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The Best Food Dehydrator

This excellent food dehydrator is perfect for drying all your favourite fruits, vegetables and meats. It’s a great efficient machine.

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Why Do You Need a Food Dehydrator

One of the challenges of growing your own fruit, vegetables, and herbs is that you often get a glut of produce.  Or that the season for growing vegetables in the UK is relatively short – and your harvests all happen in a few short months.  Dehydrating your produce will help you to preserve your harvest for longer.  This is nothing new in the world of food preservation.  The Peruvian Incas have been freeze-drying potatoes for more than EIGHT centuries – Chuño is a Peruvian potato dish that was freeze-dried in the Andes mountains and then reconstituted as and when they were needed.  It’s still a popular dish in Peru today!

The type of food dehydrator that you buy will depend on the frequency of use that you’ll have for it, as well as the types of fruit and vegetables (and even meat) that you want to dehydrate. I’ve written here about the best fruits to dehydrate.

Best Food Dehydrators UK Purchases

Food Hydrator Name	Highlights	What It Looks Like	Read Reviews & Buy Now!
Excalibur Food Dehydrator	• 9-Tray dehydrator, 15 square feet of drying space • Built-in on/off switch and adjustable thermostat with 26-hour timer • Easy to clean Polyscreen tray inserts • 7-inch fan, 600 watts, • Unit Dimensions: 12-1/2 H x 17 W x 19 D (inches)	Check Prices Here	Check prices and buy now
Klarstein Fruit Jerky 6	• Temperature and timer setting gives even dehydration as the fan circulates warm air • Adjustable display on the upper surface. • Adjustable temperature from 35-70°C. • Adjustable timer from 0:30 – 19:30 hrs	Get More Information Here	Check Prices here
MisterChef Circular Food Dehydrator	Temperature- setting. easy to clean plastic trays and lid On/off switch on the unit base. Settable temperature from 35-70°C.	Buy Here	Buy the best Circular food dehydrator here

What is a Food Dehydrator?

A food dehydrator is simply a combination of a heat source and an airflow within a machine where the warm air is pumped around and circulated in the enclosed space.  And yes, that’s exactly the same type of process that you can undertake in your oven if you so wish.  Food dehydrators are more efficient and built specifically for this purpose, they use a lot less energy than your oven.

What to look for in a Food Dehydrator

Your requirements for a food dehydrator and what features to look for, will depend on the use you anticipate.  Here are some questions to ask:

• How often will you use your food dehydrator? Go for great quality if you’ll use it a lot – this Excalibur is best in class in the UK 
• What material do you want it to be made from? This stainless steel food dehydrator is long lasting and classic looking (it is seriously durable!)
• Want the Lets Grow Cook Readers favourite Food dehydrator?  More people buy this food dehydrator than any other – check it out now and get your own!. 
• Will you use your food dehydrator overnight? And will you need a timer?
• How big do you need it to be?

What accessories do you need to use with your food dehydrator?

As you grow more accustomed to dehydrating your produce then you’ll find what works best for you. Here are the gadgets and accessories that we’ve found are the most helpful when getting started.

Food Dehydrator Accessories

Food Sealer Bags

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A Cookbook for Dehydrating Food

The best place to start when it comes to dehydrating fruits and vegetables is with an expert guide. So we recommend picking up the Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook – it covers virtually everything you need to know. Buy the Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook here.

Reusable Non-Stick Silicon Steamer Sheets

Wherever possible we make life as easy and as green as possible. So having non-stick mats that are easy to wash and reusable is an absolute must. These non-stick steamer mats are essential. Check out dehydrator steamer mats here. These are rectangular, but they also do round ones if you have a circular dehydrator.

An adjustable Mandolin Slicer

Successful food dehydration relies on great prep. And getting all your fruits and veggies to the same size so that they dehydrate at the same rate is key. This fabulous mandolin slicer is great for doing that. It comes with a cleaning brush and some fabulous no-cut gloves, which if you’re anything like me around sharp objects is essential! Buy this mandolin slicer here.

A vacuum sealing machine

When you’re drying food to last longer you need to give some attention to how you’re going to store it. Airtight is the way to go. The more airtight the better and you can’t get more airtight than a vacuum-sealed bag. This vacuum sealing machine is your BEST option for getting all the air out and sealing it tight, giving your dried foods the best possible chance of long-term storage. Buy a vacuum storage sealing machine here now.

Vaccum Sealing Essentials

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Vacuum Sealing Bags for Dried Food or Sous Vide Cooking

This stash of vacuum sealing bags will see you through your experiences in dehydrating food. You can also use these high-quality vacuum bags – along with the vacuum sealing machine – for sous vide aka boil in the bag – cooking. Buy these food vacuum bags here.

What can you use a food dehydrator for?

If it’s a foodstuff and you can dry it, you can use your food dehydrator.  So think about what you might like to dry or make in your food dehydrator.  Here are some suggestions

• “Sun” dried tomatoes – read our 10 tomato-growing secrets here
• Fruit Leathers
• Jerky
• Dried Mushrooms – Read our guide on growing mushrooms here
• Courgette Crisps – Get our tips on growing courgettes here
• Dried Banana Chips – Read about drying fruits here
• Dried Apple Slices
• Drying oregano – my guide is here
• You can read how to dry sage here
• Dried herbs – Here’s our top easy herbs to grow

What’s the Best Material for a Food Dehydrator?

Most home food dehydrators are made from a combination of plastic and stainless steel. The budget end of the market is mainly plastic. Food dehydrators that are made from stainless steel tend to be more durable and long-lasting. Stainless steel dehydrators can withstand high temperatures for a longer time than other materials. For a dehydrator to be made from stainless steel you’ll want both the chassis AND the trays to be made from stainless steel.

This food dehydrator is the best in class. It’s durable and long-lasting and it looks amazing, without costing a fortune! Check it out now!

What’s the Best SHAPE of Food Dehydrator

There are in general three different shapes of food dehydrators – they are either circular or square or rectangular.  The benefits and advantages of the square and rectangular-shaped food dehydrators are the same.

Circular Food Dehydrators

The heat source and the fan on circular food dehydrators are located at either the top or bottom of the machine.  This has the potential for the food closest to the fan to be dried quicker than food at the opposite end.  You’ll need to learn how this particular shape of food dehydrator works and might need to move your foods around within the dehydrator to ensure that you get a consistent finish.  Here’s the best circular food dehydrator. 

Square or Rectangular Food Dehydrators

In the majority of food dehydrators that are square or rectangular, the fan and heater are usually located at the back of the unit.  This gives the effect of a fan oven – it creates regular and even flows of warm air throughout the entire machine.  You’ll generally get much more consistent dehydrated food from a square or rectangular food dehydrator than a circular one.  Because of this consistency, you don’t have to monitor the device as much as you would with a circular dehydrator.  Equally, you don’t have to move food around throughout the process to achieve consistency.   Usually, with this shape of device, you can also remove specific trays to make spaces bigger if necessary.  Here’s the most popular rectangular food dehydrator amongst our readers 

What are the benefits of a Food Dehydrator?

Food dehydrators have a host of benefits and if you do have a lot of produce you’ll find them invaluable.  Here are the main food dehydrator benefits for gardeners with excess produce.

Food Dehydrators Help you Save Money

You can preserve excess fruit, vegetables (read the best vegetables to dehydrate here) and meat to be used when you need it.  There’s no need to throw away leftovers, or gluts of harvest from your garden.  Simply dehydrate it and use it in the future.  You’ll not only lower your shopping bills but also extend the life of your produce.

Food Dehydrators Concentrate the Flavour of Fruit and Vegetables

Many fruit and vegetables have a very high water content, by removing a large percentage of that water you’re concentrating the flavour of it.  Homemade “sun” dried tomatoes (read our guide to dehydrating tomatoes here) or chips made from courgettes or potatoes all have an amazing flavour, made even better as you know exactly what you’ve put into them!

Food Dehydrators Extend the life of your Produce

Any fruits and vegetables keep fresh for only a short time.  And of course, they’re all usually ripe at the same time!  Dehydrating your garden produce lets you extend the life of your produce.  Sure you can freeze it, but dehydrating vegetables and fruit gives you another option and a different way of storing the results of your vegetable growing.

Food dehydrators let your fruits and vegetables retain MORE vitamins and goodness than other methods of preserving.

Dehydrating fruit and vegetables actually retains much more of the vitamin and mineral content of your harvest than boiling or roasting them.  It concentrates flavour and goodness.

Top Food Dehydrator UK Reviews

We’ve looked at the best dehydrators UK wide and here are our recommendations for the best dehydrators for you.

Klarstein Fruit Jerky Plus 6 Food Dehydrator – Favourite Food Dehydrator amongst our readers

The German-branded Klarstein Dehydrator manufacturer has a variety of different food dehydrators and we’ve selected two of them for our Best Buy guide to food dehydrators.  This Jerky Plus 6 is a versatile machine with a timer that allows settings from 30 minutes up to 19.5 hours.  This Klarstein food dehydrator is known for giving even dehydration.  Read more Klarstein Fruit Jerky Plus 6 Food dehydrator reviews here. 

Get More Information Here

Read more Klarstein Food Dehydrator Reviews and Buy the Klarstein Fruit Jerky Food Dehydrator NOW! 

Best Circular Food Dehydrator – MisterChef 5 Tray Dehydrator – Food Dehydrator

If you want to opt for a circular food dehydrator, then this dehydrator from MisterChef is a great option and gets fab reviews (read more of them here).  Easy temperature settings, 5 available trays and temperature settings from 35-70 degrees. This is a budget option and has no timer, it is, however, one of the best budget food dehydrators in the UK.

Buy Here

Here are the vital statistics of this circular food dehydrator from Misterchef

• Temperature- setting. easy to clean plastic trays and lid
• On/off switch on the unit base.
• Set temperature from 35-70°C.

Read More Circular Dehydrator Reviews and Buy the MisterChef Food Dehydrator NOW!

Excalibur Dehydrator UK Market:  9 Trays, 26 Hour Timer, Excellent Quality and Results.

The Excalibur dehydrator is the most expensive of our reviewed food dehydrators.  It’s also the best in terms of quality, expected lifetime, and functionality.  With the Excalibur Dehydrator, you’ll get 9 trays – which means 15 square feet of drying space, a BPA-free mesh screen to stop sticking, a great adjustable thermostat, AND a 26-hour timer.  Want to read more Excalibur Dehydrator reviews?

There are a variety of Excalibur food dehydrators available – from a stainless steel Excalibur food dehydrator to a 10-tray Excalibur food dehydrator, but when it comes to which Excalibur food dehydrator is best we’ve gone for this 9-tray option.  This is the best Excalibur dehydrator for the price.     

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Here are the vital statistics of the dehydrator from Excalibur.

• 9-Tray dehydrator, 15 square feet of drying space
• Built-in on/off switch and adjustable thermostat with 26-hour timer
• Easy to clean Polyscreen tray inserts
• 7-inch fan, 600 watts
• Unit Dimensions: 12-1/2 H x 17 W x 19 D (inches)

Read More Excalibur Dehydrator Reviews and Buy the Excalibur Food Dehydrator NOW! 

FAQs on the Best Food Dehydrators UK Markets

Got a question about food dehydrators?  Put your dehydrator UK wide queries in the comments, or shoot us an email.  We’ll answer and then add your questions to these, our UK food dehydrator FAQs.

How long do food dehydrators take?

Food dehydrators generally take between 5 and 14 hours to complete the task of dehydrating your produce.  The length of time depends on what you are dehydrating and the end effect you are looking for.

How does dehydrating food work?

A heat source or heating element within a food dehydrator raises the temperature inside the machine, a fan then circulates the warm air and removes the moisture from the air and any food you have placed on the trays within the dehydrator.

Do food dehydrators use a lot of electricity?

No, when we looked at the question of does a food dehydrator use a lot of electricity, the answer is no!  Food dehydrators do not use a lot of electricity.  Food dehydrators are efficient machines.  It can cost less than £1 to run a food dehydrator for 24 hours.  Many times this is a lot less especially if you are drying food at lower temperatures.

Can you leave a food dehydrator running overnight?

Yes.  Electric food dehydrators are designed to be left running for up to 24 hours.  It’s always best with any electrical machine to ensure that it’s on a hard fixed surface, such as a kitchen worktop.  Do not site your food dehydrator on towels or in an area where it can be affected by water.

Which dehydrator is best? What is the best dehydrator to buy?

The best dehydrator to buy for you depends on your usage and the volume of fruit and vegetables that you want to dehydrate.  Please check out the reviews above for the main features and benefits of each of these best UK food dehydrators.

All our guides to the best garden equipment

• Our Garden Tools Essential List
• The best potting benches in the UK
• The best gardening gloves in the UK
• The best garden kneelers in the UK
• The best food dehydrators in the UK
• The best potato grow bags in the UK
• The best strawberry planters in the UK
• The best hydroponic starter kits in the UK
• The best gardening audiobooks for vegetable growers
• The best vegetable gardening books in the UK
• The best grow your own herbs kits in the UK
• The best expandable hoses in the UK
• The best compost bins in the UK
• The best polytunnel kits in the UK

Final Words on the Best Food Dehydrators in the UK

Food dehydrators are a fabulous way to extend the useable life of your garden produce.  Dehydrating fruit and vegetables enables you to enhance flavours, save money and retain vitamins and minerals within the vegetables and fruit for longer.  Food dehydrators are efficient and effective ways of helping to ensure your garden produce doesn’t go to waste and we hope you have great fun experimenting with your harvest!

LetsGrowCook is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

The post The Best Food Dehydrator UK [Reviews, Features and How to Use] appeared first on Lets Grow Cook.

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Best Small Green Houses at a Glance

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The Best Mini Greenhouse

This mini greenhouse is small, compact and easy to put up and store in the winter. It’s not expensive and its reasonably robust.

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The Best Mini Greenhouses in the UK

When space is tight, but you want to grow more and for longer, there’s nothing like having your own greenhouse.  Gone are the days when they’re all glass and wooden frames (although you can get them like that).  Today’s mini greenhouses are easy to put together and can be taken apart easily for cleaning and storage.  Small greenhouses are a great way to expand your growing capacity both throughout the year and in terms of what it is that you want to grow!  Here’s the best of what’s available.

