Vitogrow for Schools
Sow and grow in a veg plot with integral reservoir
Vitogrow
Vitogrow Veg Planter
Transform your school garden or playground of any size into a luscious veg plot with a Vitogrow. This holiday proof veg planter is a propagator, mini greenhouse and raised bed in one and it keeps your plants watered for up to two weeks – (or longer if you connect it to a water-butt). It even has a drip-proof design.
The Vitogrow will get your pupils growing veg including cabbage, baby carrots, beetroot, chard, onions and cauliflower, as well as herbs and salads. With a space-saving 55cm x 55cm option and a roomier 105cm x 55cm option, you can squeeze a veg plot into almost any sunny spot.
"I am really impressed by the Vitogrow, which has been very successful – the plants grew really strongly whilst in it. The children have been so enthusiastic and I’ve already got one girl who wants to be a gardener when she grows up."Phil Blaylock, Brookhouse Primary School in Blackburn
Simply add compost, sow your seeds and keep the Vitogrow’s reservoir topped up. The SmartMats connect the water in the reservoir to the compost, delivering water to your plants when they need it. The reservoir is deep enough to keep your plants watered for a week or two, depending on the size of your plants, but add the 25litre reservoir or connect to a waterbutt to keep plants watered during longer holidays!
You can sow seeds directly into the Vitogrow, so there’s no fiddly transplanting from trays or small pots. Add the lids to keep the soil warm, so seeds get off to a head start and add the greenhouse layers to extend your veg growing season, perfect for protecting tender plants from cold weather.
Our Vitogrow contains everything you need to get growing and it’s available in 2 sizes, 55 x 55cms or 105 x 55cms.
What's great about it?
Holiday Watering
We've got school holidays covered with the Holiday Watering kit,. Simply connect the 25litre reservoir or a water butt to the Vitogrow and your plants will be taken care of during your holidays. Comes complete with everything you need to connect to your Vitogrow’s reservoir.
Develops Green Fingers
You don't need green fingers to lead a school gardening project using the Vitogrow – but you and your learners will quickly develop them. Pupils can see how much water has been taken from the reservoir so they’ll quickly learn to recognise how the amount of water needed differs according to soil dampness, plant size, light levels and weather conditions.
Grow anywhere, no green spaced required
Grow anywhere, indoors or outside, simply choose a fairly sunny space. In a 105cm x 55cm space you can grow 40 salad leaf plants (or a mix of plants).
Incredible Edible Guarantee
We are so confident anyone can grow successfully with a Vitogrow, it comes with an Incredible Edibles Guarantee.
This means that in the unlikely event that you fail to raise a healthy crop using our Vitogrow and the specially formulated plant food, we will replace your plants and plant food and our Gardening Angels will give you lots of advice and tips to help get you growing successfully.
Grow all year - thanks to mini greenhouse option
Home-grown salads and herbs can be a year round treat thanks to optional the protective Propagator Lids and Mini Greenhouse layers. Simply add as many protective layers as you need to create the perfect height for your plants and guard against frosts, slugs and mice. Vents in the protective layers provide lots of airflow so plants are protected but not subjected to too much humidity.
Built to last
Sturdy enough to be used outdoors and attractive enough to be used indoors. The Vitogrow will keep looking good for years.
How it Works
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Fill the reservoir and insert the Smart-Mat Strips into the holes in the Feeder Tray.
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Next fill the Grow Tray with compost which provides plenty of space to grow a productive salad garden or mini veg plot. The Grow Tray’s small drainage holes will prevent over-watering from rainfall.
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Your veg plot is now ready for sowing or planting. If sowing seeds, add the propagator lid to give them a good head start.
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The automatic watering is powered by the Smart Mat Strips that take up water up from the reservoir to the soil in the grow tray. They ensure the plants always receive the perfect balance of water, nutrients and oxygen, putting an end to under-watering and over-watering.
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Simply keep the reservoir topped up every couple of days with water and the specially formulated plant food included.
