Description
Precise, even heat for seeds and cuttings – with room to grow upwards
The Vitopod Propagator is Greenhouse Sensation's modular, height-adjustable propagator, made in England from UV-resistant acrylic on a recycled-plastic base. The heated models carry a digital thermostat with a probe that sits in the compost and holds any temperature from 5°C to 30°C in 1°C steps, while tightly packed elements spread heat evenly across the whole base. Choose the Small (about 60 x 60cm, 50W heated, six half seed trays or 25 pots) or the Large (111 x 59cm, 100W heated, twelve half seed trays or 55 pots), heated or unheated, and add 15cm extra layers as plants grow – turning it into a mini greenhouse for hardening off and overwintering. It has been named a BBC Gardeners' World Best Buy and Grow Your Own magazine's Most Innovative Product.
Key Benefits
- Accurate temperature control – set any 1°C step between 5°C and 30°C; the compost probe switches heat on only when the root zone needs it
- Even heat, no cold corners – the whole base warms evenly, so every tray germinates and roots at the same pace
- Humidity you can control – large butterfly vents in the lid and sides release condensation without lifting the lid, guarding against damping off
- Grows with your plants – each extra layer adds 15cm, and layers stack up to 11 high without wobble thanks to a stabilising notch
- Built to last – acrylic lid and sides treated against UV yellowing and brittleness
- Two sizes, heated or unheated – 50W Small and 100W Large heated models, or unheated versions for hardening off
Slow, Patchy Germination and Damping Off
Seed sown on a cold windowsill or greenhouse bench comes up slowly and unevenly, and cuttings can sit for weeks without rooting. Cheap heated trays add hot spots that dry one corner while another stays cold, and a sealed lid traps condensation that ends in damping off. The Vitopod gets the three things that matter at this stage right – a steady root-zone temperature, even heat across every tray and humidity you can vent a little at a time – so seedlings and cuttings build root development faster and move on with less transplant shock. The unheated Vitopod gives the same vented, humid cover for hardening off in an unheated greenhouse, polytunnel or sheltered spot outdoors.
How to Use
- Set up the base on a level surface and fit the clear lid; on heated models plug in the thermostat
- Place the probe in the compost of a tray or pot so the thermostat reads the root zone, then set the temperature your seeds or cuttings need
- Vents: keep them closed while seeds germinate and cuttings root, then open them gradually as roots form
- Add height: lift off the lid, drop an extra layer onto the base and refit the lid – each layer adds 15cm
- Harden off: open the vents a little more each day, then take the lid off by day and finally at night before planting out
- Indoors: where daylight is short, hang a propagation light above the clear lid
Technical Specifications
- Heated power: Small 50W; Large 100W
- Thermostat: digital, 5–30°C in 1°C steps, compost probe sensor (heated models)
- Small, single height: approx. 60 x 60 x 27cm heated; 60 x 60 x 25.5cm unheated
- Large, single height: approx. 111 x 59 x 27cm heated; 111 x 59 x 25.5cm unheated
- Capacity: Small – 6 half seed trays or 25 pots; Large – 12 half seed trays or 55 pots
- Extra layers: 15cm (6in) tall, clear panels with butterfly vents; fit the same-size Vitopod, heated or unheated; stack up to 11 high
- Vents: adjustable butterfly vents in the lid and sides
- Materials: UV-resistant acrylic lid and sides, treated against yellowing; recycled-plastic base
- Made in: England by Greenhouse Sensation
- Awards: BBC Gardeners' World Best Buy; Grow Your Own magazine Most Innovative Product
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the heated and unheated Vitopod?
The heated Vitopod has a heated base (50W Small, 100W Large) and a digital thermostat with a compost probe, for germinating seed and rooting cuttings. The unheated Vitopod is the same vented acrylic cover on a plain base, used for hardening off and protecting young plants in a greenhouse, polytunnel or sheltered spot.
Do the extra layers fit both the heated and unheated models?
Yes. A Small extra layer fits any Small Vitopod and a Large extra layer fits any Large Vitopod, heated or unheated. Each layer is 15cm tall and sits between the base and the lid.
How tall can the Vitopod go?
The layers stack up to 11 high without wobbling, thanks to a stabilising notch – enough to overwinter plants up to about 1.5m tall with the lid still on.
Is the thermostat included?
Yes, on the heated models. It comes with a probe that you push into the compost, so the base heats to the root-zone temperature you set rather than guessing from the air.
Can I use it indoors?
Yes. The clear acrylic lid lets light through, so on a bench or shelf indoors you can hang a low-heat propagation light above it to make up for short days.
Works Well With