Best Greenhouses	Highlights	What It Looks Like	Read Reviews & Buy Now!
Best overall mini greenhouse	• 4 tier greenhouse • Roll-up door with zip fasteners • Size H130 x L50 x D45cm (51 x 20 x 18in) • Weight: 3.82 Kg	Check Availability and Buy Here	Buy our best buy mini greenhouse now and expand your veggie growing potential!
Best medium sized greenhouse	• 4 Tier single greenhouse • Waterproof PVC cover • Keep your small plants dry and safe from harsh weather • Roll up zip door • Mesh shelves to allow for water drainage • Measures 160 cm H x 50 cm D x 70 cm w	Check Availability and Buy Here	Buy this excellent medium-sized greenhouse now.
Best wooden framed mini greenhouse	• Wooden Framed Mini Greenhouse • Twin walled polycarbonate • Hinged top and doors • 3 Shelves • Measures 65 x 40 x 100 centimetres	19% Garden Mile Wooden Mini Cold Frame Small Garden Greenhouse Growing Plant Protection Waterproof Weather Resistant Suitable for Outdoor Vegetables, Flowers and Seed Germination (Tall Grey) £134.99	Buy this fabulous wooden greenhouse now.
Best walk in greenhouse	• Measures 143cm W x 143cm D x 195cm H – easy to walk into • Powder-coated steel tubal frame. • Layered mesh shelves that hold up to 25 kilos in weight. • Roll-up zippered door	Check Availability and Buy Here	Buy this full-size walk-in greenhouse now
Best raised mini greenhouse	• Maintenance-free, easy assembly • Raised garden bed with storage compartment • Clear, virtually unbreakable polycarbonate panels provide over 90% light transmission • Includes base, adjustable lid for multi-position, plant hangers and 2 planting trays • 5-year limited Manufacturer’s Warranty • Measures 121 x 120 x 148 centimetres	Check Availability and Buy Here	Buy it now and save your back!

Best Mini Greenhouse Reviews

These small greenhouses, available in the UK, are the best on offer with fabulous features, easy to put together and provide greatly extended use of your small spaces.  We especially like the raised bed greenhouse!  What about you? Which do you prefer?

Overall Best Mini Greenhouse UK market

This is a fabulous value for money mini greenhouse – with four shelves, and a mini greenhouse cover that comes with a roll-up door and zip fasteners.  It measures 130cm H x 50 cm L x 45 cm D.    It’s easy to put together and a great starter option when it comes to mini greenhouses.  Check other reviews (there are LOTS!) and buy now. 

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Features of the best overall mini greenhouse for the UK

• 4 tier greenhouse
• Roll-up door with zip fasteners
• Size H130 x L50 x D45cm (51 x 20 x 18in)
• Weight: 3.82 Kg

Buy our best buy mini greenhouse now and expand your veggie growing potential!

Best Medium-Sized Greenhouse UK market

If you need a little more space, then this is a great option but still a small greenhouse.  This metal frame mini greenhouse is easy to put together and the PVC cover is waterproof and weatherproof.  A roll-up zip door allows easy access.  Metal mesh shelves will let water drain through without pooling.  Check reviews and buy this medium-sized greenhouse now. 

Check Availability and Buy Here

Features of this medium-sized greenhouse

• 4 Tier single greenhouse
• Waterproof PVC cover
• Keep your small plants dry and safe from harsh weather
• Roll up zip door
• Mesh shelves to allow for water drainage
• Measures 160 cm H x 50 cm D x 70 cm w

Buy this excellent medium-sized greenhouse now.

Best Wooden Mini Greenhouse UK market

This excellent wooden mini greenhouse is also a lean-to mini greenhouse.   This greenhouse with a wooden frame comes with polycarbonate inserts to provide protection against the weather but allow the sunlight through and has an opening roof panel for ventilation.    This polycarbonate mini greenhouse really looks the part with its wooden frame. This small wooden greenhouse measures 65 x 40 x 100 centimetres and has wooden slatted shelves inside.  Read other reviews and buy now. 

19%

Garden Mile Wooden Mini Cold Frame Small Garden Greenhouse Growing Plant Protection Waterproof Weather Resistant Suitable for Outdoor Vegetables, Flowers and Seed Germination (Tall Grey)

£134.99

Key features of the best wooden mini greenhouse

• Wooden Framed Mini Greenhouse
• Twin walled polycarbonate
• Hinged top and doors
• 3 Shelves
• Measures 65 x 40 x 100 centimetres

Read more reviews of small wooden greenhouses and buy this fabulous wooden greenhouse now. 

Best Raised Bed Greenhouse with Storage – No Bending Needed!

If you have problems bending down, or even with getting up again, or simply want some storage for your greenhouse then this is a fabulous option.   It’s easy to assemble and maintenance-free.  This mini polycarbonate greenhouse has polycarbonate panels that let through 90% of light but protect from the elements – think of this as a raised bed greenhouse with storage underneath.  This is a superb mini greenhouse for herbs or smaller veggies. We LOVE it.  Buy it now! 

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Key features of the raised bed mini greenhouse

• Maintenance-free, easy assembly
• Raised garden bed with storage compartment
• Clear, virtually unbreakable polycarbonate panels provide over 90% light transmission
• Includes base, adjustable lid for multi-position, plant hangers and 2 planting trays
• 5-year limited Manufacturer’s Warranty
• Measures 121 x 120 x 148 centimetres

This is a fabulous way to keep gardening without bending.  It’s such a brilliant design.  Buy this raised bed greenhouse now and save your back!  

Best Small Walk In Greenhouse

Ok so this isn’t mini by any stretch of the imagination, but if you do have a little extra space, then it’s a really good small walk-in greenhouse for the money.   This steel-framed greenhouse is big enough to walk into.  The steel frames are powder coated and easy to fit together.  Each small greenhouse shelf is made of a layer of metal mesh and the cover easily zips closed.  The greenhouse measures 143cm W x 143cm D x 195cm H – it’s a great budget option if you want to go to a full-sized greenhouse without a massive expense.  Check of our best small walk-in greenhouse reviews and buy now 

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Features of the best walk-in greenhouse

• Measures 143cm W x 143cm D x 195cm H – easy to walk into
• Powder-coated steel tubal frame.
• Layered mesh shelves that hold up to 25 kilos in weight.
• Roll-up zippered door

Read more reviews of walk-in mini-greenhouses and buy this full-size walk-in greenhouse now

Mini Greenhouse Buying Guide

Mini greenhouses are a fab extension to your growing area and garden, we think that they’re an essential garden tool.  Growing vegetables, herbs and fruit under cover lets you grow a much wider variety and for longer.  Overwinter vegetables, start things off a lot earlier and manage cuttings more easily.  Our buying guide to small greenhouses covers all the important aspects – from materials, size, and location, to ease of putting together.

What to look for in a mini greenhouse

The primary consideration when it comes to selecting a mini greenhouse is the space that you have available – that usually dictates what you can buy, but you should also look at the materials, where you’re going to put it and what additional area it gives you.  Here’ what to look for when buying a mini greenhouse.

Mini Greenhouse Materials

We have included one mini wooden framed mini-greenhouse because we think it looks rather lovely, but our main material of choice for the frames are powdered steel.  There is no point making life hard for yourself and if you’re going to need to treat and or paint frames every couple of years, then it’s taking time away from other things that you can be doing.  So if you decide to go for a mini wooden greenhouse then make sure it’s treated and you keep up to date with its maintenance.

Equally, we’ve gone for PVC or polycarbonate material in the “glass” area.  Not that I have anything against glass, just it tends to break and sieving shards of glass out of my compost is not something that I want to repeat.  Ever.

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The Best Mini Greenhouse

This mini greenhouse is small, compact and easy to put up and store in the winter. It’s not expensive and its reasonably robust.

Check Price & Buy on Amazon

Space Availability for Mini Greenhouses

The reason we’re writing about mini greenhouses is that we have had a limited amount of space available, but wanted to expand our growing area.  We also didn’t have a huge amount of money and couldn’t afford a big outlay.   One thing is for sure – going for the biggest greenhouse you can fit in (and afford) is the best way forward because there will always be something else that you’re trying to fit in!   Most of the options that we’ve included have roll-up zippered doors, which saves a HUGE amount of space – you don’t have to keep extra space for opening doors!     

Ventilation of Mini Greenhouses

Ventilation is important when it comes to greenhouses whether they’re large or small.  That location that you picked for the greenhouse in winter might have caught the rays of the winter sun, but in summer it could literally bake your plants unless you can get some air into them.    All of the greenhouses that we’ve selected let you either remove the covers or open the doors to provide decent ventilation.

Glazing of Mini Greenhouses

If you do opt for glass in your mini-greenhouse then you’ll want to ensure it’s a toughened safety glass, for, well, safety’s sake.  We always try to use polycarbonate or PVC covers.  We’re clumsy, we know it and we work around it.

Where to Locate a Mini Greenhouse

Often you won’t have much choice if you have a small amount of space to start with, then you’re limited to well, just that.  You’ll want to make sure that it’s going to be

• Out of the wind
• With some sun coverage, but with the ability to get full ventilation if it gets too hot
• Not somewhere you need to move it!

Traditionally the best aspect for a greenhouse is an east or west aspect.  It gives you sun for some of the day without getting too hot.    

All our guides to the best garden equipment

• Our Garden Tools Essential List
• The best potting benches in the UK
• The best gardening gloves in the UK
• The best garden kneelers in the UK
• The best food dehydrators in the UK
• The best potato grow bags in the UK
• The best strawberry planters in the UK
• The best hydroponic starter kits in the UK
• The best gardening audiobooks for vegetable growers
• The best vegetable gardening books in the UK
• The best grow your own herbs kits in the UK
• The best expandable hoses in the UK
• The best compost bins in the UK
• The best polytunnel kits in the UK

FAQs on Mini Greenhouses

Got questions about mini greenhouses? Or want to know something specific about mini greenhouses and we haven’t answered your questions?  Check out our frequently asked questions about mini greenhouses below, or ask us yours in the comments.

Where should I site my mini greenhouse?

Usually, you don’t have much choice, but if you do, then an east/west aspect will provide the best location for your mini greenhouse.

Is there a weight limit to what can be put on the shelves in my greenhouse?

Yes.  Each manufacturer will have specific weight requirements, these are included in the product details with each product.

What can I grow in a mini greenhouse?

It depends on the season, in the UK we’ve had great success with greenhouse growing of tomatoes, lettuce and salad leaves, cucumbers, coriander, basil and peppers.   Want to read more about what to grow in your greenhouses?  Here’s our guide to the best vegetable growing books and it includes greenhouses.

How do I keep a greenhouse warm in the winter?

First to keep your greenhouse warm in the winter make sure there are no draughts, rips or tears in your covers and windows.  You can add bubble wrap or other forms of insulation to the greenhouse.  You can also bring in a greenhouse heater, but if you’re using a PVC or polycarbonate cover then you’ll want to be VERY careful of where you site it.

Is it best to have clear or green covers on my mini greenhouse?

For small greenhouse covers, either clear or green works. Clear coverings, usually made of PVC mean that you’ll get more sunshine to your plants.  You’ll be able to see them more clearly.  Green plastic (sometimes called PE) greenhouse covers tend to last longer, but less light gets in.  Plants that prefer less light will do better in green covered greenhouses.  We haven’t seen a significant difference between the two, but aesthetically prefer clear.

Final words on the best mini greenhouses in the UK

Opting for a mini greenhouse is an excellent way to expand what vegetables you can grow in the garden or back yard and when you can grow them.  Today’s mini greenhouses are easy to put together, almost maintenance-free and they’re a great way to keep a good flow of fresh vegetables and herbs throughout a much longer growing season.  Let us know which you decide to go for!

LetsGrowCook is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

The post Best Mini Greenhouses for the UK [Small Greenhouses] appeared first on Lets Grow Cook.

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN COMPENSATED AND AFFILIATE LINKS. MORE INFORMATION IN OUR DISCLAIMER

What is a Polytunnel?

A polytunnel is a frame that is covered in polythene of various types to create an internal microclimate in which to grow seedlings and plants.  The ability of polytunnels to create these microclimates means that you can extend the growing season for native fruits and vegetables and also grow fruit and veg that wouldn’t grow naturally in the UK.  POlytunnels are used to protect from the worst of the weather – cold, strong wind and snow for instance.  Polytunnels are similar in many ways to greenhouses, but there are also differences between greenhouses and polytunnels.

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BIRCHTREE 6M(L) x 3M(W) x 2M(H) Polytunnel Greenhouse Pollytunnel Poly Polly Tunnel Fully Galvanised Anti Rust Steel Frame 6 Section

The Best Polytunnel Kit

This polytunnel is a great starter kit for your first tunnel. It’s easy to construct, pretty robust and a good price too!

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The polytunnels we’ve selected are easily installed without expert help, you’ll just need a few tools.  They’re also designed to fit into a regular garden or on an allotment, no need for acres of space!  And we’ve also looked at an extra-wide one, for much more space, as well as a mini polytunnel which you can use to bring on seedlings and small plants.

Best Polytunnel Kits At a Glance

Details of Polytunnel Kits	Highlights	What It Looks Like	Read Reviews & Buy Now!
Best 6 metre Polytunnel Kit	6 metres long x 3 metres x 2 metres 6 sectioned frame on the 6-metre long version 2 metres high, 3 metres wide Super strong 25mm galvanized anti-rust 0.8mm thick steel frame 140g transparent PE material with green checker or clear is UV protected for longer life. Extra wide metal framed door is very strong and means no zips! The door is wide enough to allow most wheelbarrows to pass through. Two large ventilation panels allow for perfect temperature control. Each ventilation panel also has a rain collection flap. This allows you to collect rain water ready for use in the tunnel.	BIRCHTREE 6M(L) x 3M(W) x 2M(H) Polytunnel Greenhouse Pollytunnel Poly Polly Tunnel Fully Galvanised Anti Rust Steel Frame 6 Section	Buy the best 6m polytunnel here
Outsunny Large Polytunnel Kit	• Available in 3.5-metre length and 4.5-metre length. • Zippered roll-up door • 6 roll-up mesh windows to allow ventilation, but not bugs and pests. • UV resistant PE cover • Rust-resistant galvanised steel frame • 4 wind ropes • 4 extra slant supporting rods for the roof	Outsunny Walk-In Polytunnel Greenhouse Warm House Garden Tunnel Shelter Plant Shed with Door and Windows, Galvanised Steel Frame, 4.5 x 3 x 2m, White	Buy this large polytunnel kit now
Outsunny 3M Galvanized Steel Frame Outdoor Poly Tunnel	3-metre long polytunnel Galvanised metal poles with connecting screws for strength 4 pull ropes and ground nails for fixing Ventilated, Anti-UV PE weather resistant cover Polyethene cover has grid threading for strength Large double zipped door	Outsunny Walk-in Polytunnel Greenhouse, Outdoor Garden Tunnel Greenhouse Tent with Zipped Roll-Up Door and 6 Mesh Windows, 3 x 2M	Great Small 3metre polytunnel

Why Use Polytunnels?

