Details

The Rain & Drain is ideal for growing tropical and exotic plants as well as traditional greenhouse crops because it can be timed to automatically feed and water plants several times a day depending on the needs of the plant.

Plant roots require access to air in order to absorb water and nutrients, but water pushes air out of soil. In the Rain & Drain pebbles are used instead of soil because roots can access air between the pebbles. The plants are drip-fed fed for 15minutes at a frequency decided by you, the pebbles can’t become water-logged, instead whatever the plant doesn’t need drains back into the reservoir and this drain action pulls even more fresh air into the root area boosting the ability of the roots to take-up the water and nutrients even further.

The principle behind this planter is that improving uptake of water, nutrients and oxygen improves plant health and size of harvest. It achieves this in the following ways...

1: Plant nutrients are dissolved in water rather than requiring the plant to extract them from soil. 

2: Very frequent watering provides regular access to water and nutrients so the plants are never lacking anything they need - whatever they don’t use drains back into the reservoir.

3:The roots are grown in pebbles where they have excellent access to oxygen.

Why not use soil? Soil is great for holding water until a plant is next fed and for providing nutrients. On the negative side, plants have to work hard to extract nutrients from soil and these nutrients can become depleted or concentrated. Soil also restricts access to oxygen because it becomes compacted when water is added. By dissolving a complete feed in water and pumping this to the roots constantly we are able to ensure the plants can always access what they need without having to restrict the roots in soil.

Behind the science - Greenhouse Sensation & Hydroponics
The Rain & Drain is a ‘hydroponic’ growing technique. John Molyneux, our founder and Chairman, was one of the pioneers of hydroponics. He was studying roots for a plant biology PhD project in the 1970s when it occurred to him that hydroponics, which was and still is used by commercial growers because it produces much improved yields, could be adapted for home-greenhouse use.

He designed a planter that would provide all the benefits of hydroponics on a smaller scale, bought a workshop in which to make the planters and the rest, as they say, is history. The first planter John designed was what is now the Vivigrow, originally launched in 1976, it is essentially the same now as it was then, great design stands the test of time. 

Our product range has expanded, our planters are now sold all over the world, the factory is bigger and we are a larger team, but the principle of using horticultural expertise to develop products that help anyone to grow better plants is still the same. We still manufacture our planters in Lancashire and John is still our Chairman and continues to lead our product development projects, demand extensive trials and generally keep us all in check.

John’s book ‘A Practical Guide to NFT’ has been reprinted 5 times, the late BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Geoff Hamilton was so impressed by John’s book and NFT planter that he contributed the Introduction to the book and commented:
‘The most comprehensive book yet written on NFT for all. Here is all you need to know about a method of growing that is not only highly productive, but a lot of fun too. I can thoroughly recommend it.” 

Dimensions:
Rain & Drain Small - L55.5cm x W46cm x H29cm - reservoir holds 17 litres.
Rain & Drain Large - L71cm x W71cm x H26.5cm -reservoir holds 45 litres.

What You'll Receive
- Small or Large Rain & Drain Planter
- Pump
- Timer
- Pebbles (used instead of soil)
- pH testing kit and pH corrector
- Plant nutrients 
- Jargon-free instructions

UK Delivery

The maximum Mainland UK Delivery charge is £4.95
98% of our orders are delivered 2 workings days after the order is placed.
When your order is dispatched you will receive an email confirming the delivery date and a one hour delivery time slot (except for FeederMats, Nutrigrow replenishments, vouchers and seeds which are sent by Royal Mail) 

UK Mainland Standard Delivery: £4.95*

UK Mainland Replenishment Delivery (FeederMats, Nutrigrow refills): £2.95*

For orders outside of the UK please click HERE:

If Out

You can add 'If Out' delivery instructions (e.g. leave in the garage) when you place your order. If you are not in and have not provided 'If Out' instructions the driver will leave a card with instructions of how to arrange re-delivery or collection from your local depot.

Returns

If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, email info@greenhousesensation.co.uk and we will provide instructions on how to return the goods. They must be returned in their original condition and packaging within 14 days of receipt and we will issue a full refund. (excluding the original delivery charge). If an item is damaged / faulty please notify us within 30 days.

N:B Definition of UK Mainland
UK Mainland is defined as postcodes on mainland England, Wales and Scotland excluding the following postcodes.
AB31-38, AB40-56, IV1-28 , IV30-32, IV36-49, IV51-56, IV63, KA27-28, KW, PA20-38, PA41-49, PA60-70, PH4-44, and PH49-50. 

Delivery to the above postcodes incurs a surcharge, which will be displayed when you enter your postcode. 

*We are charged a minimum of £15 for delivery to the above postcodes, Islands and Ireland and we cap our charge to those areas at £15