rely on a mechanical means (Active system). I have not
found one single combination of products and techniques that make hydroponic green walls a fool proof
method. Some are much more successful than others but not without attention to detail and intensive
maintenance requirements. In a natural occurring living wall the plants that are native to the
From Left to Right: Anomodon attenuatus (anomodon moss), Atrichum undulatum, Dicranum fulvum
(dicranum moss) & Hart's-tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium)* this fern is on the New York State
Threatened List and the majority can be found in New York State. Below from Left to Right: Wild
Columbine & Winterberry, Sedum spathulifolium (Oregon) is a favorite food for the Pika (A small
relation to the Rabbit). In the spring look for a bright yellow flower that stands out against the lichen.
surroundings are adapt to the conditions. “Conditions” refer to elevation, lighting, nutrient availability
and in nature only plants that are adapt to the present conditions will continue to thrive. In the living
wall the task of plant survival is put on the installer, system type and the expertise of the maintenance
technician. Just because you are a landscaper or interior plant company don’t assume you’re going to be
able to jump right in and master hydroponic living walls, there is a learning curve. I do have relations in
the industry, some of them national companies; they maintain both media /soil based walls and other
hydroponic walls. The maintenance on the hydroponic walls is a break even for them because of the
higher than average maintenance needs. The variables and conditions are ever change and having the
ability to meet the maintenance needs and upkeep is an education only experience can bring. There is
that “fine line” between success and failure. Many variables are under constant monitoring in order to
be successful. Hydroponic living walls are seldom 100% lush and thriving all the time because of the ever
changing variables with very little room for error. Even a slight change in temperature can disrupt the
dynamics of the wall causing massive areas of die off; we will talk more on monitoring the walls later.
Hydroponic Living Wall: Basics
Hydroponics requires many variables to come together in sync in order for it to be successful.
My own reading suggests that experience and education are a must before diving into hydroponic
growing. For the most part, common landscapers and indoor plant companies are usually not at the
level of expertise when they decide to either install or take on the maintenance of hydroponic living