Polytunnels allow you to extend the growing season of the fruits and vegetables that you want to grow.  Polytunnels will let you grow vegetables and fruits not normally grown in your environment.  They are great for starting seedlings and young plants early in the growing season and protecting them from the weather.  Polytunnels are generally cheaper than greenhouses, and usually larger too.  Polytunnels allow you to create a stable microclimate in which you can grow vegetables and not have to worry too much about the vagaries of the weather.

What’s the difference between Polytunnels and Greenhouses

Greenhouses and polytunnels work similarly to each other – they lengthen the growing season, create a growing season for some fruits and vegetables and protect your plants from both the weather and animals, bugs and birds.

Polytunnels tend to be cheaper to buy than greenhouses.  Polytunnels tend to be quick to put up and can be built straight onto a soil base.  Unless you go for a mini greenhouse (see our guide here) greenhouses tend to need hard and level standing to be based on. You can easily store and move polytunnels around the garden or allotment and the steel frame tends to last for years.

Aside from mini-greenhouses, regular greenhouses tend to be much more expensive and more difficult and time-consuming to put up.  They tend to be heavy as they’re usually made from polycarbonate plastic or glass.    Greenhouses do tend to last a lot longer than polytunnels, however.

Reviews of Best Polytunnel Kits

The main difference between polytunnel kits is the size of the polytunnel and the type of polythene that the cover is made from – here are our reviews of the best polytunnel kits, polytunnel materials and what’s available in the UK.

Best Polytunnel Kit – UK Market Polytunnel – 6 METRE Polytunnel

The amazing polytunnel kit gets really great reviews (and there are a LOT of them! – so it is not just us that think it’s fabulous.  This 6-metre long polytunnel is superb value.  The polytunnel frame is made of super-strong 25mm galvanized anti-rust 0.8 mm thick steel and the transparent PE material that makes up the cover is UV protected and 140g weight.  Buy this best buy polytunnel kit now

BIRCHTREE 6M(L) x 3M(W) x 2M(H) Polytunnel Greenhouse Pollytunnel Poly Polly Tunnel Fully Galvanised Anti Rust Steel Frame 6 Section

Key Features of the 6 metres Polytunnel Kit

• 6 metres long x 3 metres x 2 metres
• 6 sectioned frame on the 6-metre long version
• 2 metres high, 3 metres wide
• Super strong 25mm galvanized anti-rust 0.8mm thick steel frame
• 140g transparent PE material with green checker or clear is UV protected for longer life.
• Extra wide metal framed door is very strong and means no zips! The door is wide enough to allow most wheelbarrows to pass through.
• Two large ventilation panels allow for perfect temperature control. Each ventilation panel also has a rain collection flap. This allows you to collect rain water ready for use in the tunnel.

Buy this excellent 6-metre polytunnel kit now.

Best LARGE Polytunnel Kit – UK Market – Outsunny Galvanised Polytunnel

Available in both 3.5-metre length and 4.5-metre length this galvanized steel polytunnel with a white polytunnel cover is a great way to extend your growing season.  There are 6 mesh windows with roll-up flaps for ventilation.  The PE cover is fully closeable and waterproof plus its UV resistant, allowing sunlight to pass through while maintaining higher humidity inside.    The galvanised steel frame is resistant to corrosion, chipping, peeling and rust and comes with win ropes and 4 extra slant rod supports for the roof. Buy this fabulous large sized polytunnel kit now

Outsunny Walk-In Polytunnel Greenhouse Warm House Garden Tunnel Shelter Plant Shed with Door and Windows, Galvanised Steel Frame, 4.5 x 3 x 2m, White

Key Features of the Outsunny Galvanised Large Polytunnel Kit

• Available in 3.5-metre length and 4.5-metre length.
• Zippered roll-up door
• 6 roll-up mesh windows to allow ventilation, but not bugs and pests.
• UV resistant PE cover
• Rust-resistant galvanised steel frame
• 4 wind ropes
• 4 extra slant supporting rods for the roof

Buy this excellent Outsunny Large polytunnel kit now.

Best SMALL Polytunnel Kit – UK Market – Outsunny 3 metre Polytunnel

If you’re in the market for a small polytunnel, this 3-metre long polytunnel from Outsunny is a great option and the Outsunny polytunnel reviews are great too!.  It has a durable polyethene covering with grid threading and a sturdy galvanized metal frame for long-lasting use.  The PE cover is ventilated, anti-UV and age-resistant.  There are 6 ventilation windows and a large double zipped door.  The frame is connected with screws between metal poles. We think this is the best budget polytunnel.   Buy this fabulous small polytunnel kit now.

Outsunny Walk-in Polytunnel Greenhouse, Outdoor Garden Tunnel Greenhouse Tent with Zipped Roll-Up Door and 6 Mesh Windows, 3 x 2M

Key Features of the Outsunny 3metre long Polytunnel Kit

• 3-metre long polytunnel
• Galvanised metal poles with connecting screws for strength
• 4 pull ropes and ground nails for fixing
• Ventilated, Anti-UV PE weather resistant cover
• Polyethene cover has grid threading for strength
• Large double zipped door

Buy this excellent Outsunny small polytunnel kit now.

Best MINI Polytunnel Kit – UK Market –Haxnicks Seedling Tunnels

If your need is a LOT smaller, then these mini polytunnels are quite simply fabulous.  They’re perfect for creating a moist microclimate for the germination of seeds and for their rapid growth.  They’ll lock in moisture and protect from weather and pests.  They’ll even warm the soil or compost ready for sowing seeds.  They have galvanised rust-resistant steel hoops which peg directly into the ground to keep the tunnel in place and they can be stored really easily.  There are three in a pack and each is 80cm long, they’re 18cm wide and 12 cm tall.

Buy this brilliant mini polytunnel and get your seeds started super quick!

Haxnicks 3 x Easy Seedling Tunnels | Mini Ready To Use Fold Out Design Poly Garden Tunnels | Warms Soil Prior To Planting | Protect Tender Plants | L80 cm x W18 cm x H12 cm Etun140101

Key Features of the Haxnicks Mini Polytunnel Kit

• 3 tunnels per pack at 80cm each
• 18cm wide and 12cm tall
• Galvanised steel hoops that peg directly into the ground
• Covers are made from tough U.V. stabilised polythene

Buy these seedling tunnels/ mini polytunnel kits now.

Polytunnel Kit Buying Guide

Here’s just a few of the features and elements that you’ll need to consider when looking at buying a polytunnel.

What to Consider when Buying a Polytunnel

You’ll want to look at a few key elements when you’re looking at buying a polytunnel, here are key features to consider.

1.  What space do you have available?  Will the polytunnel that you’ve chosen fit that space?
2. What do you want your polytunnel for?  Will the size of polytunnel that you’ve chosen meet those needs?  Try to plan for 5 years.
3. Can you build the polytunnel yourself?  All of the kits that we’ve selected in this guide are designed to be built by the home garden user. 
4. Are the polytunnel materials high quality and durable?  Check the reviews of your chosen polytunnel.  Each of the polytunnels we’ve reviewed receives positive reviews on built quality and material quality.
5. Accidents happen – make sure that you buy a standard-sized polytunnel so that you can buy a replacement cover when you need one.

Size of Polytunnel

Look at what space you have available.  Look at what you want to grow inside your polytunnel and whether you’ll be able to fit it all in.

Polytunnel Frame Materials

While the frames of mini-greenhouses tend to be made of aluminium you’ll want to look at polytunnels that are made of galvanized rustproof steel.  It’s lightweight, will last up to 20 years and most importantly it’s rustproof!

Polytunnel Cover Materials

Polytunnel covers are made of polythene. You’ll usually have the choice of green or white.  You’ll want to AVOID clear covers.  Green and white polytunnel covers include UV protection and therefore last longer, they will also protect your vegetables and plants in summer from sunburn.

FAQs on Using Polytunnels and Buying Polytunnels

Got questions about using polytunnels? Or want to know what to look for in a polytunnel and we haven’t answered your questions?  Check out our frequently asked questions about polytunnel kits below, or ask us yours in the comments.

Which is best a polytunnel or greenhouse?

A polytunnel is likely to cost you less than a greenhouse unless you’re going for a mini greenhouse.  Greenhouses tend to be heavier, need to be built on flat, solid ground, whereas Polytunnels tend to be built directly onto the soil.  It depends on the budget you have and what it is you’re looking to do.  We love mini-greenhouses for the backyard and a polytunnel for the garden, where we have more space and want to grow more veggies.

What size polytunnel should you go for?

The size of the polytunnel you buy will depend on the space you have available.  We’d always go for the biggest one you can, as it gives the most options for your future growing.  We’ve included reviews on a variety of sizes and all the manufacturers that we’ve selected have a variety of sizes available.  The most popular size of polytunnel kit is 4 metres long x 3 metres wide x 2 metres high.

Top PRODUCT PICK

BIRCHTREE 6M(L) x 3M(W) x 2M(H) Polytunnel Greenhouse Pollytunnel Poly Polly Tunnel Fully Galvanised Anti Rust Steel Frame 6 Section

The Best Polytunnel Kit

This polytunnel is a great starter kit for your first tunnel. It’s easy to construct, pretty robust and a good price too!

Check Price & Buy on Amazon

What material is best for polytunnel frames?

Most polytunnel frames are made of galvanized rustproof steel.  This lightweight material is long-lasting – most frames will last up to 20 years.   It’s easy to put together, and to store and doesn’t rust.

Where should you place your polytunnel?

Usually, the answer to this is “where you have space”.  If you, however, have the choice, then you’ll want to run the long side from north to south.  This will maximize your growing experience and make sure that you avoid the excessive heat likely if you’re running it from east to west (the sun will go along the length of the tunnel).

What maintenance does a polytunnel need?

The best time for maintenance of your polytunnel is autumn and winter.  Clean the cover thoroughly inside and out.    It’s important to have at least an annual clean of your polytunnel to ensure that you remove any disease vectors and bugs to prepare your polytunnel for spring planting.

What’s the best position for a polytunnel?

If you’re in the lucky position to be able to have a choice where you site your polytunnel, then the best position for a polytunnel is to have the long side running from south to north.  This gives you the ability to avoid the high heats of summer.  If you have to site it east to west then you’ll be facing on to the midday sun, in the heat of summer, this is not ideal.  It will also mean that if your summer crops grow tall, then they could shade some crops in the north bed.

Are polytunnels worth it?

We think so and that’s why we include them as one of our essential garden tools.  We think they’re a small investment for a lot of extra growing capability.   It’s also a heck of a lot more motivating when the rain (or snow) is coming down or the wind is howling to get out there and start doing some work inside the tunnel rather than outside in the elements!

How long does a Polytunnel last?

Polytunnels are made up of two elements – the frame and the polythene cover.   The frame should be steel (and possibly coasted) and a polytunnel frame should last for 20 years or more.  A polytunnel polythene cover should last between 5 and 10 years.  Better quality definitely lasts longer, but there are other considerations with the cover too.  UV degradation is caused by sunlight and can impact the length of time that a polytunnel cover can last.  Wind, rain and other bad weather can also impact how long the covers last too.  Be sure to make repairs as soon as accidents happen to ensure your polytunnel lasts longer.

Can you grow in a Polytunnel all year round?

Yes, you can grow vegetables in a polytunnel all year round.  You’ll need to check on the growing requirements of specific vegetables but the whole purpose of the polytunnel is to increase your growing season.

Do Polytunnels need ventilation?

Yes.  POlytunnels need ventilation in the summer, this is the main way in which you will cool your polytunnel in the summer.   You’ll also need to ensure that decent ventilation will help prevent crop disease as well.

Why are Polytunnels green?

Some polytunnels have a green cover, some have a white cover.  With most polytunnel kits you can elect for a white or a green cover.  Green polytunnel covers let less light permeate through to the vegetables, so they may be better in some environments – i.e. in high sun areas.  Most green polytunnel covers have a mesh within the polythene which increases the strength of the cover making it last longer. The green will also stop your plants from getting burnt with the sun in the heat of the summer.     

All our guides to the best garden equipment

• Our Garden Tools Essential List
• The best potting benches in the UK
• The best gardening gloves in the UK
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• The best food dehydrators in the UK
• The best potato grow bags in the UK
• The best strawberry planters in the UK
• The best hydroponic starter kits in the UK
• The best gardening audiobooks for vegetable growers
• The best vegetable gardening books in the UK
• The best grow your own herbs kits in the UK
• The best expandable hoses in the UK
• The best compost bins in the UK
• The best polytunnel kits in the UK

Final Words on the Best Polytunnels UK Kits

If you’re serious about growing your own food then investing in a polytunnel is something that you won’t regret.  They’re not a huge expense, but they can extend your growing season significantly and even open up growing some fruit and veg that you might not necessarily be able to grow in the UK.   These polytunnel kits make it seriously easy to both buy everything that you need, install and get started growing in polytunnels.  Let us know what you decide to do and which you’ve found to be the best polytunnel kits for your veggie growing needs.

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Top PRODUCT PICK

The Best Tomato Feed

Easy to use (and not just for tomatoes!), this fabulous feed is for tomatoes and flowering pot plants. With seaweed extract for maximum growth and better crops, it helps produce high quality, full-flavoured tomatoes

Check Price & Buy on Amazon

Selecting the Best Tomato Feed and Fertilizer for Tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of our favourite vegetables to grow, but making sure you get the tastiest and biggest crop means you’ll need to feed your plants.  Even the BEST tomato grow bags (like these) provide nutrients that will only last 4 to 6 weeks.  So picking a great tomato fertiliser is key to getting a great crop from your tomato plants.  There are heaps of general vegetable fertilizers, but for the biggest and tastiest fruits selecting the best tomato feed and best tomato fertilizer for your tomatoes is key.   I really do recommend using a specialist tomato feed because they contain a high level of potassium and lasts longer than the controlled release type of fertilizers. I’ll cut to the chase – here’s my most recommended tomato feed – Levington Tomorite Concentrated Tomato Food.

I recommend liquid tomato feeds because they are easy to use and can be easily diluted. However, there are also pellet and powder tomato fertilizers available too.  What is key in looking after your tomato plants is how you use the tomato feed, giving the correct amount of fertilizer regularly and avoiding overfeeding the tomato plant.

Regardless of where you grow your tomatoes – in the ground, in the greenhouse, in containers – or my favourite in tomato growing bags – you’ll need to ensure they get the right nutrients to grow.

While ideally, you should carry out a soil test to find out what nutrients are lacking them you can most effectively select the best fertilizer that will supply the missing nutrients to your plant.  However, we recognise that’s not always possible and to be fair, ALL tomatoes will benefit from some additional food.

The (mini) Technical Details of Tomato Feed and Fertilizer

When selecting the best tomato fertilizer, you’ll want to make sure that it contains both macro and micronutrients. The macronutrients in tomato feed are; nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium while the micronutrients include magnesium, calcium, boron, and zinc.  While each growth stage of the tomato plant requires different nutrients, they can all be provided by the specialist tomato feeds available – you don’t need to buy lots of different ones!

