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PSA: My attempt at a vertical fern wall in the garage turned into a mold farm
I followed a guide from a 2012 gardening blog to build a living wall with Boston ferns on a sheet of plywood. After about two months, the backside started showing black spots, and the whole thing smelled like a wet basement. I learned that indoor humidity in Portland, Oregon, plus poor air flow, is a perfect recipe for trouble. Has anyone else tried a vertical setup and found a way to keep it dry?
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lindaw292mo ago
Oh man, that sounds so familiar! My first vertical herb garden did the exact same thing. What finally worked for me was using a plastic egg crate light panel from the hardware store instead of wood. It lets air get behind the plants. I also put a small fan in the garage to keep things moving.
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ninam762mo ago
That egg crate panel idea is pretty smart. Read somewhere that mold needs still air to really take hold, so that fan trick probably helps a ton. Makes you wonder why more kits don't come with better airflow built in, right?
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