Our Garden Tower Initiative is expanding quickly, and you can help it grow! Click here to watch a tutorial about building a Garden Tower đź’™
The easiest way to help is to simply donate to the initiative. $20 will provide a complete Garden Tower for a family, including the tower mesh, soil and seeds.
But you can also support this movement by becoming a gardener yourself and sharing your harvest with those in need. Whether you build them with us on a service trip or build it yourself in your community, follow these steps to start growing your first batch of fresh produce.
1. Have Plenty of Soil:
Garden Towers can hold a lot of soil. You’ll need at least a cubic meter of soil to fill it.
2. Get the Right Tools:
Grab a wheelbarrow or several buckets to haul all that soil. You’ll also need shovels and long poles or sticks to fill the Garden Tower properly. Other garden tools such as gloves, trowels, and a watering can or hose will be essential to caring for a tower.
3. Ask a Volunteer or Two:
Building a Garden Tower is a lot of work, so the more help the easier it can be. Call some friends or family and make it a fun outdoor activity.
4. Place Your Garden Tower:
Put the empty Garden Tower bag in a proper area you can easily reach on all sides. It needs plenty of sunlight—preferably six hours of direct sunlight a day during the growing season. You will also want to ensure your water source, like a hose or sprinkler system, is near enough to reach your tower.
5. Fill the Bag:
With your empty tower in the proper place, begin shoveling and spreading the soil to the edges of the bag. At this point, the bag should cover the bottom of the tower, separating the new soil from the ground. But as you add more soil, you will pull all sides of bag upward. This is how you create a solid foundation for your Garden Tower.
6. Pack the Soil:
Once the Garden Tower is a third of the way filled, begin packing soil on the sides of the bag. This ensures the sides of your Garden Tower will be firm and even. Long poles or sticks are helpful for this—you could even use shovel handles or your hands.
7. Watch for Problems:
As you build your Garden Tower, watch for bumps or craters in its sides; this means the soil isn’t packed around the edges. Also take some time to look at the tower as a whole for issues or to see if it’s leaning to one side. If it is, you may need to remove some soil and try again. Repeat these steps until you’ve filled the Garden Tower completely. Then stand back and admire your work. It’s time to get planting!
8. Choose What to Plant:
Take some time to select and research what you want to grow. Choose fruits or veggies that grow well in your climate during the season you’ve decided to plant.
9. Plant in the Right Spot:
One great aspect of a Garden Tower is the many places to plant new seeds and seedlings. The large section top is great for plants that grow large and tall, like tomatoes, bulbs and corn. The lower sides are best for vegetables that trail, like squash and cucumbers, so they will spread out without blocking other plants.
10. Care for Your Garden and Be Patient:
Take good care of your seedlings. Water them the appropriate amount and check for problems like disease or infestations. There should be minimal weeding; however, pull weeds when they’re small to avoid damaging your plants. Read online or at a local library if you have questions or concerns, and then be patient and consistent. With care and time, your Garden Tower will bear a wonderful harvest of nutritious food.
Yes, there is a lot to learn for rookie gardeners. But learning those lessons is just one of the many adventures you embark on when you first sink your hands into the soil. Learn how you can get gardening today.
Even without a Garden Tower, gardening is a wonderful hobby that can benefit you and your community. It’s good for the soul and invigorating for the body. It’s a journey that connects you to the land and encourages you to collaborate with your community and build relationships with like-minded individuals.
Help us plant seeds of hope across the world by planting some of those seeds in your own backyard. Where there’s soil, there’s a way.
Food for Thought
Remember, 100 percent of all donations made to the USANA Foundation always go to change the lives of those most in need around the world. You can help us reach our goal of raising 30,000 Garden Towers by donating here!
We love to see all of your Garden Tower content! Remember to tag us on social media @usanafoundation_ on Instagram and USANA Foundation on Facebook and use #WhereHopeisGrown 🌱
