Easy2Grow Kit

So last night, I spent a little while looking at the Easy2Grow kit that I ordered from the Centre for Alternative Technology. It's an interesting product which looks easy to use. The plant pots, the base and the other bits and pieces look nicely engineered and fit well together. There are some useful bits supplied like the inline filter and some root control membrane. The instructions look as if they are just a photocopy but seem easy to follow. There is a nice animation on the web site of the producers which tells you about the product and how to set it up. Right now it looks like good value for £20.

The key piece of enabling technology is the AQUAvalve. Basically, it's a plastic float valve which controls the entry of water from the tank into the tray into which the pots work. However, it is a little more complex than that as you can see from the website if you want to check it out.

I have two concerns/disappointments. Firstly, the instructions don't seem to suggest any particular type of compost although the website does suggest using 30-50% perlite.

Secondly, the technology doesn't seem appropriate for new seedlings but rather for larger plants. Again, a piece of information lacking in the instructions. It looks to me as if the plants should have a root ball that you can place at or close to the water supplied through the base. This suggests more mature plants than I expected.