You’ve probably seen the photos. Those towering, leafy stalks that look like they belong in a prehistoric jungle rather than a suburban backyard. People are calling it tall bacon grow a garden—a nickname for the skyrocketing popularity of giant, smoky-flavored heirloom plants and specific "bacon-scented" varieties that make your vegetable patch smell like a Sunday morning diner. It’s weird. It’s niche. But honestly, it’s one of the most rewarding ways to garden if you're bored with standard-issue grocery store tomatoes.
Growing "tall" isn't just about height; it’s about vertical yield. We’re talking about massive vining plants that hit twelve feet or higher. When you combine that scale with the savory, umami-heavy flavor profiles of specific cultivars, you get a garden that feels more like a food forest.
What People Get Wrong About the "Bacon" Flavor
Let’s get one thing straight. You aren't literally growing strips of cured pork. If you were hoping for a tree that sprouts Oscar Mayer, I’m sorry to break your heart. However, the term tall bacon grow a garden usually refers to a specific trio of plants: the "Bacon" Avocado (which is actually a variety name), the Smoky "Black Krim" tomato, and certain varieties of Red Orach or "Mountain Spinach."
The Bacon Avocado, specifically, was developed by James Bacon in 1954 in Buena Park, California. It’s a B-type avocado, which is vital for cross-pollination. It grows incredibly tall compared to the stubby Hass trees you might be used to. The fruit is creamy, lower in fat than a Hass, and has a subtle, savory finish. People get obsessed with it because it’s surprisingly cold-hardy, surviving temperatures down to 24°F. That’s a game-changer for gardeners in Zone 8 or 9 who thought they couldn't grow avocados.
Then there are the "Smoky" tomatoes. Varieties like Black Krim or Paul Robeson contain high concentrations of anthocyanins and specific acids that, when roasted, mimic the savory, salty notes of bacon. When you grow these on twelve-foot trellises, you’re basically building a vertical wall of meat-mimicking fruit.
The Logistics of Going Vertical
Size matters here. You can't just stick these in the ground and hope for the best. If you're going for a tall bacon grow a garden setup, you need infrastructure.
👉 See also: Finding the University of Arizona Address: It Is Not as Simple as You Think
Most people fail because they use those flimsy cone-shaped wire cages from the big-box stores. Those are useless. A Black Krim tomato plant in healthy soil will crush a wire cage by July. You need cattle panels. These are heavy-gauge galvanized steel grids, usually 16 feet long. You arch them into a "tunnels" or zip-tie them to heavy-duty T-posts.
This verticality does something cool. It creates a microclimate. Underneath your tall, bacon-flavored canopy, the ground stays cooler. This is where you tuck in your "bacon" scented herbs. Plectranthus coleoides, often called the "Bacon and Eggs" plant, or even certain varieties of Pelargonium (scented geraniums) can thrive in that dappled shade.
Soil Chemistry: The Secret to the Savory Hit
You want that deep, umami taste? It’s all in the sulfur and the stress.
Expert gardeners like Charles Dowding have long preached the "no-dig" method, which is essential for these heavy feeders. When you’re growing tall, the plant is pumping an enormous amount of energy into its vascular system to move water up ten feet of stem. If the soil is dead, the flavor is bland.
- Compost is non-negotiable. Use well-rotted manure if you want that earthy depth.
- Trace minerals. Use azomite or rock dust. The complex flavors in "bacon" varieties come from the plant's ability to pull micronutrients that aren't found in standard 10-10-10 fertilizer.
- Watering consistency. If you let a Bacon Avocado tree dry out completely, the fruit becomes watery. Keep it consistent to concentrate the oils.
I talked to a local master gardener last year who swore by burying fish scraps deep under his tall trellises. It sounds gross. It kind of is. But the nitrogen boost for those tall stalks is unparalleled.
✨ Don't miss: The Recipe With Boiled Eggs That Actually Makes Breakfast Interesting Again
Why Scale Changes the Game
There’s a psychological aspect to the tall bacon grow a garden movement. It’s about "extreme gardening." In a world where everything is miniaturized for "apartment living," there is something rebellious about growing a plant that towers over your house.
But it’s also practical.
Vertical gardening reduces disease. Most tomato blights come from soil splashing onto leaves. If your fruit is hanging six feet off the ground, it stays clean. It stays dry. Airflow is better. You’re trading horizontal square footage for vertical cubic footage.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Don't ignore the wind. A twelve-foot wall of vegetation is essentially a giant green sail. If you don't anchor your trellises with deep-set posts, a summer thunderstorm will flatten your entire tall bacon grow a garden in thirty seconds. I’ve seen it happen. It’s heartbreaking.
Also, watch out for "shading out." If you build a tall wall on the south side of your garden, you’ve just put everything else in permanent darkness. Plan your heights. Tallest stuff goes on the North or East side so everything else still gets that morning sun.
🔗 Read more: Finding the Right Words: Quotes About Sons That Actually Mean Something
The Nutritional Reality
We should talk about the "health" claim. A lot of people think that because these varieties have "bacon" in the name or flavor profile, they’re somehow a "meat replacement."
Sorta.
The Bacon Avocado is high in monounsaturated fats and Vitamin K. The dark, smoky tomatoes are packed with lycopene. You're getting the sensory satisfaction of savory food without the nitrates or saturated animal fats. It’s a sensory hack. Dr. Joan Sabaté, a nut and avocado researcher at Loma Linda University, has published extensively on how these plant-based fats contribute to heart health. Growing them yourself just ensures they aren't covered in synthetic pesticides.
Actionable Steps for Your Tall Garden
If you're ready to start your own tall bacon grow a garden, don't just buy random seeds. Follow this progression to ensure you actually get a harvest before the first frost hits.
- Source "Bacon" Avocado Scion Wood: if you're in a warm climate, look for "Bacon" variety specifically. It’s a green-skin variety that’s smoother and creamier than Hass. It needs space to grow tall.
- Install Cattle Panel Tunnels: Buy 16-foot cattle panels. Arch them over your garden path. Secure them with 4-foot T-posts driven 2 feet into the ground.
- Start Your Umami Seeds: Look for Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, or Paul Robeson tomato seeds. These are the "Big Three" for that savory, salty flavor.
- Mulch Heavily: Use at least 4 inches of wood chips or straw. Tall plants lose moisture through their leaves rapidly due to the increased wind exposure at height.
- Prune for Height: Don't let the plants bush out. Pinch off the "suckers" (the little stems that grow in the crotch of two branches) to force the plant to put all its energy into that main vertical vine.
Success in a tall bacon grow a garden isn't about luck. It’s about supporting the sheer weight of what you’re growing. When you’re standing under a canopy of heavy, dark-purple tomatoes that smell like a smokehouse, you’ll realize why people obsess over this. It’s a completely different experience than picking a mealy, pink tomato off a tiny bush.
Focus on the support structures first. The plants will do the rest of the work. Just make sure your ladder is sturdy, because you're going to need it by August.