Plant Spacing in ZipGrow Towers

A common question we hear is ‘how far apart should my plants be in a ZipGrow Tower?’

 The Answer: “It Depends…”

To figure out the best spacing, we recommend first and foremost that you consult the back of your seed packet.

Here you’ll find the recommended spacing, which is generally a great place to start.

For most of the crops we grow in our Towers – largely nutrient dense greens and herbs – we stick to about a 6 inch spacing.

Six inch spacing helps us grow 8-10 lettuce or basil plants in a single 5′ ZipGrow tower.

Now, this is recommendation to get you started. It can also be a jumping off point until you figure out a few variables.

“Best” Spacing Depends on the Specific Crop and Desired Outcome

Crops Vary

The first variable you’ll need to address before planting your towers is that every crop grows slightly different.

Mint, for example grows like a weed and spreads throughout the entire tower. This differs from the majority of your greens like lettuce and kale that tend to grow more centralized and gain the majority of their weight in one spot.

Planting fruiting crops like strawberries will also require a general 6-8 inch spacing.

You can check out our Best Crops for Hydroponics Guide for information about the most commonly grown plants in ZipGrow Towers.

Goals Vary

The second variable in the proper crop spacing equation is your specific desired outcomes for your plants.

You’ll need to determine your farm’s production goals based on what your specific market wants. For example, do your customers want big or small heads of lettuce? These types of questions will help determine how far apart you’ll need to space your crops in ZipGrow Towers.

You can also play around with different density planting. Higher density planting is something we are currently running research on in our Cornwall, Ontario farm. Keep an eye out for results from the research to be published later this year!

Thanks for reading, be sure to sign up for updates and our newsletter!

Welcome To ZipGrow Blog

Our goal is to produce high-quality informative content to highlight the power of local food, small business, and how delicious sustainable food can have in our communities and in our world.

Recent Posts

Check Us Out On YouTube!

Enjoyed This Post? Sign up for our Newsletter

Subscribe today to stay updated! Only the good stuff, we promise.