The Basics of Feeding Tomatoes

For the highest yield from your tomato plants, you need to use the best tomato feed to supply nutrients at all stages of growth. However, the type of soil you have will determine how you are going to fertilize your tomato plant. Some soils may require the necessary nutrients right from transplanting, during flowering and after fruiting, that’s why a soil test is best to help you know the missing nutrients.  However, if you’re like me, you’re growing your tomatoes in compost – so let’s make this easy and focus on the basics.

When to Feed Tomatoes

You should start feeding tomatoes when the first truss of tomatoes sets.    A truss on a tomato plant is a cluster or group of small stems where the flowers and fruits grow.  They usually start where one of the main stems meets a secondary stem.  These trusses produce yellow flowers.  When one of your trusses forms little green tomatoes behind the flowers is the right time to start feeding your tomato plants.

How Often to Feed Tomatoes

You should feed your tomatoes at least once a week once the first truss has set.  When you have the second truss set you’ll probably want to feed more often.  Check the instructions on the tomato feed that you buy.  I regularly feed my tomatoes every two days once there are two trusses set.

The Different Types of Tomato Feed

In this section, I’ll cover the different types of tomato feed necessary that you can use to maximise the growth of a healthy and high-yielding tomato plant.  The first differences between tomato feed are whether it contains natural or man-made elements.

Organic Tomato Feed

Organic tomato fertilizers are made up of materials that are naturally-occurring plant or mineral matter, they contain no man-made materials.  An organic tomato feed is made up of raw materials and ensures a continuous supply of nutrients to the tomato plant at every stage of growth.  The best organic tomato feed will not only improve the yield of your tomato plants but also the taste of your tomatoes.  It might contain seaweed extract, bone meal, amino acids and other naturally occurring contents. Maxicrop organic tomato food is our highest recommended organic tomato food.

Inorganic or Chemical Tomato Feed

Chemical tomato feed is a fertilizer that mainly contains nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.  Commercially available tomato feed manufacturers produce this in the best ratios for tomato growth and taste, so you don’t need to worry about what your tomato plant requires at every stage of growth.

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient to help increase your tomato plant foliage.   Just before your tomato plant begins to flower, additional potassium makes them strong and additional phosphorous gives big and juicy fruits.

What’s the Best Format for Tomato Feed?

Tomato feed comes in three basic forms – granular, liquid or water-soluble. 

Granular Tomato Feed

Granular or pelletised tomato fertiliser is easy to use.  It stores for a long time and is applied most usually by adding it to the compost or soil before you plant your tomato plants.  You can also spread it over the compost while they are growing.   Most of this type of tomato feed tends to be slow release.  At least much slower than liquid or soluble based tomato feeds.  Granular tomato feed can be organic or inorganic and they release as they dissolve into the soil or compost.

Liquid Tomato Feed

The liquid tomato feed that you’ll buy – my favourite liquid tomato feed is this one – comes as a concentrated liquid that you need to dilute with water.  The exact proportions will be detailed on each tomato feed brands labels.   You can get organic liquid tomato feed and inorganic or chemical liquid tomato feed.  The benefit of using liquid tomato feed is that it is delivered STRAIGHT to the tomato plant. This is my most highly recommended liquid tomato feed.

You can apply liquid tomato fertilizer by using a watering can and it lasts for a long time if you ensure the lid is securely fastened and stored in a cool, dry place avoiding direct sunlight.  So don’t leave it on the shelf in the greenhouse!

Liquid fertilizer for tomatoes usually gives quicker and better results than pellets or powder.

Water Soluble Tomato Fertilizer

Tomato feed that is in the format of granules or powder dissolves easily in water.  The primary benefits are that it’s easy to store (cool,  dry places and avoid direct sunlight) and that it’s cheaper to transport.  Once you’ve dissolved the granules or powder it acts in the same way as liquid tomato fertilizer.  Granule and powdered tomato feed is available as both organic or inorganic tomato feed.

The Best Tomato Food Brands

It’s easy to get confused by the many tomato brands in the market today. I’ve listed a number of the best tomato food brands to help you save time and get value for your money.   I do think that all the brands that I mention are great brands.  I wouldn’t skimp and buy an “own” brand of tomato feed that I hadn’t heard off – unless I saw it was getting great reviews from other gardeners.  Levington Tomorite, Chempak, Maxicrop and Vitax are some of the well-known brands for producing liquid tomato food.

Making your own tomato food

You can easily make your own tomato food at home using food remains, dried vegetables, ground eggshells and even rabbit, hamster or chicken manure.  (BUT, if you use this you absolutely must compost it first.  Raw manure will kill your tomatoes). You can also add ash from your fireplace and add it to the mixture.  (so long as it’s wood and natural)  This is a good source of potassium.  Once you have blended the mixture well, seal it in an airtight container and use it after a month.

Levington Tomorite Tomato Food

Tomorite is the best tomato feed that is soluble in water and easy to use. It’s most suitable for flowering tomato plants. It contains seaweed extract that promotes growth, high quality, and tasty tomatoes.  This is both my favourite tomato feed and also the UK’s favourite tomato food too! Buy Levington Tomorite here.

Vitax Tomato Feed

Vitax is a high potash (potassium) liquid tomato feed, it comes in a great pack with clear instructions on how to apply it to individual tomato plants. You can use it for your tomato plants either indoors or outdoors.  Vitax comes from a fourth-generation family-owned company of the same name and has a great heritage. Buy Vitax tomato feed here.

Chempak Soluble Tomato Feed

Chempak soluble tomato food is one of the best tomato soluble fertilizers.  Their products are fully soluble and they begin to work instantly.  They’ll supply your tomato plant with the essential macronutrients to produce high-quality fruit.  All of the Chempak Soluble Plant Fertilizers contain seven essential trace elements, which is more than regular soluble fertiliser.  Buy Chempak soluble tomato food here.

Maxicrop Organic Tomato Feed

Maxicrop is an organic natural fertilizer that will make your tomatoes to be the most delicious and healthy.  Maxicrop is formulated with a higher level of potash and is made with sustainable raw materials including seaweed extract.  It is approved for organic growing and is also a Soil Association Certified Product. Buy Maxicrop Organic Tomato Feed here

Reviews of the Best Tomato Feed and Fertilizer

Want to know more about the best tomato fertilizers?  Here’s my guide to the best UK tomato foods and fertilizers.

Best Overall Tomato Feed and Fertilizer – Levington Tomorite Concentrated Tomato Feed

I am a huge Levington Tomorite Tomato feed fan.   They have, in my opinion, the best tomato feed, a high rated product, and it’s easy to use.   Simply mix Levington Tomorite Tomato Feed with water in a watering can – following the manufacturer instructions and then water as normal.   Tomorite is great for tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and flowers as well.  Levington Tomorite contains seaweed extract which provides for maximum growth and much better tasting fruit.    Levington Tomorite comes in different sized packs, I tend to buy the 1-litre bottles. Check out more information on Levington Tomorite Tomato feed here.

Levington Tomorite Liquid Tomato Food, Concentrate, 1L, Red

Key Features of Levington Tomorite Tomato Feed

• Easy to apply simply mix with water in a watering can according to instructions
• For tomatoes and flowering pot plants
• With seaweed extract for maximum growth and better crops
• Produces high quality, full-flavoured tomatoes
• Can also be used with crops such as peppers and aubergines

Buy Concentrated Levington Tomorite Tomato Feed Here

Best Organic Tomato Fertilizer – Maxicrop Organic Natural Fertilizer

For the fully organic gardeners in our midst, Maxicrop organic natural fertiliser is the best.  . When compared with other organic tomato fertilizers, Maxicrop is highly rated as the best organic natural fertilizer, a multipurpose fertilizer and quite easy to use.  Maxicrop will help your tomatoes, flowering plants and any other greenhouse crop to be healthy and delicious. To have a bumper yield and tasty tomatoes in your next harvest, grab a 1-litre pack of Maxicrop here.

Maxicrop XOTNF61L Organic Tomato Natural Fertiliser, 1L – Organic Tomato Plant Food – for Great Tasting Tomatoes – Added Seaweed Extract for Healthy Plant Growth – Growing Vegetables

Key Features of Maxicrop organic natural fertilizer

• Easy to use
• The pack comes with clear instructions
• All-purpose organic garden natural fertilizer
• Contains seaweed extracts
• Makes your tomatoes and glasshouse crops healthy and delicious

Buy Maxicrop organic natural fertilizer here

Best Soluble Tomato Feed – Chempak Soluble Tomato food

If your penchant is for soluble tomato food, then I highly recommend Chempak soluble food tomato. It has a high potash content which promotes high crop yield and quality. Chempak is a very affordable choice and contains calcium that helps in preventing blossom end rot.

Chempak dissolves easily in water and is highly rated as the best soluble tomato. Additionally, Chempak can be used for other crops such as peppers, chillies, and cucumbers. Check out more information about Chempak soluble tomato food here.

Chempak Soluble Tomato Food 750g

Key Features of Chempak soluble tomato food

• Promotes high crop yield and quality
• Highly soluble tomato food
• Very affordable
• Contains calcium that will help prevent blossom end rot
• Can be used for other crops such as peppers, chillies and cucumbers. (our guide to growing cucumbers is here.)

Buy Chempak soluble food tomato here

FAQ’s on the Best Tomato Feed

Got questions about feeding tomatoes? Or want to know more about tomato feed and we haven’t answered your questions?  Check out our frequently asked questions about tomato fertilizer below, or ask us yours in the comments.

What’s the best fertilizer for tomatoes?

The best fertilizer for tomatoes is the one that will supply your soil with the missing nutrients. Liquid Tomato feed tends to be absorbed quicker than dry format tomato food – and my favourite tomato feed is Levington Tomorite Concentrated Tomato Feed.    Buy Tomorite Tomato feed here.

When should I apply fertilizer to my tomatoes?

It’s best to fertilize tomatoes once the first truss has set.  If you feed before this, then you’re likely to get a lot of leaves!  Focus on the fruit.  Read more of our tomato growing secrets here.

Can I use Epsom Salts to feed tomatoes?

Yes.  Kind of.  Epsom Salts is the name for the chemical compound “Magnesium Sulfate” – and you’ll find it recommended by many gardeners for a whole host of different things.   Epsom Salts are useful when growing tomatoes to help with several problems.  First of all, if your tomato plants have yellow leaves, then this usually means that the plant has a magnesium deficiency – and so Epsom salts will help.  Epsom salts also help deliver flavour to your tomatoes and can help with growth.    They’re not a be-all and end-all though.  Deliver too much to your tomato plants and you’ll possibly cause root problems with your tomato plant. 

However, back to the question – is Epsom Salts a tomato feed?  No.  They’re not.  Magnesium Sulphate is just two micronutrients required by tomatoes for growth and flavour.  While I recommend Epsom Salts for – primarily the issue of yellow leaves I wouldn’t use it in place of a specialist tomato food, like Levington Tomorite Concentrated Tomato Food.

How can I get my tomato plants to produce more fruit?

Use the best tomato feed and fertilizer, in the correct amount and frequency.

What does “when the first truss has set” mean?

Tomatoes grow on trusses.  A tomato plant truss is a group of small stems where the tomatoes grow. The trusses first produce flowers and the tomatoes begin to form behind those tomatoes.    When you see the little tiny green tomatoes forming behind those flowers is when the first truss has set.  And that’s when you should start feeding your tomato plant.

Will coffee grounds help my tomatoes grow?

Yes, coffee grounds can be used to make homemade tomato feed and are classified as organic fertilizer.  They contain about 2% nitrogen as well as some phosphorus and potassium.  These nutrients will be released slowly as the grounds decompose.  So while adding coffee grounds will help.  They don’t provide the full amount of nutrients that tomato plants need.  They will, however, keep cats away from your tomatoes too.  (there’s a random fact for you!)

Can I use worm pee on my tomatoes?

Yes! If you’ve got a wormery, then just add 1 part worm pee to 10 parts water and feed it to your tomatoes. They’ll LOVE it.

Can I use tomato feed for other vegetables and plants?

Absolutely.  I’m not going quite so far as to say that tomato fertilizer is the holy grail, but I do use it for feeding other plants and herbs – my coriander and basil have benefited magnificently in the past from tomato food, as have broad beans and chilli plants. And yes, I feed my lavender and hanging baskets too. Anything that’s in a pot, basket or bucket gets fed once a week. On a Sunday.

Final Words on the Best Tomato Feed and Fertilizer

Tomatoes are a thirsty and hungry plant and need lots of nutrients to deliver the best fruits to your table.  While using the best compost or soil is key, so too is ensuring that you continue to deliver nutrients regularly.  Whether you decide to opt for organic or chemical tomato fertilizer, picking the best tomato feed will improve your crop yield, quality and taste.   I hope you’ve found this guide to the UK’s best tomato fertilisers and foods useful, let me know what your favourite is!

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What to Know About Glass for Storage

Many Environmentalists view glass as more sustainable than plastics. For starters, glass bottles and containers are far more durable, and can last for many years, making them an excellent choice for those needing a reusable container for their liquids. You can even quickly sterilize glassware in boiling water, making it so reusable and easier to clean.

Furthermore, glass does not contain any of the potentially damaging chemicals that some plastic containers do. Many use plastic bottles that contain BPA, and this substance can cause disruption to natural hormones in the body. Glass, however, lends itself well to recycling, further making glass environmental-friendly. Seems too perfect? Continue reading to help you conclude between glass vs plastics.

What is Glass Made From

Glass is from liquid opaque sand. Manufacturers create glass with natural and abundant raw materials (sand, soda ash, and limestone), which they melt at high temperatures to form glass. At high-level temperatures, glass is structurally similar to liquids, but the glass structure behaves like solids at a lower temperature.

Is Glass Biodegradable

Non-biodegradable materials like glass do not decompose quickly. Glass bottles and containers stay intact in the environment for many years. Glass bottles are not biodegradable because they break down very slowly. But because glass is entirely made out of sand, you can simply break down the glass by melting it.

Pros and Cons of Glass Usage

People have been packaging products in glass containers for countless years now. From rum bottles to lunch food, the type of products packaged in glass is virtually endless.

Having been part of human existence for so long, glass has a long history of use for consumers. However, glass has its pros and cons in our environment too.

Pros of Glass as a Storage Mechanism

• Glass is durable and can last for years
• Glass is easily sterilized and cleaned in boiling water and easy to remove oil/grease
• Glass doesn’t contain any potentially harmful chemicals
• Glass is very versatile
• Glass is 100% recyclable – Our guide on how to recycle glass jars is here

Cons of Glass as a Storage Mechanism

• Glass is not as convenient as plastic, and it’s far heavier and easier to break
• Most glass isn’t actually recycled
• Glass takes a very long time to decompose in the environment
• Creating glass is also an emission-heavy process

What to Know about Plastic as a Storage Medium

For the last 45 years or so, plastic has been overtaking glass as the standard container for food, especially for take-outs, in restaurants and to preserve food. Plastic surpassed glass in liquid packing in 2021. It’s easy to see why. Plastic bottles and containers are lighter, reducing transportation, overhead costs, and other expenses for manufacturers.

