Grow Big: Tomatoes, Broccoli, Cucumbers, Peppers, Lettuce, Herbs, & More

This is a 3D-printable vertical hydroponic garden tower made for serious growing. It’s designed to handle larger vegetables like tomatoes, kohlrabi, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, herbs, eggplants, and cucumbers—perfect for anyone who wants to grow a lot in a small footprint, whether on a balcony, terrace, or garden.

It’s built to fit a large plant pot (45 liters) that’s easy to find in Switzerland (added international link). The system has been tested outdoors for 5 months, proving itself wind-resistant and sturdy. There’s also an optional support structure in the printprofiles ideal for heavy crops like tomatoes and cucumbers.

Boost MeI’ve put a lot of heart into this, and if you like it, a boost would really help me keep going. Thanks so much for the support!

Modular by Design
You decide which pots to use and how tall to build your tower! Choose from three pot sizes, tailored to your crops:

GrowBig4 – Ideal for large vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, kohlrabi, broccoli, and more.
Grow8 – Great for compact crops like radishes and small salad varieties.
GrowSmall4 – Perfect for head lettuce, herbs, and flowers.

Start from the GrowBig4, move up to the Grow8, and finish with the GrowSmall4 on top! In this combination on the pictures, the tower stands 180 cm tall.

Plenty of room for strong, healthy root growth.

⚠️ Work in Progress – but fully tested for 5 months and growing real plants! I’m continuously improving the design based on practical experience. And instructions will follow, before the contest ends :)

🎥 This is the second version of the tower.
Here's a video of the crops grown with the first version:

The 3d printed parts You‘ll need

🛠️ What You’ll Need (besides the printed parts):

A large plant pot
Submersible pump
20mm outer diameter sturdy pipe 2m long, and cut to the lenght needed. ( I used an aluminium pipe)
Many M4 countersunk head screws (16mm long) with nuts
Many M5 screws (around 25mm long) with nuts for the Baselid
2 x M6 threaded rods around 45mm long
Aquarium filter foam around 30mm thick (to cut and use as filter)
Optional Support Structure: 4 x 1m installation pipes (with 16mm outer diameter)

Printing Notes:

This design uses a lot of filament due to its size. Use PETG! The smooth plate is recommended. I’ve tested it with:

BambuLab PETG HF
eSun PETG HS
Both materials are strong and UV-resistant.
White petg is great because it reflects sunlight and prevents the system from heating up too fast—but it also encourages algae. That’s why the top parts are black, where most algae tend to grow.
There’s also a white cap to block sunlight in summer. Remove it on colder days to help warm the water.

Assembly Instructions:

🌿 Hydroponic Setup:

If you're new to hydroponics, this tower is a great place to start. I personally learned everything from YouTube creators and kept it simple.

Here’s what I use:

Terra Aquatica TriPart fertilizers
A pH meter and EC meter
Good water (filtered or rainwater is best)

Seeds are started in rockwool cubes. Once roots develop, I move them into the net pots. The system is low-maintenance, high-reward.

🔧 Why I Built This:

I started out using a free hydroponic tower from Printables. It was a great entry point—but quickly became too small, unstable, and not suitable for big plants.
This version is larger, stronger, and much more versatile—a proper step up for anyone who wants to grow big crops vertically.

🪴 Need help with a pot?
If you can’t find a plant pot that fits your build just right, let me know what pot you’re using or looking at – I’ll see if I can make a version that works with it. Always happy to help out and keep things growing smoothly, if I find Time.

Here’s what an ideal pot should have:

At least 40 liters / 10 gallons
Square (quadratic) shape for better stability
Thick upper rim to securely hold the lid
No drainage holes at the bottom
Made from plastic (preferably polyethylene) or similar material
Drillable rim to attach the printed top securely

Links:

The Pot

https://www.landi.ch/shop/bewaesserungsgeraete_100802/blumenkasten-taupe-38-38-40-cm_57381

https://royalestones.ie/indi-pixel-cappuccino-italian-planter-384x398x384mm.html

https://royalestones.co.uk/indi-pixel-anthracite-italian-planter-384x398x384mm.html

https://www.artiplantes.fr/1795-grand-pot-cubique-gris-anthracite-striato.html
https://www.infabbrica.com/vasi-plastica-quadrati-fioriera-quadrata-thar.htm

The Pump

https://www.sicce.com/de/products/multifunction-pumps/syncra-silent.html?___from_store=en

Available on Amazon too:

Sicce Syncra Silent 2.0 or equal, syncra 1.5 should also works.

Plant Designs