Comparing the Best Canadian Vertical Gardens

For most Canadian gardeners, the growing season is woefully short. Frost-free weather hardly extends beyond three months, and even that isn’t a guarantee. So, it is not surprising that gardeners across the country are adding indoor vertical gardens to their homes.

Vertical gardens make it possible to grow fresh produce, whatever the season. They are space and resource-efficient, turning kitchens, living rooms, and underutilized rooms into productive indoor gardens.

The ZipGarden and the JustVertical AEVA are two of the best vertical gardening systems for Canadians. This article will compare the features of both to help you pick the right one for your home and lifestyle.

ZipGarden: Quick Specs

Dimensions: 27"W x 20"D x 74"H requiring a 4 ft square footprint

Weight: 75 lbs assembled, 135 lbs with a full water reservoir

Capacity: Up to 20 plants (8-10 lbs of produce a month)

Irrigation Settings: Aerated reservoir and circulating pump runs either once or twice per hour for 15 minutes

Lighting: Built-in full spectrum LED lights with timer

What’s Included: Seedling nursery kit, peat moss plugs, fertilizer powder, casters

JustVertical AEVA: Quick Specs

Dimensions: 37”W x 9.5” D x 72” H requires a 2 ft square footprint

Weight: 70 lbs assembled, 130 lbs with full water reservoir

Capacity: Up to 16 plants (8-10 lbs of produce a month)

Irrigation Settings: Pre-programmed irrigation cycle of 20 seconds every 30 minutes

Lighting: Built-in full spectrum LED lights with timer

What’s Included: Seedling nursery tray with LED light, liquid fertilizer, peat moss plugs, one year supply of seeds

Comparing Vertical Gardens: Top Features to Consider

The ZipGarden and the JustVertical AEVA are similar in many ways, including their weight, straightforward lighting settings, and total production capacity.

However, both systems do differ in regard to certain features. Your budget, floor space, and prior experience with indoor growing systems are among the factors that will determine which garden is a better fit for you. Keep those in mind as you consider these key vertical garden features.

Size

Both the ZipGarden and AEVA are extremely space-efficient: this is one of the selling points of any vertical garden. Both systems match a traditional outdoor 10 ft x 10 ft garden plot in production, but the ZipGarden only requires 4 square feet of floor space, while the AEVA takes up a minuscule 2 square feet.

Production Capacity

Up to 20 heads of Lettuce can be grown over 6 weeks in a ZipGarden. The AEVA provides 16 receptacles and therefore your capacity is set at 16 plants over the same 6-week time frame.

By staggering planting times in either system, you can harvest an entire serving of produce every single day of the year.

Ease of Use

The ZipGarden is more mechanically complex, as it contains an aeration pump in addition to the water pump, and the grow towers are removable to facilitate thorough cleaning and maintenance. Extra features, like casters, add to the garden's overall usability, but assembly is more involved. The ZipGarden requires approximately 2 hours of assembly time.

Meanwhile, the AEVA is streamlined to be easily assembled and operated. Assembly takes less than 30 minutes, while sized irrigation settings eliminate additional variables. As a result, the AEVA typically only requires about 10 minutes of hands-on maintenance per week.

Durability

Both the AEVA and ZipGarden are well-built and designed to last many years. And it only takes a year or two before they essentially pay for themselves in fresh produce. The advanced design features of the ZipGarden perhaps make it the most durable and repairable option, but only if you stay on top of its more demanding maintenance requirements.

Design

If your vertical garden is going to inhabit a prominent corner of your home, you probably want it to look like it belongs. That means compatible colours and stylish overall design.

Both the ZipGarden and AEVA are built with those requirements in mind. The AEVA is available in five different cabinet colours (walnut, oak, white, black, and gray). The ZipGarden is available in two (white and wood veneer).

ZipGarden vs. JustVertical AEVA: What’s the Best Indoor Vertical Garden?

Ultimately, the best vertical garden will depend on your space, gardening experience, and desired level of involvement in assembly, maintenance, and growing processes.

The ZipGarden is a more complex and hands-on system. It requires more assembly time and ongoing maintenance but is more customizable; we recommend it for committed growers who enjoy experimenting with and optimizing their growing systems.

We recommend the Just Vertical AEVA If you’re new to vertical gardens or simply want an easy, hands-off system for year-round homegrown produce. It is also several hundred dollars cheaper than the ZipGarden.

Get your Indoor Vertical Garden Today!

Whether you decide on the ZipGarden or the AEVA, it is impossible to go wrong. Both are among the best indoor vertical gardening systems for Canadians. Get yours today and get growing!

Ihomegrow.ca is a dedicated Canadian supplier of indoor gardening technology. Feel free to email us at sales@ihomegrow.ca or call 1(888)851-8852 with any comments or questions.