While some people think that glass is better than plastic because of its Eco-friendliness, plastic has a fair share of supporters, too, because some of it is now recyclable, its lighter to transport and convenient. Because glass is fragile, it tends to shatter and create potential damage and messy situations easily. While glass will break, plastic can deform and bounce back into shape if dropped; thus, it is safer than glass materials.

What is Plastic Made From?

Manufacturing plastics starts with oil and natural gas. These raw materials are converted into monomers and then chemically bonded to create long chains called polymers. These polymers are the plastics you see in the form of water bottles, food containers, and many more. To obtain the crude oil and natural gas required to create plastics, we must head for the Earth’s crust.

There’s also another alternative to drilling natural resources from the Earth’s crust to make plastics. Bio-based plastics are more sustainable, and they are made from renewable materials such as vegetable fats, vegetable oils, carbohydrates, starch, bacteria, and other biological substances. This alternative material used to develop plastics is the future of plastic.

Is Plastic Biodegradable

All plastic is biodegradable, mostly it just takes a REALLY long time, give or take 450 years. However, traditional plastic (PET) doesn’t readily biodegrade or decompose because it’s made with chemicals that the bacteria that would decompose it cannot consume, making it hard for these plastics to decompose. Learn about biodegradable plastic left under soil experiments here.

There are also microplastics – just because you can break plastics into tiny fragments or powder does not mean the materials will ever return to the environment.

Pros and Cons of Plastics for Storage

The benefits of plastics are unmatched by any other material, says the Plastics Industry Association. It is light-weight, easily shaped, strong, and inexpensive. Also, plastic’s ability to guard against contamination makes them useful in sterile medical environments such as health centres. Plastics are a valuable material because of their many benefits and the multiple ways it makes human life convenient. But certainly, its benefits also have drawbacks.

Pros of using Plastic for Storage

• Plastics are much lighter and more durable than glass
• Plastics are convenient
• Plastics are cheap
• Plastics have multi-purpose

Cons of Using Plastic for Storage

• Big carbon footprint
• Only 9 per cent of plastics are recycled
• Recycling plastic costs high-emissions
• Traditional Plastic never truly breaks down.

Glass vs Plastic

Glass is seven times heavier than plastic at the same volume, making it more expensive to transport. It’s also fossil fuel intensive to move from one place to another. Glass also uses more natural resources during production than plastic does despite glass being created from a more renewable resource than plastic. Additionally, glass is more prone to breaking than plastic and is very dangerous to clean up.

On the other hand, plastic has a small carbon footprint for transportation, but it’s tough to overlook the giant carbon footprint of manufacturing plastics. Plus, the plastic that doesn’t end up in a recycling bin can be a massive pollutant in our environment, killing wildlife and contaminating ecosystems.

So, what’s the solution for a more sustainable lifestyle? What do you think is more sustainable, glass vs plastic bottles? The best thing everyone can do is reduce our reliance on anything single-use as much as possible. Reuse what you already have rather than purchasing over and over.

There’s more on living a sustainable life in your home and garden in our guides here

• The best eco dish sponges and scrubbers
• Eco-friendly dishcloths and tea towels
• Which is best for food storage? Plastic or Silicone?
• Looking for ideas? Here’s how to recycle glass jars
• The Best Plastic-Free Freezer Storage Guide.

Final Words on Glass vs Plastic

Glass vs plastics? For me, glass and plastics have their pros and cons, so the best thing we can do is reduce our reliance on anything single use. Of course, there are exceptions and limitations, and there’s no way we’re going to eradicate single-use products overnight. Still, if we try to be a little conscious of our purchases, we can make a massive dent in making the environment more sustainable.

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I don’t give away many of my used glass jars. I found so many uses for them. For the ones I don’t use at all or cannot think of a way to reuse, I donate or give them away. In this article, I will show you how you can recycle our glass jars beyond putting them in the recycle bin

What’s the Problem with Glass Jars?

Even though glass jars are a great step up from plastic containers, they don’t come without problems. Let’s discuss below the problems that make glass jars challenging to recycle.

You need to remove the stickers or label

Sticker labels on glass jars can really be annoying. I love those that slip off right after you get them under the hot water. However, most don’t do that. I’ve tried everything.  Soaking them in warm water with soap but that didn’t work. I tried rubbing alcohol and even with vodka but still no luck.  The best option I found was soaking with vinegar.  However, if you can’t get the adhesive off, the jars have ugly adhesive residue, which is still sticky and which looks plain ugly. If you can’t get the stickiness off you can always buy glass jars where you don’t need to deal with removing labels or stickers.

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The size of used glass jars

When you want to recycle glass jars and plan to use them around the house, you want them to be the same size. If you buy the same pasta sauce brand, you will get the same size of glass jars.  Let’s say you want to use the glass jars as a pencil holder in your home office. You also want to separate ink pens, markers, and pencils, and even then separate them by colours. It could just be my desire for neatness, but I prefer the jars to all be uniform!

The smell of the previous contents.

The smell is some jars are just hard to remove. You would think smells don’t stick the way they do in plastic containers. However, they usually come from the lid which is either made of metal or even plastic at times.  You’ll find the smell is strongest from a jar of pickled vegetables for instance.  And that can seriously impact what else you store in it.

However, if you soak the lid in water with vinegar and baking soda overnight, then scrub them the next day. Then, do it again, soak the lid with soap and water overnight. This should remove most of the smell.

How to recycle glass jars:  7 Ideas for Recycling Glass Jars

Right.  So we don’t want to recycle the jars traditionally, by putting them in our recycle bin.  You definitely don’t want to throw them away.  Let’s take a look at what the options are for recycling glass jars.

Use glass jars for your own jams and chutneys

Absolutely the best idea.  Save your jars up.  Sterilize them properly (see below) and then  when you have an excess of tomatoes, courgettes or even onions you can turn them into chutney’s, relishes, or even a sour plum tkemali

Use glass jars as a drinking glass

This is probably one of my favourite ways to upcycle glass jars. But of course, it depends on the size and shape. I usually keep a rounded glass jar with at least 300ml capacity.

Giveaway old glass jars to art & craft clubs

If you line in an area where there are art & craft clubs or near a school or retirement home, these places always need glass jars for their activities. Glass jars are expensive, so getting them for free, these places will never say no.

Reuse glass jars for the spice rack

This is one of my favourite ways to recycle glass jars. They make my spice rack much prettier and keep the spices (especially powder) safe from humidity. Usually, spices from grocery stores come in plastic packets or their own plastic bottles. Recycled glass jars will really help you transform your kitchen corner.

First, you need to choose glass jars of the same size. If you’re a fan of shop-bought jam, then go for the smaller jars, as those are the best sizes for spice containers, they are not too big or too small. Once you have enough, wash the jars with warm water and mild soap together with their lids.

You can sterilize your jars.  To do this I heat the oven to 160 degrees and place the jars inside the oven for 15 minutes.  Your lids can be sterilized by boiling them in water on the stovetop for 10 minutes.  There’s more on sterilizing jars here.

Next, dry them properly. You don’t want to have any water residue as it will make the spices stick together. You can either use a label maker or stickers to add labels to the container, if you’d rather not, simply use a permanent marker. Finally, transfer all your spices to the brand-new recycled container.

Use recycled glass jars as mini vases

This will depend on the size of the glass jar and if you can remove the label. You want something tall enough to keep the flower from falling on the sides but wide enough so you can place plenty of stems.

Make a cable organiser out of recycled glass jars

Is there more annoying than cables? It’s the most useful yet hardest to organise for so many reasons. They come in different types and different purposes making them exhausting to categorise. But recently, I found a way to deal with this using glass jars.

I already use elastic bands to keep the cable rounded and tied up but always find myself looking for a longer time than needed before finding the one kind I need.

Now, we can turn your unused glass jars into a cable organiser. First-round up your cables, and tie them in a circular shape. Separate them according to their purpose – mini USB (data transfer), USB-C, iPhone charger, camera chargers, mini USB charger, and so on.

Place the cables in each jar and write a label outside the jar. Make sure to test each cable before placing it inside the jar, a great way to separate things that no longer work. Finally, use the lid to keep the dust away.

Make garage containers out of recycled glass jars

Used batteries, and dozens of screws, they all can be organised in separate glass jars of their own. I know the dilemma of garage items where you don’t know if they can be thrown away or must be kept.

For example, when you buy a self-assembly bookshelf, you can see you have the exact amount of screws to use. But in the end, you always end up with a few extras. You don’t really want to throw them in case you need to fix this specific bookshelf in the future. Usually, the screws they come with are so unique you can’t buy them anywhere else.  It’s a great space saver to screw the lids to the bottom of a shelf and then tighten up the jar so that it uses the bottom of the shelf as storage.

Other things you to use your glass jars:

• Use for seeds for future growing seasons (but remember to keep them in a dark cool place too!)
• loose change
• pen holders
• chopstick holder
• toothbrush holder
• medicine
• pasta containers
• seeds for cooking
• food container for the fridge

If you’re like us and want to use more environmentally friendly tools in your home and garden, then we have you covered. Here are some of our top tips.

• The best eco dish sponges and scrubbers
• Eco-friendly dishcloths and tea towels
• Which is best for food storage? Glass or Plastic?
• Which is better? Plastic or Silicone?
• The Best Plastic-Free Freezer Storage Guide.

Final Words on Recycling Glass Jars

This is the advantage of choosing glass material versus plastic. It’s much easier to recycle products that are made of glass than plastic. Glass also lasts a long time and remains of high quality even after years of using them.  In the long run, it’s much cheaper to buy products in a glass container and it’s much eco-friendlier and sustainable. A perfect material if you are looking to live a more sustainable and greener lifestyle.

LetsGrowCook is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

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Many of the gardening audiobooks I’ve selected for this guide to the best gardening audiobooks are stories from gardeners relating their wins and losses in the garden.  So whether it’s self-sufficiency you’re looking for, or minimising waste and maximising your efficiency in the garden, you’re bound to find an audiobook for the type of gardening that you want to do.  Don’t forget if you’re looking for the written word, then our guide to vegetable gardening books here covers all areas of veggie growing.

1. Grow Food for Free Gardening Audiobook– Huw Richards

Huw’s audiobook – Grow Food for Free – is inspirational.  He set himself the challenge to grow his own fruit and veg for free for a year and this is his story.   This gardening audiobook is narrated by Huw himself and is a seriously compelling and motivating listen.    He’s grown sustainable organic food for 15 years and he knows what stops people from starting to grow their own food is the cost outlay.   

Grow Food for Free

And that’s what this audiobook does – Huw explains in his own words how to grow food for free.   You can get the “Grow Food for Free” audiobook for free as well – a 1 month trial with Audible gives you a book a month for no cost. You’ll also get unlimited listening to the Audible Plus Catalogue!  Read more about the trial here – and start listening to Grow Food for Free now!

2. Organic Gardening Audiobook – 5 Books in 1

How to Get Started with Your Own Organic Vegetable Garden, Master Hydroponics & Aquaponics, Learn to Grow Vegetables the Easy Way and Achieve Your Dream Greenhouse – Rachel Martin > read more here

This is an amazing deal.   FIVE gardening audiobooks in one.  For free.  It’s a great way to get started growing vegetables and to do it for free.   The five in one series from Rachel Martin covers Organic Gardening for Beginners; Organic Vegetable Gardening, Hydroponics, Aquaponics AND Greenhouse Gardening.   

This is an awesome collection of audiobooks on gardening that give you the basics of a HUGE variety of different ways of growing your own food.   The individual books are superb in their own right but as a bundle, it’s an amazing deal.  What’s even better is that you can take an Audible trial and get them ALL for FREE!   That’s right, the audible trial won’t cost you a penny, but you can download, listen to AND keep these audiobooks for absolutely nothing.  Check out this Organic Gardening book audio bundle here.

3. Gardening Audiobook – How to Grow Vegetables in Pots and Containers – Luke Potter

Growing vegetables in containers and pots is my FAVOURITE way to grow veg.  It’s so practical and easy to do.  And Luke’s audiobook on growing vegetables in pots is simply fabulous.   This audiobook on vegetable gardening focuses PURELY on growing vegetables in containers.  You don’t need loads of space, or a huge garden, or fantastic soil or a brilliant location.  Luke focuses on how to grow veggies in containers that you can find around the house.  It’s a no-nonsense, easy to listen to gardening audiobook that will inspire and motivate you to start growing veggies in pots now.     

How to Grow Vegetables in Pots & Containers: 9 Steps to Plant & Harvest Organic Food in as Little as 21 Days for Beginners

And buying How to Grow Vegetables in Pots and Containers won’t break the bank either.  An audible subscription usually costs £7.99 a month – but you can take out a FREE subscription here – which will give you ONE free book during your month trial.  It’s fabulous.  Check out Luke’s How to Grow Vegetables in Pots and Containers here.

4. Hydroponics Audiobook – The Essential Guide – Andy Jacobsen

You’ll know if you’ve read my guides to growing fruit and vegetables hydroponically that I’m a huge fan of hydroponically grown food.  It’s so easy, takes up little space and heck doesn’t even need the sunshine (and I’m seriously missing that at the moment!).   Andy’s step by step audiobook on Hydroponics is a fabulous listen.  It will motivate you, enthral you and help you to easily understand the concept and basics of hydroponics. 

This is a no-nonsense audiobook on growing vegetables hydroponically.  He doesn’t tell you to go out and buy loads of equipment.  Far from it.  It’s plain English.  Easy to understand and a great listen.   Check out this fabulous hydroponics audiobook here.

Final Words On The 4 Best Gardening Audiobooks

You can pick up so much from audiobooks (and there are many reasons why listening to books is fabulous) – I love how you somehow get so much more of the personality of the author when the book is read to you. I find myself listening to audiobooks when we drive somewhere, or when I’m working in the garden and absorb so much and so many tips this way!  There are some simply fabulous gardening audiobooks available – and I’ve – as ever – focused on the vegetable gardening audiobooks – do let me know which you find the most useful – and don’t forget you can get these gardening audiobooks for free here – and there’s no tie ins or any commitments involved

LetsGrowCook is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

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Why Plastic is Such a Big Problem

Some negative effects on health are that plastics can cause endocrine disruption, resulting in cancers, immune system suppression, congenital disabilities, and developmental problems in children because it has carcinogens.  You may notice that many adverse effects are happening to children and that’s because they have less mature immune systems than adults. Now, onto plastic’s adverse effects on our environment.

