Heirloom Planter | Passive hydroponic aluminium kratky pot
$34.99 - $74.99
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questions about the Heirloom Planter
Quick answers before you buy. Still unsure? Our Sydney team is happy to help.
1 year warrantyIf anything goes wrong in the first year, we'll arrange a repair, replacement or refund.
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description
the heirloom planter | passive hydroponic growing, no soil and no pumps
the heirloom planter is about as easy as growing gets. It's a passive hydroponic pot, so your plant grows in water rather than soil, with no pumps and no power, you just top up the water now and then.
It's made from recyclable aluminium, comes in 2L and 10L sizes, and looks at home on a sunny windowsill or bench.
water it once a quarter, near enough
Because it grows in water, looking after it is simple: top up the reservoir when it runs low and add a little liquid nutrient. Hydroponics uses around 95% less water than growing in soil, so this is about as close to set-and-forget as gardening gets. As the water level drops, the roots above the waterline take in oxygen, which keeps your plant healthy.
no soil, just roots and water
There's no soil and no mess. Your plant starts in a small growing medium no bigger than a shot glass, and its roots grow down into the reservoir where water and nutrients are already waiting. The enclosed pot creates a warm, humid little microclimate that roots love.
faster, bigger harvests
Hydroponics outgrows soil just about every time. The nutrients are already dissolved in the water, so your plant doesn't waste energy hunting for food through the soil. That energy goes into growing instead, which means stronger, faster, bigger plants.
easy to start, and built to last
With so few moving parts, it's genuinely easy to get going. Around 6 hours of direct sun a day is enough for most herbs and leafy greens, and with 9 or more you can grow beans, tomatoes, even chillies. And when it eventually reaches the end of its life, the aluminium is fully recyclable.
Curious how it works? The Heirloom Planter uses the Kratky method, explained in our guide to types of hydroponic systems. See also what you can grow in a hydroponic garden.
heirloom planter instructions
It's so easy you can be growing in under 30 seconds.
- Put the rockwool cube in the silicone net cup (both provided in the 2L and 10L kits).
- Plant the seed of your choice in the rockwool.
- Insert the barbs of the net cup into the lid.
- Fill the planter with water almost to the very top.
- Add the plant nutrients provided.
- Pop the lid on the planter, and you're growing.
The heirloom planter uses a passive system, so there are no pumps or airstones to worry about. As the water level drops, the roots above the waterline absorb oxygen. For best results, wait until the water drops to around 10% of the pot's height before refilling to about half.
For step-by-step detail, see our digital heirloom planter manual.
specifications
What's included:
- heirloom planter and lid
- silicone net cup (food-safe and antibacterial)
- rockwool cube
- hydroponic nutrients (the amount depends on whether you choose the 2L or 10L planter)
- instructions
how it works
As your plant grows it uses up the water, and as the level falls the roots grow downward to chase it. The part of the root system left in the air above the water takes in oxygen, which keeps the plant healthy. Because the pot is enclosed, the warmth around it builds a high-humidity microclimate that's ideal for strong root and plant growth.
All of your plant's food comes from the nutrient solution included with the planter. Hydroponic nutrients hold every essential mineral a plant needs, already dissolved in the water, so your plant can take them up without spending energy searching the way it would in soil. The result is stronger, healthier growth.
What warranty do gathera products come with?
How do plants grow in hydroponics without soil?
I kill every plant. Will I be able to keep a hydroponic garden alive?
Is food grown hydroponically safe to eat?
Does the Heirloom Planter need a pump or power?
Is the Heirloom Planter safe to use outdoors in direct sun?
Warranty & returns
We offer change of mind returns on all products, and a 1 year warranty on all electrical goods. We're also so confident in your success, that we have a 60 day seed guarantee, and will replace any seeds that don't grow free of charge!
Buying with Gathera gives you access to our community and all our range of special resources to help you grow:
- Access to our community page.
- Horticulture experts on hand to help you out.
- You're buying into an ecosystem – need to replace a pump, light, netcup or other component? We have replacements available so that you don't have to ditch your whole system when one small thing breaks..
- We sell the stuff you need to feed your gardens - nutrients, seeds, growth mediums.
- Comprehensive FAQs.
L
With a reduction in mouths to feed, I have just repurposed my Family Farm to house 4 x 2L heirloom planters on the top shelf for zero-maintenance salad and leafy greens. I like the look of this setup - there will be a lot more airflow around the plants than the old basins had provided, and less competition for light, and I expect quite infrequent topping up of water/nutrients will be required. I also removed the middle shelf of the FF, and suspended a trellis in the gap ready for me to set up a couple of 10L planters and try my hand at tomatoes using the double-height space.
Thank you so much for your kind review. Great to hear your storey and see the confidence and ease of using @gathera products! Thanks again Lorriane and all the best ! Happy growing !
J
I planted some chilli seeds 12 days ago and today I saw the first sign of life! Super excited to see my plant grow 🌶️ 🌱
A
Very happy with purchase!
Thank you for the review and happy growing
M
It’s been 3 months, 3 different seed varieties and 2 locations. So far I've only managed to grow algae.
Hopefully something grows at some point, but It’s been disappointing so far.
B
Looks great - bought as a gift - will update when the recipent gets it and tells me.
