BEST BUY AND TOP PICKS (JUly 21) - Kitchen Garden Magazine

BEST BUY
SOLAR WATERING SYSTEM

The SOL-C12 solar powered irrigation kit can be used for watering small to medium gardens or allotments and can also be used for pots, raised beds, hanging baskets, outdoor vegetables, polytunnels and greenhouses. Water is drawn from your water butt – the sunnier it is, the more it waters. Watering is through a micro-drip network which you can individualise.

KG VERDICT
The C12 model will water up to 12 pots or the equivalent if not using pots, the C24 up to 24. There’s some initial work to set the kits up and going but it comes with a very good instruction manual. You need a barrel of water to draw from but you can buy an extension kit to allow a connection from an outside tap to the barrel if you prefer. You can also buy a seeper hose separately. You can set the watering frequency by pressing the red button on the side of the solar panel. This is a very effective and reliable micro-drip irrigation kit for greenhouse, polytunnel or outside use.

IRRIGATIA
https://irrigatia.com
TEL: 0333 301 0415
PRODUCT CODE: SOL-C12 OR SOL-C24
PRICE: £79.95/£94.95

TOP PICK
AQUABLOOM SOLAR POWERED IRRIGATION SET

This solar powered irrigation kit combines a pump to draw water, a control unit to define the irrigation schedule and a solar panel that feeds the rechargeable batteries (included). Suitable for a balcony or terrace, the kit will water up to 20 plants with a micro-drip irrigation system.

KG VERDICT
Quick and easy to set up, this kit is perfect if you don’t have a lot of space. The control unit is particularly good as you can opt for instant watering for five minutes or set the timer to water for 10-30 minutes every 12-72 hours or just by turning a dial. You will need a pail of water nearby from which the water can be drawn. You can set up tubes and micro-drips around your pots and containers. Great for watering pots of salad leaves, herbs and flowers.

GARDENA
www.gardena.com
TEL: 0344 844 4558
PRODUCT CODE: 13300-20
PRICE GUIDE: £99

TOP PICK
SOLAR QUADGROW CONVERSION KIT

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This conversion kit will upgrade your existing Quadgrow into a Solar Quadgrow. Instead of compost the growing medium is Plagron 60/40, a mix of clay pebbles and coconut shell fibres. The kit includes: solar panel, pump, dripper kit, 45 litres of Plagron 60/40 and 2.5 x 2 litres of feed.

KG VERDICT
This is relatively easy to set up and works very effectively. To use this you will need to have a Quadgrow already, though note it is not compatible with models bought before December 2018. If this is the case or you don’t have a Quadgrow, you will need to buy the more recent model. The flow of water can be regulated by turning the dial on the side of the pump. This will save you a lot of manual watering in the summer – great for tomatoes, cucumbers and so on. You will need to use Plagron 60/40 for refilling rather than compost.

GREENHOUSE SENSATION
www.greenhousesensation.co.uk
TEL: GO ONLINE
PRODUCT CODE: N/A
PRICE: £50

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Tony Flanagan

Tony Flanagan is Kitchen Garden’s staff writer. He has been an enthusiastic grower of fruit and veg for many years. His favourite things to grow are peppers (sweet and chllli), tomatoes, herbs and beans. When he is not gardening or not writing about gardening, he is an avid Wolverhampton Wanderers fan. 07587038039 | [email protected]