Garland - Ultimate Self Watering Seed Success Kit

A seed kit that waters itself from below. A capillary mat draws moisture up from the reservoir underneath, so you are not watering every day. Available with 12 large cells or 24 standard ones.

The mat only works while it touches the water

The build is simple: a water reservoir at the bottom, a raised platform above it so the cells do not hang in the water, and between them a capillary mat with one edge lying in the liquid. The mat draws water up and passes it to the medium in the cells, roughly at the rate the plants take it up.

That is also where the weak spot sits, and it is one you do not see coming. If the water level drops below the edge of the mat, transport stops. The mat dries out, and a dried capillary mat does not restart by itself when you top the reservoir up later: it has to be wetted through again before it wicks. In the meantime your tray looks exactly as it did when everything was working.

Two habits prevent it. Check the reservoir rather than the top of the cells, because the cells are the last thing to show it. And top up before the mat runs dry rather than after. If it has happened anyway, lift the mat out, wet it through under the tap and lay it back with the edge properly in the liquid.

How long you can leave it depends on you, not on the tray

With systems like this you often read a fixed number of days. That figure says little, because consumption is set by how large your seedlings are, how warm the room is and how much light is on them. A tray of just-germinated seed on a cool windowsill lasts far longer than the same tray with sturdy plants under a lamp.

So take the first round to watch how fast your own reservoir empties. After that you know your interval, and that is a more useful number than anything printed on a box.

12 or 24 cells, and note what that means

More cells here means smaller cells. The 12-cell version has roomy cells and suits larger plugs and seedlings you want to leave standing a little longer before transplanting. The 24-cell version has standard cells and is meant for sowing more at once, with the consequence that you have to pot on sooner.

Available versions

Technical Specifications:

• Type: unheated self-watering seed kit with lid
• Brand: Garland
• Mechanism: capillary mat drawing water from a reservoir below
• Cell layout: 12 large cells or 24 standard cells, chosen when ordering
• Supplied with: water reservoir, raised insert platform, capillary mat, cell tray and transparent lid
• Material: recycled polypropylene with a clear polystyrene lid
• Heating: none, this is an unheated model
• Refills: Garland supply loose growing pellets as refills for these kits

Frequently asked questions

My plants are drying out although there is water in the reservoir.
Then the mat is no longer touching the water, or it has run dry at some point. Take it out, wet it through and lay it back with the edge in the liquid.

How often do I top it up?
That depends on the size of your plants, the temperature and the light. Watch how fast your reservoir drops on the first round and work to that.

Can I put feed in it?
A mild solution is fine. Bear in mind that salts accumulate in the mat, so rinse it out thoroughly between rounds.

Are the growing pellets included?
We cannot establish that for this version, so we do not list them in the contents. Garland do sell them separately as refills for these kits.

Does it have heating?
No. Bottom heat comes from a separate heat mat under the tray.