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If you add our optional Holiday Watering Kit, the reservoir will be kept topped up by a water regulator connection included with the kit. This will keep your plants watered for up to two weeks.
What Can I Grow?
What people say
Brookhouse Primary School, Blackburn
3x Solargrows and a Vitogrow mini veg plot
Year 5 pupils at Brookhouse Primary School in Blackburn will be enjoying a bumper crop next term. Teacher Phil Blaylock heard us giving an interview on local radio and thought Greenhouse Sensation’s range might get his pupils excited about growing and eating their own vegetables.
Phil’s pupils had already started plants from seeds and were quickly running out of space, so when he secured funding from the Year of Food and Farming Grant he ordered three Solargrows and a Vitopod mini garden.
Phil said:
“ I'm really impressed by the Vitogrow, which has been very successful – the plants grew really strongly whilst in it. The children have been so enthusiastic and I’ve already got one girl who wants to be a gardener when she grows up."
Brookhouse Primary School have now added a Vitogrow to their collection of Greenhouse Sensation growing kits. Here's the latest update from Phil:
"Thanks for the Vitogrow. We've just got it set up today, filled with chillies (from poblano to tepin), tomatoes (pomodoro and brandywine), land cress, carrots, fenugreek, gherkin and runner beans!
“"It's a shame I can't capture the smell in our greenhouse - the fenugreek is very strong. We'll also be growing okra and cumin, traditional Asian foods."
Brookhouse Primary School have sent us a picture of their Vitogrow, and another update on the growing skills of Year 5. Here's Phil:
"Here's a photo of our Vitogrow, which is pretty packed already. The smell of the fenugreek is pretty intense in the greenhouse at the moment, and our staff are looking forward to using it in their cooking!
"I'm amazed how the children are so willing to sample the various salad leaves, including the land cress which is incredibly bitter. I'm sure if they appeared on their lunch plates, they would turn their noses up!"
What other schools think of our growing kits and propagators
Hillbourne School and Nursery, Dorset
3x Hydro Systems and Hydro Propagator
In 2007 Andy Hatchard’s class grew tomatoes in their new hydro system in the school’s science lab. In 2008 the school secured lottery funding to extend their school garden and buy more Greenhouse Sensation growing kits, so they bought two more hydro systems and a hydro propagator for raising seeds and cuttings.
Andy said:
“Along with our enlarged organic veg patch and the hydro systems we should have bumper crops."
Whitmore Junior School, Essex
Hydro System
The year 6 pupils at Whitmore Junior School have been growing tomatoes and cucumbers in their hydro system since 2006. Every pupil is given some seeds to raise and the best young plants are selected for growing-on.
The pupils are all eager to have a taste. Iris Cherney, the school’s headteacher explained:
“We are pleased to inform you that our tomatoes are almost up to our roof! They are doing extremely well and we can see a small fruit on one or two branches. Your system is wonderful we have tried growing tomatoes before but we have never seen plants looking so healthy."
Eve, one of the teachers at the school, sent us this email:
“We think that it’s very important that children understand the importance of getting their 5-a-day and that they learn to consider the environmental impact of the way that food is grown and gets to their plates. We have opted to use a hydro system because it should be a great way of getting children excited about growing and eating their five a day because the plants grow so quickly.”
Have Your Say:
If you are growing in our Vitogrow Veg Plot, why not let us know what you think of our growing kit by sending us a review?
To send in a review, simply click here
What will I receive?
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Vitogrow with propagator lid
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Holiday Watering Kit - 25l reservoir with connections
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Plant food – one season supply
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Clear instructions
Free Gardening Angel Support
As a Greenhouse Sensation customer, you'll receive all the advice and support you need from our friendly Gardening Angels. From how to get started to tips on harvesting, our expert team will help you on your way to growing more successfully.
Vitogrow Options:
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Available in two sizes 55 x 55cms or 105 x 55cms
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Greenhouse layers - add height adjustable greenhouse protection for year round growing. Protects from frosts and pests. Has large vents for humidity control. Made from durable UV resistant acrylic material.
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