Tower Garden Maintenance - The Basics

February 1, 2024

Tower Garden Maintenance Guide Sheet

Weekly Care
Water

Add water when reservoir is half empty. This will be 10 gallons
Refill until water is a finger’s distance from the top
Check twice a week, for instance, Monday and Friday, or Wednesday and Saturday.
Water will be absorbed faster with larger plants. It may need to be refilled twice a week with plants that are several months old
Smaller plants may not need water for 1-3 weeks
Hose water is perfectly fine, it does not need to be filtered or reverse osmosis

Nutrients

Add nutrients to reservoir whenever water is added. Nutrients do not need to be added if water is not added
Add 10 mL per gallon
- Water Level:
  - ½ Emtpy: 100 mL of A and B
  - ¾ Empty: 150 mL of A and B
  - Completely Empty: 200 mL of A and B
Always add the same amount of A and B
Mix nutrients into water

The pH is perhaps the most important part of tower garden health. Even if nutrients are in the water, if the pH is not within the proper range, the nutrients cannot be absorbed
Optimal Range for the tower garden is 5.5-6.0
5.5 to 6.5 is adequate
pH naturally rises, therefore it is better to keep the pH closer to 5.5, because in several days it will be near 6.0, usually in about one week
Most pH kits have pH+(Up) and pH-(Down). pH- will likely be the only one needed. In very rare cases, the pH of the water will be low and need pH+
Adjusting the pH
- Rinse out testing vial
- Fill vial with 2-3 mL of reservoir water
- Add 2-3 drops of pH Indicator Solution and swirl
- Check the water color based on the chart, either on Indicator Solution bottle or in test kit
- Add ½ capful (approximately 3-5mL) of pH- if the pH is too high (For Tower Garden or General Hydroponics brand)
- Stir water and retest in 5 minutes
- If pH is still above 5.5, determine how much ½ capful changed the pH.
  - Add another ½ capful of pH-, or a portion of that to incrementally lower the pH (2-3 mL suggested)
  - Retest, and lower pH until within the correct range
NOTE: Be careful not to lower pH too much and then add pH+ to correct.
- To correct overly added pH
  - Either let sit to naturally rise (will take several days);
  - Add water to raise the pH; OR
  - Empty reservoir, refill, and restart the balancing process
NOTE: Always balance pH last, after adding nutrients to water
NOTE: Check pH twice a week, best when monitoring water level

Troubleshooting
Lack of Water Flow

Check pump for debris clogging filter
- Rinse filter
Check top section of tower to see if holes are plugged
- Use a toothpick or run finger over the holes to clear debris
Check power
If none of the previous solve water flow issues, a new pump might be necessary
- Pump should be 370-400 GPH with a max height of 6.5 ft

Poor Growth

If water, nutrients, and pH are in proper order, it is best to change out the water completely after about 3 months

This will refresh and revitalize the plants

Tower Cleaning

It is best to breakdown the tower 2-3 times per year to maintain the best growing conditions.
Check for buildup of dirt and debris around the pump
Ensure both timer and pump work
Having backups is a great idea

Back to blog

Item added to your cart

Tower Garden Maintenance - The Basics

Leave a comment