R
I love this planter I know I will enjoy using them ,I have just planted my tomato's so I watch with anticipation to see how it goes , thanks for such an ingenious invention, 😍
Thanks for the review. Enjoy your growing!
C
I started my broccoli and spinach in the early model sun garden and transferred them to the planters when their root systems were established. They’re growing well and will provide ample greens for quite some time.
The sun shelf works well too for getting seedlings ready to put in the planters, or even out in soil beds. The big plus is the lack of pests and vinegar flies.
Lovely to hear and Happy growing Claire. Thank you for the review
J
No complaints regarding quality, very happy with them considering I bought at a 50% discount. Full priced may be a bit high for what they are.
thank you for the reivew
M
I was excited to try these. Planted who different type of seeds and nothing grew, they both rotted. I'm going to try it with a cutting or something.
So sorry to hear you had a bad experience. Reach out to our customer support team and we'd be happy to refund the seeds or set you up with some new ones so you can try again. As with all plants there's a bit of a learning curve, but with hydro once you get things going you can get great results!
A
Very pleased with these pots . So easy to set up. Will be fascinating if plants in these grow faster than those under the sun Patch Congratulations on simple, indestructible products!
Thanks for the kind review - glad you like them!
N
Such amazing quality for a planter pot and I love that I save time with less frequent waters! These are amazing - would highly recommend.
Thank you so much for the review Nakisah!!
K
After using my Heirloom Planters for a few weeks now I can say that I do like them however something helpful would be a low water indicator of some sort. The water went down more quickly than I was expecting so I lost a strawberry plant because it dried out. With the 2 litre planters at least the lids come off easily to check but with the 10 litre planter it’s harder to get off, especially when you have a tall tomato plant with a wire support holding it up. It was quite fiddly to get that one off so a low water indicator would really help.
A
I couldn’t get my original seeds to germinate, so I used a seedling and I have cucumbers, a strawberry, capsicum and just ordered 3 more 2L planters. They are very stylish looking as well
Thanks for the lovely review - glad you like all 7 of them!
G
These pots are a great entry to hydro, with a self contained reservoir that barely needs attention.
Looks are a bonus for such a practical item, great but of design from the Gathera team ❤️
Thank youso much for the kind review!
L
Best ever but would like to g8ve an open ended review for the best of the best.
Thank you for such a kind review!
M
It's a great product and easy to use and set up
I've finally got a seedling comming through as I think it took a while due to the weather here in Tasmania
I do like them and would like to get more products like the sun lamp and more heirloom planters too
I do recommend these heirloom planters as they are easy and not alot of work compared to outdoor with soil
And not heavy either I can lift them full with water and they are light
Thanks for the lovely review!
M
I found the lid so tight I nearly took off a finger trying to remove it. Adding water when it is required is going to be a nightmare. I had to turn the pot on its side and press the bowl to remove the lid. I can't imagine the destruction it will cause to anything growing in the pot if i have to do this each time it needs water. Instructions are a bit vague. I couldn't find cage spikes and had to guess that one. And finding the nutrients specific to growing tomatoes isn't there.
Hi Marilyn,
Thanks for your feedback, we're so sorry that you've had a poor experience with our pot lid! They're made to be tight enough to not fly off in the wind - while also being able to not tip over under the weight of the plant. As you only need to water every few months, we deemed it more important to make the lid secure.
There's a little trick to taking the lid off easily, which is to get your fingers under the location of one of the three notches in the lid which are used to secure the lid, and then just pull up. If you lift between two of the notches it's slightly harder as it squeezes the notch in tighter.
We'll add this to our manuals the next time around for extra clarity. As a design-led company we're always trying to improve our products.
Regarding cage spikes - we sadly don't sell these as they're incredible cheap and readily available from most hardware stores. Shipping them across the country is expensive and wasteful for everyone when for most people they're just a short trip away from home!
L
These are well made, well packaged, price was good and delivery was quick. Plants are growing well so far. Probably buy more
Thanks so much for the kind review, glad you've liked your experience with the Heirloom planter!
C
Love the sleep look and the ease of using them, mine have just sprouted a few days after getting the seeds in, can’t wait to see how they continue to grow!
Thank you the review Christie, we can't wait to hear from you. Happy gardening!
V
Excellent service and good idea to grow vegetable in the Heirloom planter indoor , also it's good quality product, have not used yet.Thanks
Thanks so much for the kind review - glad you love the quality and are keen to get growing!
K
They are perfect! Aesthetically pleasing, in both green and white. Easy to use. Exceptional customer service. Quick delivery. Will be buying many many more.
Thanks so much for the amazing review! Glad that you're a big fan of the heirloom planter - and looking forward to seeing that army of heirloom planters!
M
Seed didn’t germinate on first attempt
Hi Matt, thanks so much for the review.
I'm sorry your seeds didnt germinate. We don't think its fair to give a one star review based on the seed not germinating. If growing just one seed in one rockwool cube, there is not much margin for error which can be difficult when there can be so much variation in seed quality and growing conditions.
If you bought the seeds from us we'd be happy to set you up with some new ones free of charge, and hopefully turn your poor experience into a good one!
L
Love the look of it so easy to set up. Hoping to buy the larger one on the future.