Plastics take thousands of years to decompose. A lot of the chemicals from traditional plastics are absorbed by the soil in the process. If we burn them instead, they still release toxic substances which cause air pollution.

How long plastic takes to decompose

Plastics take up to 1,000 years to decompose, while plastic bottles take 450 years or so. Imagine the amount of damage it could cause during all of those years.

One of the ways to decompose plastic is through photodegradation, which involves UV rays (sunlight) striking the plastic. If the UV rays are not concentrated on the plastic, the decomposition process is slowed and that’s why it’s tough to break down plastic. Plus, plastics buried underground don’t usually see the light of day.

Plastics at sea are different because they take a shorter time to decompose because of sunlight exposure and wind a wave action. On the other hand, even if plastic at sea decomposes, its chemicals (or microplastics) still stay and can get inside the gut of animals, therefore harming or even killing them.  It’s been estimated that around a million marine creatures die from plastic poisoning each year. But we can do something about reducing or removing plastic usage.  Keep reading for an alternative.

What is Silicone made from?

One of the answers to our longstanding problem with plastic is to increase silicone usage. Before we delve deeper into this, it is better to be familiar with how silicone is made.  Silicone’s main component is Silica, which can be found in sand and rocks. However, you need to heat silica to a very high temperature for pure Silicon to be extracted. Silicon is ground to a fine powder and then combined with Methyl Chloride which then goes through a complex distillation process to separate the various components of the mixture. It is then cleansed with water and again split into further component parts.

The large scale manufacture results in the production of Silicone at a relatively low cost, with Silicone being a non-toxic and heat-resistant material which is why it is often used to make cookware.

Silicone is also used in coatings, electronics, medicine, ophthalmology, and personal care, as well as in lubricants in the automotive industry. In the next part of this silicone vs plastic article, we will find out why silicone in many cases is a perfectly good alternative to plastic.

Why Silicone is a Good Alternative to Plastic

The main reason why silicone is a better alternative to plastic is that it is non-toxic, which means that it doesn’t contain latex, lead, BPA, phthalates, and other chemicals.  It does not cause as much harm to the environment as plastic does.

Aside from that, other factors such as silicone being highly durable, way more durable than plastic, and can even stand extreme heat and cold. Therefore, it’s perfect to use as a sealant or insulator. It also has low chemical reactivity; this is why a lot of cookware that we use nowadays is made from silicone.

Is Silicone safe to use?

Proof that Silicone is safe is that it is widely used for cookware and the medical field.  Many baking materials and kitchen utensils make use of silicone including baking moulds, straws, pot holders, steamers, egg boilers, cookware lids, reusable mats, oven gloves and non-stick bakeware.

Another reason why Silicone is very popular in cookware is that it has low thermal conductivity. There are even ziplock bags, straws, cups, and the handles of cooking equipment like pots and pans.  (our guide to the best plastic-free freezer storage is here)

In the medical industry, Silicone is used in seals, micro fluids, shrouds, gaskets, and other applications that require high biocompatibility.  The gel form is used in pectoral and breast implants and contact lenses, bandages, and dressings. Scar treatment sheets are also usually made with medical-grade Silicone. This material is also used to produce surgical tools, diagnostic instruments, patient monitoring systems, valves, and tubing.

How long does Silicone take to decompose

Silicone takes between 50 and 500 years to decompose because it is incredibly durable and conducive to heat. But – the big difference is that it is not toxic to aquatic and soil organisms, unlike many plastics.

Is Silicone biodegradable or recyclable

Silicone is recyclable, albeit needing a special facility and local municipalities don’t usually pick up Silicone products for recycling.

Cons of using Silicone for storage

Every positive thing in this world often has its negative counterparts and silicone is not an exception to that, and for that reason, here are the cons of using silicone.

• Some silicone products have chemical fillers: The emphasis here is on the word “some”, which means that not every silicone material has fillers.
• Some silicone-coated pots and pans are very prone to scratching; that is why it’s necessary to take better care of silicone-coated products.
• Silicone requires special facilities to be recycled.

Be cautious about using silicone

While silicone seems like the perfect alternative to plastic, it may not always be the best choice. Even though silicone mainly contains silica extracted from sand and rocks, it is also made using the other chemicals that what we mentioned earlier.

Given this, you should still be cautious about over using silicone and make sure you re-use it as much as possible. You can either recycle it or give it away when you no longer need it. On the other hand, you can use glass jars, stainless steel, and cloth bags as an alternative to both plastic and silicone.

Silicone vs Plastic – which is more sustainable

Here is an in-depth summary of silicone vs plastic:

• Silicone is ocean safer than plastic as it degrades into larger parts unlike plastics, which can get inside marine animal’s gut.
• Silicone endures decades without a quality downgrade, whereas plastic cracks and stiffens more quickly with age.
• Silicones and plastics both have limited recyclability, but the main difference is that plastics emit toxic chemicals into our environment over a long period of time.
• Silicone is dishwasher and oven safe because it can withstand heat, whereas plastic-made materials quickly melt.
• Silicone-made products are approved by UK, EU and USA food safety standards while even BPA-free plastics contain estrogen-mimicking chemicals.

You are now more familiar with silicone, and the positive things that using silicone-made materials can cause. Just make sure to remember the following when buying silicone-made products:

• Look for food-grade or medical-grade silicone products as those are the highest quality of silicone.
• Make sure that there is no strange smell when the silicone cookware is heated. Ensure that it also doesn’t change colour because if it does, it means that the producer may have added some fillers to the product.
• Pre-clean all silicone products before using them.
• Make sure that you follow the maximum temperature stated on the product packaging because it may emit chemicals otherwise.

Other pros of using Silicone include:

• Ability to hold liquids without spilling
• Is easy to clean and hygienic

And of course, through using silicone, we get to lessen plastic usage.

Last but definitely not least, here’s a list of recommended products made of silicone.

• Petroleum-free Silicone food containers, straws, mugs, toddler feeding spoons, and more. You can get these both online and in physical stores.
• Eco lunch boxes
• Reusable Silicone bags in different sizes, colours and shapes. These bags have low thermal conductivity so they are microwave safe and you can also put them in the fridge.
• Baking mats and cupcake moulds. <  I have these exact ones!

We’re always looking for the most environmentally friendly, and ecologically friendly way of managing our home and garden. Here are some of our key guides to this.

• The best eco dish sponges and scrubbers
• Eco-friendly dishcloths and tea towels
• Which is best for food storage? Glass or Plastic?
• Looking for ideas? Here’s how to recycle glass jars
• The Best Plastic-Free Freezer Storage Guide.

Final Words on Plastic vs Silicone for Storage and Food Use

While using plastics for food storage is often convenient and cheap, it’s not always the best option for the environment and personal health.  There are alternatives though and in this article we’ve covered one of them, silicone.  I hope it’s explained a little about the differences between plastics and silicone and how silicone can be used more sustainably in food storage and the kitchen.

LetsGrowCook is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

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You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a great potting bench, but it will make your vegetable gardening (and other gardening) a whole lot easier.  We’ll cover the best potting benches available on the UK market and include a full potting bench buying guide that includes everything you should consider when choosing a potting bench.  Then there’s also details on maintaining a potting bench to ensure that your investment – no matter how big or small – doesn’t go to waste.

But before we get into the guide and the detailed reviews of potting benches, here’s our top pick – the best potting bench in the UK – this potting bench has a useful working surface with a removable compost sink (you can use it to wash things too), really useful shelves underneath, a shelf for potted plants and a drawer for hand tools or other useful items.   This fabulous wooden potting bench is made from premium fir and includes foot caps on the legs to protect both the wood and your flooring should you use it inside. Check out our favourite garden potting bench and buy the UK’s best buy potting bench now.

Top PRODUCT PICK

The Best Potting Bench

This fabulous wooden potting bench is not only extremely practical, but it looks great too!

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The Best Potting Benches – UK Options

When I first started gardening, I potted plants, sowed seeds and generally made a mess on the kitchen table – which I’d first covered in a tarp.  Still.  It wasn’t ideal.  My kitchen table (a fabulous old pine table) still survives, but my potting has moved on.  Whether you decide to have a potting table that stays outside all the time, is in a greenhouse or polytunnel or is stylish enough to live in a conservatory or porch then having this dedicated piece of equipment for the garden will make your gardening experience so much better.

Best Potting Bench 2024 & Best Wooden Potting Bench

This best buy potting bench has a great large working area and includes a baffle panel to prevent items from falling down.  This potting table with sink also has two tiers of slatted shelves on which you can conveniently store gardening items.  The slatted shelves are great for airflow.  There’s a drawer for storage as well as a removable plastic sink too.   This best potting bench with sink is designed as a dry sink. If you’re looking for a potting bench with sink and running water, then you’re looking at a custom build. However, this is a great potting bench option (use an expandable hose if you want to add running water) and our best buy wooden potting bench.  Buy our Best Potting Bench here.

COSTWAY Garden Potting Table, Wooden Planting Bench with Hooks, Sink, Drawer and Open Shelves, Flower Plant DIY Workstation for Patios, Courtyards, Balcony (Grey)

Key features of the best wooden potting bench

• There is a large tabletop on this potting bench with sink
• Convenient drawer to store gardening tools or seeds and more
• 3 fixed metal hooks on the side of the table for hanging tools, bags etc
• Removable dry sink for excess compost – can also be used for water or ice
• Super for an outdoor potting bench
• Great design and can be used as a greenhouse potting bench too
• Made from durable treated fir wood with foot caps to prevent rot
• Size – Height: 121cm
• Worksurface height 80cm
• Worksurface measures 45cm x 115cm
• Sink measures 34cm x 24cm x 9cm

Buy our Best Potting Bench with Sink and Storage here.

Best Potting Bench with Wheels

This best potting bench on wheels is a great option if you’re looking to be able to easily move your potting bench.  As well as wheels it has a removable compost sink, a drawer and a baffle on three sides of the surface to stop things from falling off your potting table.  There’s a single lower shelf – ideal for a bag of compost – and a small upper shelf for your potted plants.  Buy the Best Potting Bench with wheels here.

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Key features of the best wheeled potting bench

• Large work surface comes with integral removable sink
• Convenient drawer to store gardening tools or seeds and more
• This potting table on wheels is made from durable treated wood
• This garden potting table comes complete with two wheels for easy moving
• Size:  H120cm x W90cm x D42cm

Buy our Best Wheeled Potting Bench here.

Best Potting Bench with a Cupboard + Galvanised Worktop

This potting bench with a cupboard is a great option if you want to be able to store more inside.   This potting bench also has a galvanised worktop for ease of cleaning and longevity.  The galvanized metal tabletop doesn’t rust, is resistant to the sun and rain, and is easy to clean, making it ideal for an outdoor potting table.  This galvanised metal surface potting bench is made of high-quality fir.  The tabletop can support up to 50kg, while the shelf can bear a maximum weight of 20kg.     There’s a drawer, cupboard and a lower and upper open shelf, plus a series of hooks on the side of the potting table.  Buy the Best Potting Bench with a cupboard here.

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Key features of the best potting bench with cupboard + galvanised worktop

• Large potting bench with a galvanised metal work surface
• Convenient drawer to store gardening tools or seeds and more
• Made from durable treated wood
• The table can support up to 50kg.

Buy the Best Potting Bench with a galvanised worksurface here.

Best Metal Potting Bench

If you choose metal as your material of choice for your potting table then this metal potting bench is a great option.  Manufactured by Outsunny (whose greenhouses we love) this potting bench made of metal can hold up to 60kg of weight on the table and 25kg on the lower mesh shelf.  It also comes with two sturdy wheels and a side handle so it’s easy to move around.   This metal potting table is rust-resistant and while it comes in white you can change the colour with metal paint.  It’s a good basic design, which is extremely functional. Buy the Best Metal Potting Bench here.

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Key features of the best-wheeled metal potting bench

• Functional long-lasting design
• Comes with two wheels and a side handle for ease of movement.
• Holds up to 60kg on the work surface
• Bottle lattice shelf can support up to 25 kg.
• Bottom shelf: 90L x 55Wcm. From the ground: 24cm
• Size – 98 x 55 x 90 centimetres

Buy the Best Metal Potting Table with Wheels Here!

Best Folding Potting Tray

If you’re looking for a folding potting table, then this is an excellent options. You can use this folding potting bench on any flat surface.

This foldable potting tray is excellent if you are very very short on space or need adding potting space.  Each pack contains two folding potting trays, designed to keep the compost all in one place while you’re working.  The two sizes of folding potting mats are essentially tarps that measure 75 cm x 75cm and 50cm x 50cm – one in pink and one in black.    A unique design provides two brass buckles at each of the four corners, which when buckled up create walls to prevent water and soil from leaking out.    You can also use this to funnel the soil back into your compost bag.  These folding potting trays are easy to clean and are made from premium quality waterproof and leak-proof Oxford cloth and PVC material, with a waterproof barrier and canvas on the outside.  When you’re done potting you can also use them for craft projects too!  Buy these excellent folding potting trays now!

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Key features of folding potting trays

• Made of premium quality waterproof and leak-proof Oxford cloth and PVC material, with waterproof barrier and canvas on the outside
• Heavy-duty and durable, wear-resistant, highly tear-resistant
• Easy to clean
• Easy to store flat!
• Multi-purpose, clean and use for home crafting or kids projects
• Size – black =  75 cm x 75cm and  pink = 50cm x 50cm

Buy these excellent folding potting trays now!

Best Solid Potting Tray

This solid potting tray is a versatile garden tray that can be used on any surface as a way to keep the compost from spilling.  This heavy plastic garden tray is great for potting, mixing and growing.  It’s made from 100% recycled plastic and is easy to clean and reuse many times. If you’re looking for a potting tray Amazon has you covered.   If you’re on a tight budget then this solid potting tray is a great option.  It measures 62cm x 20cm x 56cm.    Buy this solid potting tray here now 

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Key features of this heavy-duty solid potting tray

• Made of 100% recycled plastic
• Easy to clean
• Size – 62cm x 20cm x 56cm.

Buy this solid potting tray here now!

Potting Bench Buyers Guide

It’s only when you start looking at all the options for potting tables in the UK that you realise there are a variety of factors to consider.  So it’s best to take a short pause and think about the functions and features of a potting bench before selecting the right one for you.  Here’s our buying guide for potting benches with all the considerations you’ll need to take.

What to look for in a potting bench

Here’s what you’ll need to consider when buying a potting bench – from design to location to material and more.  If you want the TLDR: Potting Benches – then this is our best buy – here – it comes with a great set of features for a potting bench at a reasonable price and is of great quality. 

