There’s been a bit of confusion around how exactly the Vegepod self-watering raised garden bed works. To see a thorough description, head over to our features page where we talk about the wicking system in detail. If, however, you want the short version, read this blog instead and find out the nitty gritty of how and when you should water your Vegepod.
The genius wicking system works by pouring water onto the top soil, whereby it filters down to the base of the Vegepod container, taking the soil’s nutrients with it. From there, the soil (or perlite) that fills the perforated basket in the centre of the basin acts as a ‘wick’ which sucks the water back to the plants' roots through a capillary action, thus creating a self-watering system. A major benefit of the wicking system is it recycles the soil's nutrients. The water filtered down contains the nutrients from the soil, and that water is then sucked back up. This results in fewer replacements of the soil and better vegetable growth.
You can water the plants directly for one. Use a good old fashioned watering can or hose - you don’t even have to lift the lid off, as the protective cover is permeable to wind and rain. Speaking of rain, if it’s raining, again, there’s no need to water as the cover will bring rain in. Alternatively, you can use the Vegepod misting tubes that run along the frame of the microclimate canopy. If you attach a hose to the tubes, a super fine mist spray will water the Vegepod, gently caressing the plants and especially, the growing seedlings. If you really want to ‘set and forget’ the process, hook your hose up to a timer and your plants will be watered automatically.
The Vegepod Wicking System
The genius wicking system works by pouring water onto the top soil, whereby it filters down to the base of the Vegepod container, taking the soil’s nutrients with it. From there, the soil (or perlite) that fills the perforated basket in the centre of the basin acts as a ‘wick’ which sucks the water back to the plants' roots through a capillary action, thus creating a self-watering system. A major benefit of the wicking system is it recycles the soil's nutrients. The water filtered down contains the nutrients from the soil, and that water is then sucked back up. This results in fewer replacements of the soil and better vegetable growth.
How Often Should I Water the Vegepod?
When the Vegepod first arrives: mist-spray your seedlings for 5 minutes for 10 days. Less if you are planting during rainy months. This will start to soak the soil and fill the reservoir. When your plants are established: If it is cooler, your plants can go for months at a time without being watered (if rain is occasionally falling through oemeabel canopy) - a miracle we know. Otherwise, established plants can go weeks without watering. If it’s the height of summer, we’d say 2 - 3 weeks is the max you’d want to risk. That being said, we’ve seen Vegepods left for 6 weeks in the height of January heat that were still fine. If you’re confused about how the wicking system works or how to assemble the Vegepod generally, head over to this Self Watering Vegepod video, which shows how to assemble a large Pod and how the wicking system works.How Else Can You Water the Pod?
You can water the plants directly for one. Use a good old fashioned watering can or hose - you don’t even have to lift the lid off, as the protective cover is permeable to wind and rain. Speaking of rain, if it’s raining, again, there’s no need to water as the cover will bring rain in. Alternatively, you can use the Vegepod misting tubes that run along the frame of the microclimate canopy. If you attach a hose to the tubes, a super fine mist spray will water the Vegepod, gently caressing the plants and especially, the growing seedlings. If you really want to ‘set and forget’ the process, hook your hose up to a timer and your plants will be watered automatically.
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