The fashion for gardening in the age of high technology not only remains in demand, but is actively expanding, taking on new forms. One of the modern ideas for the use of vertical gardening was successfully mastered by interior designers, who proposed the concept of a phytowall. It is not difficult to implement it with your own hands - just decide on the parameters of the structure and the method of its construction.
What is a phytowall
Structurally, a phytowall is a multi-layer structure, each level of which performs specific tasks. The basis is natural or synthetic fabric material with pockets in which plants are planted. From the back, it is isolated from moisture penetration, and the outer part is interfaced with hydrological communications.
From the point of view of maintaining plant life, it is very important to provide an irrigation system that works automatically. She isformed from pipes of small diameter with pumping equipment and a pallet. Next, we will consider the implementation of the phytowall step by step with your own hands using the available tools and materials.
Creating a fabric base
First, you should make a phytomodule that will form the basis of the wall. It will need to be attached to a full-fledged partition or wall, so you immediately need to prepare a kind of supporting mounting crate with elements of biological and hydrological isolation. In its simplest version, it is a series of wooden planks that are fastened to the target surface with hardware.
Next, you can move on to a modular design. How to make a do-it-yourself phytowall from felt in an apartment? It is advisable to choose felt for the reason that it is an environmentally friendly and biologically stable material, organically suitable for keeping vegetation. The main work will be sewing pockets of certain sizes. The niche placement configuration is made individually, but it is important to maintain a balance over the entire area so that the structure gives a uniform load and does not warp. Seams are best done with nylon threads for reliability. You can increase the rigidity of the canvas due to special brackets. They also fix the felt to the prepared crate and additionally fasten it with a thin wire to match the color of the fabric.
Solution of irrigation and lighting problems
Even at the sewing stage, it will not be superfluous to provide contours for launching small plastic pipes. They will be irrigated. From onethe sides of the ends of the tubes are brought to the pockets and closed with plugs with small holes. By the way, you can consider a small perforation along the entire length of the channels, but so that the water from them flows to the plants and does not spill. A water collection tray is installed from the bottom. An aquarium pump is also mounted here for lifting and circulating liquid through pipes. The calculation in choosing a pump should be made based on the lifting height up to 1-1.5 m.
The design will not do without lighting. Compact LED elements can be integrated into the phytowall with your own hands using decorative self-tapping screws. Directly into the crate, the spotlight is screwed both in a separate order and using a special profile. You can also use LED strip, framing the phytowall around the edges. In this case, protruding laths of the crate should be provided in advance from the bottom, top and sides.
Which plants to prefer for phytowall decoration
On the one hand, orientation to your own taste will be a win-win option, and on the other hand, there is a list of plants that are most adapted to such living conditions. Making a phytowall in an apartment with your own hands is recommended by the following families:
- Hypoxidium. This is indoor vegetation, characterized by long leaves and a rather impressive height. For hypoxidiums, it is desirable to equip a phytowall with large indents between the pockets, since tightness will have a bad effect on their development.
- Marantovye. On the other hand, small plantswhich are ideal for planting in a small area. Marantaceae tolerate moderate humidity and dark rooms well.
- Ferns. In this family, it is worth choosing pellet, pteris and nephrolepis. These varieties have a bright and lush top, which looks playful and airy in the composition. More importantly, the fern, unlike many indoor plants, is resistant to closely spaced heating sources.
- Bromeliads. Flowering plants that can be used in combination with green spaces. The features include undemanding in terms of watering. Periodically, it is enough to moisten the stems and leaves from the spray bottle.
- Ivy. One of the most successful options in terms of use in the phytomodule. All types of ivy are characterized by low requirements for moisture, light and air. Therefore, if necessary, using this design, it will be possible to zone “problem” areas near the corridor, bathroom and kitchen.
Of course, it is not necessary to plant only one type of plant. The phytomodule is quite suitable for combined solutions, if, in principle, there can be compatibility between different varieties.
Planting plants for a phytowall with your own hands
By the time of landing, the phytomodule must be securely installed and fixed. Expanded clay of fine fraction is poured into the prepared cells to a level of about 1/3 of the height of the pocket. This is followed by a fundamentally important filling based on nutrient soil. The layer of soil on top of expanded clay shouldperform the functions of a moisture regulator and microclimate balance. How to make a phytowall with your own hands that will meet such requirements? To do this, it is necessary to prepare an appropriate soil mixture, in which soddy soil, deciduous soil, humus and sand will be present. Of course, we are talking about a small amount, sufficient to fill a pocket with a volume of no more than 1 liter. Planting is carried out sequentially. Each plant is wrapped with a patch, then immersed in a pocket of a modular design and covered with prepared soil.
Features of a moss phytowall
The design of the phytowall, on which moss is planned to be planted, is somewhat different in the manufacturing technology. First, you should determine the origin of this vegetation. You can use both ordinary forest and store moss sphagnum. Secondly, instead of creating a cellular web, a continuous vertical surface will be required. You can make a phytowall from moss with your own hands according to the following instructions:
- First you need to prepare a thick sheet of plywood of a suitable shape.
- A massif of moss splits into small pieces.
- Using PVA glue, each bush of moss is spot-glued to the surface of the plywood.
- The construction is fixed on the crate, which is also used to create a felt phytowall.
- The main source of nutrition for moss will be liquid sprayed from a spray bottle.
Fitowall care rules
Periodically add water to the tray of the automatic irrigation system, checking the quality of the pumping equipment. As the phytowall plants develop with their own hands, it will also be necessary to remove dried flowers with leaves and cut off protruding shoots. The structure itself does not need special care, but it will not be superfluous to treat the wooden elements of the crate from time to time with antiseptics and biological protection.
Conclusion
Phytodesign is the best way not just to decorate a home, but to create a real "green" corner in it at minimal cost. In a modest city apartment, you can equip an artificial phytowall with your own hands on a small site. The vertical design will practically not take up free space, but it will add variety to the design and make the regulation of the microclimate more natural. The owner will only need to maintain the phytomodule in proper technical condition, not forgetting the needs of vegetation.
