How to use a Vegepod as a greenhouse substitute
August 22, 2017
How to use a Vegepod as a greenhouse substitute
As the end of Winter approaches, a hint of good weather prompts me to plan and begin to plant for Spring, and think about Summer seed raising. Each year I plant seeds at the end of Winter on the bench in my husband’s shed. The sun streams in the window to warm the little seedlings until they are strong enough to add to the garden when Spring really sets in.
This year I am raising seedlings for my customers as well as my own garden. The seed I use in my garden, and my customer gardens is exceptional quality. Raising robust wonderful seedlings for customers is something I am adding into my service offering because I am then certain the plants will perform well. I know this because I grow them in my garden every season, I harvest them for our meals and I know what to expect from these plants.
When I set up a new Kindergarten vegetable garden where there is no current infrastructure in place, I recommend the use of Vegepods. I do this because they provide a low care option for teachers and children. The wicking base allows teachers to take a term break without needing to return to the kindergarten to water plants. The cover keeps the plants protected from pests. You can read the review I wrote based on my experience of growing in Vegepods here.
Vegepod recently told me about a new clear winter cover (or propagation cover) they have created so I was very keen to try one. Vegepod gifted me one of the new winter/propagation covers to try for my medium sized pod that I use at home to test various plantings for the kindergartens I work with. This new cover can be added over the regular cover but I took that off to get maximum light onto the plants and replaced the regular cover with the new propagation cover.
I have been using it for the past few weeks now and have had some great results to date. Read on because Vegepod have generously offered my readers a special treat that you need to jump onto quickly. It is only on offer for a short time.
The results:
I started some capsicum seed a few weeks ago now. They are in my kitchen on a heat pad that I’ve re-purposed from my son’s hermit crab tank. Since planting the first capsicum seed I have also planted a few other trays of them in the meantime in soil blocks. I am waiting for these next ones to germinate on the bench in my husband’s shed. This shed bench space will be occupied from now through to November, until he gets progressively sick of the plants in his work space and I have to get them out into the garden….
When I first put the clear cover on my Vegepod a few weeks ago I thought it was still too cold to place the seedlings inside, regardless of the cover. I started them in the shed instead. I was wrong! Fast forward a week or two and I have replanted the pod for Spring and placed a tray of seedlings inside to test their progress. They were not warm weather seedlings, just those suited to growing almost year round. I put a thermometer into the first seed tray I put inside the Vegepod to keep track of the temperature in the pod with the clear cover.
Wow was I surprised! The weather we have experienced, since I started testing the cover, went from a warm 17 degrees for two days and then dipped to 8 degrees (during the day) with rain and strong winds. Overnight temperatures were much cooler. I’ve been checking the thermometer every morning and afternoon. In the mornings it is sitting stable at 20 degrees, despite the low overnight temperatures and in the afternoons it is between 20 – 30 degrees. This really surprised me as it was a consistent result even when the outside temperature was only around 11 degrees. It was toasty warm in the pod. On the days that were 8 degrees, raining and windy I ducked out in between the rain and was tempted to hop into the pod myself to get warm.
This consistent warmth has allowed the lettuce seed I planted to germinate in less than 7 days and there is no sign of germination of the lettuce planted at the same time and sitting on the shed bench.
I have now moved more seeds, including the capsicum and the first tomatoes and basil from the shed into the Vegepod. I am hoping the warmth will also bring these seeds to life in the coming weeks.
I am still in the early stages of testing this Winter/propagation cover I am confident it will be a great success. Using this brand in Kindergartens I work with and my own garden makes me very confident to recommend it as a very lost cost alternative to a greenhouse. Note that as the weather warms this cover will no longer be required and the regular cover should replace it. Failure to do so may lead to temperatures that are too high for the plants.
Limited Offer:
Vegepod have offered my readers a discount of 10% off all online orders placed from today until Sunday, that is 22/08/2017- 27/08/2017. Discount is not available on postage charges. Use the coupon code: AFreshLegacy and order via Vegepod here.
Note: I received a clear propagation cover to try at no charge. I was not paid, nor do I receive any financial compensation for any orders placed with Vegepod by my readers. I am keen to recommend products that will help your family garden grow. Vegepods, and the new clear covers do that so I am very happy to share this offer with you.
Be quick as this offer is for a few days only.
Happy seed raising.
1 How and where on your message or elsewhere, does one place an online vegepod order?
2 re propagation cover:
It obviously covers sides & top of vegepod, but does it cover ends?
3 Is usual mesh cover one piece or are it’s ends separate?
4 when using propagation cover, what covered ends? Pod retained warmth at night?
Hi Henry, I responded to your questions via email. Best wishes Kyrstie
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