Quick verdict
A pair of straight panels and the hardware to add a 41 inch section to a Vego Garden Modern 17 inch tall bed, in the same double-walled powder-coated galvanised steel and the same Umber Brown finish, so a bed that was 4 by 4 becomes 4 by 7 and a 4 by 7 becomes 4 by 10 without starting again. Vego beds are modular by design and the extension kit is the module; the panels bolt to the existing ones with the same rounded safety corners and the insulation of the double wall carries on. Match the height and the colour and the join is invisible.
Strengths
- Lengthens an existing Vego Modern 17 inch bed by 41 inches
- Same double-walled galvanised steel and powder coat
- Umber Brown matches the bed colour
- Bolts to the existing panels with the same hardware
- Rounded corners; no sharp edges
Weaknesses
- Fits the Vego Modern 17 inch tall line only
- Colour must match or the join shows
- An extended bed needs the soil and the liner extended too
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
The Bed Was Too Short. It Need Not Stay That Way
Every raised bed is too small by the second season. A timber bed is rebuilt; a Vego bed is extended. The Modern line is modular panels bolted together, and this kit is two more 17 inch tall panels in Umber Brown that add 41 inches to the length of an existing bed, with the hardware to bolt them in.
This review is based on the maker’s specifications and on how the Vego modular system assembles generally. We have not fitted this kit ourselves.
Fitting
Dig the soil back from one end of the bed and unbolt the end panel. Bolt the two extension panels to the exposed side panels so the bed continues in a straight line, then bolt the end panel back on at the new end. Check the top edge runs level, fit a cross brace rod if the bed is now longer than about 6 feet, extend the liner if one was used and fill the new section. An afternoon with a socket set.
Match
The panels are the same double-walled 0.8 inch galvanised steel with the same powder coat, and in the same colour the join is a seam like every other. Order the colour name on the bed; Umber Brown is the warm dark brown. A different colour or height does not match and the kits for those exist.
Double Wall
A single sheet of metal in sun heats the soil against it and bakes roots at the edge. The air gap in a double wall insulates, which is the Vego argument and the reason the extension is built the same way rather than as a cheaper single panel.
Bracing
Wet soil pushes outward and a long side bows. Past about 6 feet a cross brace holds the sides parallel; Vego sells the rods and a long bed wants one per 4 feet.
Beyond One Extension
Two kits make a 4 by 10 bed, and the same panels reconfigure into an L or a U when the garden changes. That is what modular means.
Who Should Buy It
- Vego Modern 17 inch bed owners who want more length.
- Gardeners planning a long bed in stages.
- Anyone reshaping a bed into an L or U.
Common Owner Complaints
Bowing on long beds without a brace. Fit the rods.
Alternatives to Consider
A second complete Vego bed beside the first. Extension kits in other heights and colours. A brace rod kit to go with this one.
Verdict
For a Vego bed that outgrew its length, the extension kit is the designed answer and it matches exactly in height and colour. Unbolt the end, bolt in the panels, brace the long side and fill.
Full specifications
Vego Garden 17 Inch Tall 41 Inch Wide Extension Kit for Modern Raised Garden Beds, Umber Brown FAQs
Empty the end of the existing bed, unbolt the end panel, bolt the two extension panels in line with the sides and refit the end panel at the new length. Add a brace rod if the bed is long. Refill.
The Vego Modern line at 17 inches tall, in the matching colour. Other Vego heights and lines have their own kits.
The air gap insulates the soil from sun on the metal, so roots at the edge do not cook in July or freeze in April as they do against a single sheet.
Beds over about 6 feet want a cross brace to stop the long sides bowing under wet soil. Vego sells the rods.