Potting Bench Design

If you pick the right potting bench then it’s something that you’ll keep for years and years.  So you’ll want to pick a design of potting bench that is not just aesthetically pleasing but that is also functional and in keeping with the rest of where you’ll be locating it.  There are potting benches that are rustic, wooden, metal, basic and contemporary.  Consider where you’ll be placing your potting bench – inside – outside and what the prevailing weather is like where you’ll be placing it.  Consider too what you’ll be using your potting bench for and what you need to store on it – do you need shelves or a cupboard?  Do you need to store garden equipment (like garden hand tools) in it?  Do you plan on moving it around and therefore need wheels on it?

Potting Bench Construction Material

Potting benches are made from wood, plastic or metal.  Often it’s a design decision as to which material you go for.  Plastic is the most durable, in most cases, but often doesn’t look so good.  We don’t recommend a plastic potting bench with wheels as the movement tends to weaken the plastic too much. Metal is particularly durable, so long as it’s treated to prevent rust.  Wood is the most common construction material for potting benches.  The wood used to make potting benches tends to be extremely durable pressure-treated softwood, usually pine, fir or cedar.   Regardless of the colour of the wood when your potting bench is delivered you can stain the wood to match other items of garden (or interior) furniture.  The working surface on a wooden potting bench is either made from wood or there are also options of a galvanised metal worktop that can be more functional.  It’s easier to wipe down and can add strength to its construction.

If you opt for a wooden potting bench then you should ensure that the wood is stained or treated before you put it outside.  Some wooden potting benches are pre-treated, if so, check the length of time it’s recommended before re-treating.

The Weight of Potting Benches

How much a potting bench weighs is relevant if you plan on moving it around.    And you’ll want to consider the weight when it’s laden because you’re unlikely to take all your gardening stuff off it to move it.  So if you plan to move your potting bench around, then consider a potting bench with wheels. 

Potting Bench Working Height

The height of a potting bench is key to a comfortable working position.  Most potting benches work surfaces are around 80cm – which is just under the height of a standard kitchen counter at 91cm.  If you’re taller than average then it’s possible to buy an adjustable height potting bench or raise your potting bench on wooden blocks or bricks.

The Cost of Potting Benches

In this guide to potting benches, we’ve covered the most basic potting trays, which come in around £10 up to several hundreds of pounds if you want a stunning designer model.   As with all our gardening tool essentials and guides, it’s best to work out what you need, how long you’re likely to need it for and buy the best quality tools that you can afford.

Potting Bench Features to Consider and Look for

The most basic of potting benches are simply a potting table – and you can get away with any table.  Add a potting tray to it and you’re done.   But if you’re looking for something longer-term and more specialised, then consider some of these features of potting benches and decide if they’re a requirement for you.

Potting Bench drawers

Whether you use the drawers on your potting bench for tools (dried of course), string, gloves or even seeds if you don’t have a seed store like this they’re a seriously useful addition.  Especially if you need somewhere that you know is cool and dry!

Utensil hooks & shelving for potting benches

Hooks for your gardening tools are a really useful addition to a potting bench.  I particularly like being able to hang my hand garden trowel after I’ve washed it and it dries while hanging, rather than sitting wet in a drawer.  Shelves are also a useful addition, meaning that I’m not cluttering up the main working area.

Metal or plastic feet on potting benches

If your potting bench is outside like most people and you’ve gone for a wooden or metal potting bench then you’ll want to consider raising it from the ground to prevent rusting or rotting.  You can do this with bricks, or add plastic or galvanised metal feet.

Wheels on a potting bench

Having wheels on a potting bench means it’s much easier to move around – meaning that you can move the entire potting or repotting operation closer to where the action is.

Potting bench sinks

A sink in a potting bench is a seriously useful feature.    Most of the activity that takes part on a potting bench is related to compost and being able to capture all of it in an easy to clean and easy to pour back into your compost bag is such a time saver.  Most sinks in potting benches are detachable, so you can take them out, pour the excess compost back in, clean and return.  You can find potting bench sinks with lids – or simply cut a bit of wood to fit to make a bigger working surface.  And when you’re entertaining add some ice for a drinks cooling party option!

Potting Bench Maintenance

No matter what garden tools you buy you’ll prolong their useful life if you maintain them.  Maintenance of potting benches isn’t difficult if you keep them clean as you go along.  So wipe up any water as you go along.  Clean up excess spills of compost. 

Brush compost off with a brush – compost left on wood can rot the wood.  Rot can infect your seedlings.

Wipe down the surface. 

Once a year remove everything and give it a thorough disinfection. 

If you have a wooden potting bench then be sure to apply a wood preserver or stain at least once a year.  I tend to do this after the annual clean so that I know I’m not sealing in anything nasty.

I recommend too, if you’re not using your potting bench during the worst of the weather then you cover it up. This outdoor garden bench cover should cover virtually all potting benches and keep them from the worst of the winter weather.

Frequently Asked Questions:  FAQs about Potting Benches

Got questions about potting benches? Check out our frequently asked questions about potting tables and benches below, or ask us yours in the comments.

What is a potting bench used for?

A potting bench is a specifically design table for potting, repotting plants and storage of gardening equipment.  Use potting benches to sow seeds in pots and to transplant seedlings

Where should I put my potting bench?

Potting benches can be located inside or outside.  Depending on how exposed your garden is you may wish to locate your potting table in a shed, greenhouse, polytunnel or even a back porch.  Most potting tables are designed to be kept outside. 

What’s the best material for potting benches

Most potting benches are made from wood, but metal is also becoming a popular material.  Either metal or wood is a good material for potting benches, it depends on which you prefer aesthetically and which features you require on a potting bench.

What is the height of a potting bench?

A standard potting bench height is 80 centimetres to the working surface.  This is about 11 centimetres lower than a standard kitchen counter.

What is the best wood for a potting bench?

Most wooden potting benches in the UK are made from pressure-treated durable pine, fir or cedar.   They are treated for longevity, but you should also treat them on an annual basis for maintenance.

Does a potting bench need a sink?

Whether you want a potting bench with a sink depends on your requirements.  A sink in a potting bench tends to be a sink to collect excess compost.  Sinks in potting benches don’t tend to be for running water – although you can use them for water if needed.  Most sinks in potting benches are detachable so you can pour off the excess compost back into the compost bag.

All our guides to the best garden equipment

• Our Garden Tools Essential List
• The best potting benches in the UK
• The best gardening gloves in the UK
• The best garden kneelers in the UK
• The best food dehydrators in the UK
• The best potato grow bags in the UK
• The best strawberry planters in the UK
• The best hydroponic starter kits in the UK
• The best gardening audiobooks for vegetable growers
• The best vegetable gardening books in the UK
• The best grow your own herbs kits in the UK
• The best expandable hoses in the UK
• The best compost bins in the UK
• The best polytunnel kits in the UK

Final Words on the Best Potting Bench

If you’re looking to make your life in the garden easier, then a potting bench is a great addition to your gardening equipment.  It makes potting and planting into pots and transplanting so much easier.  The best potting bench is the one that meets all your needs – whether that’s a potting table with a sink, with shelves, with hooks or with a cupboard.   I think our favourite potting bench here is such a great option, especially when getting started as it provides so many of the features that I find invaluable in a potting table and it comes in at a great affordable cost too.

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What I’m aiming to do in this article is overview gift ideas for vegetable gardeners, whether they’re beginners or experienced gardeners.  So that means they have to be useful gardening gifts.  Not just something that they’ll open and store in a cupboard.   So while I’ll include unusual gifts for gardeners they will be functional, serviceable gifts.  They won’t be gift ideas that aren’t useful.  I’m looking specifically at gifts for vegetable gardeners but will include some general gardening gifts.

Particularly Useful Gifts for Vegetable Gardeners

We don’t have a large living space and our gardening space is limited, therefore everything has to have a useful purpose.  And that’s what I’m addressing here.  Useful gifts for vegetable gardeners.  These are gifts that they will definitely use.  Presents that will be used regularly, not just stored in a cupboard.   How do I know?  Well, all of these are in regular, if not constant use not just in my house and garden, but also in the homes and gardens of other veggie gardening friends and colleagues.  Here’s just a few particularly useful gift ideas for gardeners.

Buy a Seed Storage Tin as a Gift for Growers

Seeds are precious commodities to gardeners.  And keeping them all together in a cool dry place is essential for their longevity.    And so many seeds look very similar, so keeping them separate is also important.  I’ve had one of these seed storage boxes for years and it’s fabulous.  I received it as a gift and immediately loved it.  Your gardening friends will too.

SeedBox

Seed Storage Packets and Tins

This seed storage box has a vintage vibe about it.  It will keep seeds dry and cool and most importantly safe!  Buy a seed storage box now!

Gift a Garden Kneeler

Garden Kneelers or Garden stools are one of those gifts for gardeners that they don’t realise how useful they are until they’ve got them.  It’s no secret we’re all getting older and a bit of space between us, our knees and the cold wet, hard ground is very welcome.  Garden kneelers come in all shapes and sizes. From a foam cushion garden kneeler (like this one ) to fabulous foldaway kneeler seats with attached tool bags – like this foldaway kneeler seat.

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Most of the time gardeners spend tends to be close to the earth, kneeling or crouching down.  And a kneeler is an essential garden tool – and your veggie gardening friend will love you forever for this gardening gift idea.   Check out our guide to garden kneelers here – or skip to the chase and buy this garden kneeler bench and tool bag set as a useful gift for gardeners in your life. We think this is perfect as gifts for older gardeners.

Buy Gardening Gloves as a Gift for Gardeners

A great pair of gardening gloves are an essential item to the gardener in your life, especially when it’s cold, wet and miserable.   Well-designed gardening gloves protect their hands from dirt, scratches, stings as well as the wet and cold.   A great pair of gloves is essential, but they also don’t last forever, so if you’re spotting that the gardener who you’re buying a gift for is sporting an older pair of gloves, or gloves that look like they need replacing, then buying them this gift will put you in their good books for a long time to come.   We get quite precious about the type of gloves that we like, so if you can’t find a like for like replacement, look at the types of jobs that they do and find the right pair of gloves for that (see our guide to gardening gloves here) and then, if you want a great all-round gardening glove, check this fabulous pair of gloves for gardening out.

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The Best Overall Gardening Gloves

These general purpose gardening gloves are the best buy – they’re long lasting, useful and won’t wear out!

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Gift A Trug / Harvest Basket to a Gardener

A wooden trug or harvest basket is a fabulous gift for veggie gardeners to transport their garden produce in.  These traditional wooden trugs are made from poplar wood and are shaped by hand with strong handles.  They look fabulous – especially if you will them with a stash of seeds or other gardening essentials are part of the gift.  These medium-sized trugs measure 40 cm x 23 cm.   Explore wooden trugs here.

Garden Trug

Buy a Compost Bin as a gift for veggie gardeners

“Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” goes the saying.  And we have something similar in gardening. It’s called a compost bin.  (Read more about compost bins here) It might be that people are already composting, and they have a compost heap. You can never have enough compost – and top of our list as the best gifts for composters is a compost bin! Great compost for gardens is the equivalent of giving vegetables and plants vitamins.  They’ll get better nutrients and a better harvest and the next season of vegetables becomes better too.  Making compost isn’t difficult, but a fabulous compost bin makes it a whole lot easier and cleaner.  And you’ll rarely see a serious gardener with just one compost heap or bin.  So treat the gardener in your life and get them a compost bin.  This rolling compost bin is brilliant.

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The Best Compost Bin

When you buy a compost bin you can one thats quick to compost, easy to use and keep clean and a great deal. This is the best compost bin that meets all those requirements.

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 It might take up a little more space, but the rolling means that the contents stay aerated and mixed with little of the physical requirements that you need if you do it manually.   The Envirocycle Composter has excellent reviews and is really easy to use, the Envirocycle Composting Tumbler bin comes in two sizes (65 litres or 133 litres) and is available in black or pink.  Read Envirocycle composter reviews and buy it here

Buy seeds as a gift for veggie growers

This pack of heirloom vegetable seeds are special.  All the seeds are sourced in the UK are untreated and non-GMO.  This pack contains 15 mixed vegetable seeds, 15 plant labels and a vegetable growing guide.  A seed variety is typically known as an heirloom if it existed 50 years ago or more.   It’s been grown and passed from one generation to another.  Heirloom seeds are a fabulous gift for veggie gardeners.  Buy this pack of heirloom seeds as a gift now.

Vegetable Seeds Kit for Planting – 15 Heirloom Seed Varieties Included in This Grow Your Own Vegetable Seeds Pack, Ideal Gardening Gifts for Men and Women

This pack of heirloom seeds includes Beetroot seeds (Detroit Globe), Carrot seeds (Autumn King), Cauliflower seeds (Snowball), Celery seeds (Golden Self Blanching), Chard seeds (Rhubarb Chard), Courgette seeds (Courgette Zucchini), Kale seeds (Nero di Toscana), Mixed Leaf Lettuce seeds (Mixed Leaf), Parsnip seeds (Tender and True), Purple Sprouting Broccoli seeds (Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli), Rocket seeds (Eruca Sativa), Spinach seeds (Medina), Spring Onion seeds (White Lisbon), Spring Cabbage seeds (Wheeler’s imperial) and Tomato seeds (Alicante).

Seed gifts for gardeners are a great way to help your friends and family expand their growing expertise and this unusual vegetable seed gift really is something different, it really is one of the best seed gift ideas we’ve seen.

Not only does this pack include seeds that gardeners are unlikely to have grown before, but they can save the seeds produced each year, so they can be planted again, saving money.  Buy this Heirloom Seed Gift bag now!

Budget Gifts for Gardeners

Gifts for gardeners don’t have to be expensive.  It’s the thought, after all, that counts.  Just as importantly, I think is that the gift should be useful.  And these budget gifts for gardeners are seriously useful as well as not budget-breaking.

Gift a paper pot making kit

We’re all about reusing and repurposing and this gift idea for gardeners will help them both reuse and re purpose.  It’ll also help them to remove reliance on plastic.  The paper pot maker from Burgon Ball means that they’ll be able to do away with plastic pots and make a continuous supply of seedling pots with old newspaper.    Check out this paper seedling pot making kit here.

Burgon & Ball GEC/POTM Paper Pot Maker, Beige, M

This gift is made from beechwood and allows gardeners to make 3 different pot sizes – 3cm, 4.75cm and 6cm in diameter.  They’ll not only be recycling biodegradable newspaper but they’ll save money on buying new pots too!  Not only that but as the paper biodegrades in the compost or soil, there’s less disturbance to the roots of the seedlings.  So everyone wins.  Including you, for buying such a fabulous gift for the gardener in your life.  Buy this budget vegetable gardeners gift here.

Buy Hand Cream for Gardeners

I use gardening gloves as much as I can, but many times, there’s nothing for it but to pull the gloves off and get my hands dirty.  And then of course I end up scrubbing my hands and they end up sore.  I’m not alone in this.    I have bought all sorts of hand cream over the years.  And none of it comes close to O’Keefe’s Working Hand Cream.  This stuff is amazing.  Check it out here.

O’Keeffe’s Working Hands, 96g Jar – Hand Cream for Extremely Dry, Cracked Hands | Instantly Boosts Moisture Levels, Creates a Protective Layer & Prevents Moisture Loss

You don’t need much of this.  Just a small dab. And because you use so little of it lasts forever.  And it is truly brilliant.  Whether your gardener is male or female, young or old, once they start using this they’ll never turn away from it.   Of course, you could also REALLY treat them and buy them the foot cream and skin cream too.  They are both also glorious.  Buy hand cream as a gift for gardeners now.

Buy a Vegetable Gardeners Advent Calendar

Now I’ve always thought that Gin Advent Calendars and Wine Advent calendars are brilliant inventions.  Buy this one is even better.  This Vegetable Gardeners Advent Calendar is a superb gift for veggie growers.   Check it out here.

Seeds Advent Calendar 2023 Adults: Beautiful Garden Advent Calendar – Herb Seeds, Fruits, Vegetable Seeds – Gardening Advent Calendar 2023 Women, Men – Plant Seeds Christmas Calendar Adults OwnGrown

This seed advent calendar contains 24 VARIETIES of seeds, including heirloom seeds, each packed in a small paper bag.  In addition to the plant seeds in small paper bags, the vegetable growers advent calendar includes a natural jute string and 24 wooden clothespins for decorative fastening of the bags.  All can be grown on a windowsill, balcony or in the vegetable patch! On every plant seed package, there are detailed instructions on how to grow herbs and veggies, incl. tips for cooking.  It’s a fabulous gift that will provide 24 days of fun and months of activities growing.  Buy this seed advent calendar for gardeners here.

Buy Herb and Veg Plot Markers As a Gift for Gardeners

These slate herb and veg plot markers are a great reusable gift for gardeners.  There are 20 pieces of slate with a soapstone chalk stick, so they can be reused time and again.  They’re a great reusable gift for gardeners – buy them here.

Slate Plot Markers

These elegant, but durable plant labels are a great way for gardeners to keep the garden organised.  Names and dates will all fit on the natural slate markets and the soapstone chalk won’t wear off in the rain but can be rubbed off by gently scrubbing under running water.  It makes a perfect gift and comes in a heavy-duty box to prevent breakages.  Buy this gorgeous reusable gardening gift here.

Growing Gifts for Veggie Gardeners

There’s nothing veggie gardeners like better than growing vegetables and these gift ideas are all about that.  Providing the vegetable gardener with gifts that do just that.  Grow vegetables. 

Mushroom Growing Kit as a Gift

A mushroom growing kit is a great gift for gardeners because you can grow mushrooms every month of the year.  Mushrooms like warm dark places.  So a cupboard is a great place to grow mushrooms and mushroom growing kits come with everything you need (apart from water) to grow mushrooms.  And to be fair once you’ve grown your own mushrooms it’s pretty hard to go back to buy mushrooms from anyone else. Check out our guide to mushroom growing kits here.

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Chestnut Mushroom Growing Kit

The Best Mushroom Growing Kit

This excellent Mushroom Growing kit from the folks at Merryhill Mushrooms is the perfect starter mushroom growing kit and it’s so easy to get started with full instructions

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Using a mushroom growing kit for beginners will get you started with ready to grow mushrooms quickly and easily. And they’re a pretty unique growing gift for gardeners. 

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Mushroom growing kits come with the material on which the mushrooms are going to grow – wood, soil etc. – as well as the spores for the mushrooms and details on what you’ll need to do in terms of watering, temperature requirements and also the best location for your mushroom growing kit.  Whether you buy a white mushroom growing kit or an oyster mushroom growing kit – it’s likely to be one of the more unique gifts for gardeners that you’ll find.  Buy this best buy mushroom growing kit here.

Chilli Growing Kit as a Gift

Chillies are such an easy fruit to grow and most of them can be grown indoors easily.  So they’re a great gift for gardeners, especially if you’re gifting during the darker months of the year.  Chilli plants will happily sit on a warm windowsill, in a conservatory, or the kitchen and cheer up the house no end.  They will, of course, cheer up taste buds too, so buying a chilli growing kit for a gardener is a great way to provide a present that they get joy out of for months if not years into the future.

This chilli growing kit is hand-packed by a family business in the North East of the UK and it focuses on super-hot chillies.  Four of the world’s hottest chilli varieties.  The kit comes with fabric grow bags, four sachets of seeds, four expanding coco coir potting soil disks, bamboo plant marker, chilli plant feed, a seed growing guide AND a wooden gift box planter with a drip tray too!  It’s a great gift for gardeners who want to try something different. Check it out and buy it now.

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The Best Chilli Growing Kit

This is the best general chilli growing kit you can get. It has a great slection of chilli seeds and includes all you need to get started growing chillies!

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Gift a Fruit Tree to a Gardener

I’d love an orchard.  In the absence of that, a few trees will do me and these mini fruit trees are a fabulous growing present for gardeners.  They’re all hardy potted plants and they’re specifically designed for small gardens and patios, balconies or terraces.  They’re easy to grow and will produce heavy crops of fruits.  Check out the options for gifting a fruit tree here.

Potted Mini Fruit Tree Collection, Apple, Pear, Cherry, Plum Ideal for Small Gardens & Patios, Heavy Cropping, Easy to Grow, 5 x Dwarf Fruit Tree Collection Plants in 9cm Pots by Thompson & Morgan

These five mini fruit trees come in 9 cm pots and with full instructions (and a 100% guarantee of your money back if you’re not satisfied) for how to care for the trees.  These mini fruit trees are a fantastic growing gift for gardeners. 

Buy a PolyTunnel or Greenhouse as a gift

By gifting a polytunnel or greenhouse to gardening friends and family what you’re presenting them with is an extension of their growing season and that is completely invaluable.  Greenhouses and polytunnels make a massive difference to what they can grow and when they can grow it.  If your gardening friends only have a small space, then a small budget greenhouse (that can be broken down and stored when not in use) is perfect – and this one here is a great option.  If they have more space, then we’ve covered some of the other mini-greenhouses available here.

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The Best Mini Greenhouse

This mini greenhouse is small, compact and easy to put up and store in the winter. It’s not expensive and its reasonably robust.

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For those gardeners in your life that have a little more space and are much more serious about growing fruit and veg, then polytunnels are an incredibly important garden tool.  The polythene cover heats up with the sun and warms the interior of the tunnel.  This creates a microclimate of humidity and hot air within the polytunnel.   

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BIRCHTREE 6M(L) x 3M(W) x 2M(H) Polytunnel Greenhouse Pollytunnel Poly Polly Tunnel Fully Galvanised Anti Rust Steel Frame 6 Section

The Best Polytunnel Kit

This polytunnel is a great starter kit for your first tunnel. It’s easy to construct, pretty robust and a good price too!

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They’re amazing, and I succumb to polytunnel envy regularly when I see people with much more gardening space than we have.  This is a fabulous great first polytunnel for beginners, and there are other options that we’ve covered in our guide to polytunnels here.

Gift Ideas for Veggie Growers Who Cook

Most of those of us who grow vegetables do so because we use those vegetables in the kitchen.  So there’s no need to limit looking at gifts for gardeners on the outside.  Let’s take a look at gift ideas for gardeners who cook too!  These gift ideas for gardeners are simple– and they’re items that I use every week, with produce from the garden. 

Buy a Food dehydrator as a gift for gardeners

Veggie gardeners often get gluts of fruit and veg.  It all comes at once (just try growing courgettes and you’ll see what I mean!) and then you have to figure out what to do with it quickly before it goes off.   Plus it’s also nice to be able to preserve some produce for months when the garden isn’t producing fresh stuff.

Dehydrating fruit and vegetables is a brilliant way to retain many of the nutrients, flavour and taste for up to a year after it’s been harvested!  And food dehydrators are both energy efficient and easy to use.  (we wrote about them here).

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The Best Food Dehydrator

This excellent food dehydrator is perfect for drying all your favourite fruits, vegetables and meats. It’s a great efficient machine.

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This is a fabulous food dehydrator to gift for the gardener who cooks.  Check it out now.

Buy a Jam Making Kit Gift for Gardeners

One of the best Christmas’s we had was the first year we had the allotment.  Everyone got homemade chutney’s, pickles and jams.  And they loved it.  The Tomato Relish was a particular success.  And so that’s why I know this is a fabulous gift for gardeners who cook A jam or chutney making kit with everything that veggie and fruit growers need to preserve their produce as relish, pickle, chutney or jam is a gift that they’ll use for years and years.  And if you buy this jam-making kit you’ll guarantee yourself a lifetime supply of gifted jams and chutneys back from your gardening friends too! This is our guide to jam-making kits.

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The Best Jam Making Kit

This superb jam and chutney making kit has everything you need for making homemade chutney and jam.

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Buy a Cheese Making Kit for Cooking Gardeners

Now while we don’t have our own on tap supply of milk we do eat a lot of cheese, and can’t always get hold of the type of cheese that we want to include in our cooking.  Paneer is an especial favourite.  And burrata.  And halloumi.  Oh, who am I kidding, it’s all great.  So when I was bought this cheese making kit a few years back it set me off on making my own cheese.  And I haven’t stopped since.

Sandy Leaf Farm Cheese Making Kit – Valentine Day Gift, Homemade, DIY Ricotta, Burrata, Goat, Mascarpone, and Mozzarella Cheese Making Kits for Beginners w/ Vegetarian Rennet & Cheese Cloth

It’s a fabulous introduction to making cheese, with recipes for five different types of cheese.  It doesn’t include any fresh ingredients, so it won’t go “off”, but it does include step by step instructions on how to make your own cheese.  So buy this cheese making kit for the cooking gardener in your life!

Unusual Gifts for Gardeners

So I think I’ve included some pretty darned useful gifts for gardeners so far and now it’s time to turn to the slightly more unusual gardening gifts.  These unusual presents for gardeners are ones that you probably wouldn’t think of for gardeners, some of them are a little out there, but they’re all fabulously useful gifts too.

Gift a Hedgerow Wine Making Kit

There’s only one thing better than giving wine as a gift and that’s giving someone the ability to make their own wine.  This genius gift doesn’t even require a garden.  Just a hedgerow and a bit of foraging.   Recipes include Apple (sour), Apricot, Aronia, Banana, Beetroot, Blackberry, Blackcurrant, Blueberry, Cherry, Crab Apple, Cranberry, Damson, Elderberry, Elderflower, Gooseberry, Grape, Greengage, Honey Mead, Loganberry, Loquat, Mango, Orange, Parsnip, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Plum, Raisin, Raspberries, Redcurrant, Rhubarb, Rose Petal, Rosehip, Rowanberry, Sloe, Strawberry.  It just requires fruit and a brewing container to make fruit wine!  It’s a great fun gift for those gardeners looking for something a little different.  Buy a winemaking kit now!

The kit is made in the UK and makes a perfect gift for foragers and gardeners alike.  Buy it here now!

Hydroponic Vegetable Starter Kit

You’re likely reading this as we head either into Autumn or Winter, which isn’t the best time for veggie gardeners.  It’s often wet, cold and miserable in the UK at this time of year and nothing much grows.  So the veggie gardener is either doing some maintenance, tidying up or planning what they might be doing in the garden when it starts to warm up in the Spring, which feels like a LONG TIME AWAY.

This gift idea for veggie growers means that they can grow vegetables year-round.  No matter what the outside weather.  It’s a hydroponic starter kit and it is truly fabulous.  Check it out now.

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The Best Hydroponic Starter Kit

This starter hydroponic kit gives you everything you need to start growing fruits and veg hydroponically. It’s small, neat and SERIOUSLY easy to use!

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Hydroponics is the method of growing plants without soil.   When you grow vegetables in the ground or in pots and containers they take their nutrients from the soil and the sun.  With a hydroponics system, those nutrients are dissolved in the water that the plant’s roots sit in.  It is much easier for a hydroponic plant to absorb the nutrients from water than it is from seeking the nutrients out in the soil.  They get nutrients also from integrated heat lamps.  This tends to mean that hydroponic plants grow bigger, and quicker.   There are a few hydroponic starter kits that we wrote about here), but if you want the TLDR option, then this one from IDOO is both affordable and very, very easy to use.  Buy this hydroponics starter system as a gift for veggie growers now and who knows maybe they’ll be offloading their fresh produce on you in a month or so!!

The Best Personalised Gifts for Gardeners

So far we’ve covered general but extremely useful gardening gifts, so now it’s onto personalised gardening gifts. These might be the gifts for gardeners who have everything, and who you want to surprise with perhaps an unusual gardening gift.

There are some fabulous unusual gardening gifts that can be personalised. Here is our favourite.

A Personalised Garden Trug Set for Gardeners

This unique gift really is unique to who you’re gifting it to.  Personalization means that the wooden handled tools are engraved with a name, or perhaps a message. This full gardening set includes a full antique wash finish willow basket with cream elasticated strapping.  Inside the trug is a Personalised fork, Personalised trowel, wooden markers, string and measuring dibber.  It’s a great looking personalised gift for gardeners.   Buy it now.

Personalised Gardening Gifts in Wicker Garden Trug – Personalised Gift for Dad Mum Nan Nanny Gift | Engraved Custom Gardening Tools Set Trowel Fork & Trug Basket

This personalised gardening gift is designed, made and engraved in the UK and it makes a fabulous gardening gift for any member of the family, friends or colleagues – buy your personalised gardening gifts here.

All our guides to the best garden equipment

• Our Garden Tools Essential List
• The best potting benches in the UK
• The best gardening gloves in the UK
• The best garden kneelers in the UK
• The best food dehydrators in the UK
• The best potato grow bags in the UK
• The best strawberry planters in the UK
• The best hydroponic starter kits in the UK
• The best gardening audiobooks for vegetable growers
• The best vegetable gardening books in the UK
• The best grow your own herbs kits in the UK
• The best expandable hoses in the UK
• The best compost bins in the UK
• The best polytunnel kits in the UK

Final Words on Useful Gifts for Vegetable Gardeners

Regardless of the budget, you have for the veggie gardener in your life, there’s a perfect veggie growers gift out there.  The best gardening gifts don’t have to cost a fortune, to be honest, the thought that you put into it is more important.  Find the gardener in your life something that they can grow or use to grow what they love growing and they’ll likely be happy.  Get the gardener in your life some of our presents for gardeners – like a useful gadget or tool that they can use to make their life easier and their veggies better in the garden and they’ll be ecstatic.   We hope you’ve found these handy gift ideas for vegetable gardeners useful!

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