Quick verdict
A reservoir tray and wicking system shaped to the V-base of the VegTrug Classic Small 1 metre trug, with a fill tube and funnel at the rim and a float indicator that shows the water level, so the trug draws water up to the roots by capillary action for days at a time and the gardener fills a tube instead of watering twice a day in July. A VegTrug dries out fast because it is shallow at the edges and raised in the air; the reservoir is the fix VegTrug owners ask for. It fits only the Classic Small 1m.
Strengths
- Keeps a VegTrug watered for days from a reservoir
- Float indicator shows when to refill
- Fill tube and funnel mean no disturbing the soil
- Even moisture stops overwatering and drying
- Shaped exactly to the Classic Small 1m base
Weaknesses
- Fits only the Classic Small 1m trug
- Must be fitted before the trug is filled with compost
- Reservoir needs emptying before frost
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
The Trug That Waters Itself
A VegTrug is a raised V-shaped bed on legs, and that shape, lovely for the back, dries out faster than any bed on the ground. In July it wants water twice a day. VegTrug’s self-watering kit is a reservoir tray shaped to the base of the Classic Small 1 metre trug, with wicking columns, a fill tube with a funnel at the rim and a float gauge, so the trug draws water from below for days between fills.
This review is based on the maker’s specifications and on how sub-irrigation reservoirs perform in raised planters generally. We have not used this kit ourselves.
Fitting
The kit goes in at the bottom before the liner and compost, so it is fitted to a new trug or one emptied for the purpose. Set the tray in the V, fit the fill tube up the side to the rim, position the float gauge, lay the liner and fill with compost. An afternoon for an empty trug, including refilling it.
How It Waters
The reservoir sits below the compost and the wicking columns are full of compost in contact with the water. As the surface dries, capillary action draws water up to the roots. The plants take what they need; nothing floods, because an overflow sets the maximum level. The float shows the level at the rim and the funnel takes a can of water in seconds, or a dose of liquid feed straight to the roots.
What Changes
Watering goes from daily to every few days in summer. Moisture is even across the trug instead of wet in the middle and dry at the shallow edges. Salads bolt less, tomatoes split less, and a long weekend away does not end in a dead trug.
Fit
Classic Small 1m only. The medium and large trugs and the Poppy and Wall Hugger shapes have their own kits. Check the trug model before ordering.
Winter
Drain the reservoir before frost or ice can crack the tray. Leave the fill tube open.
Who Should Buy It
- Classic Small 1m VegTrug owners tired of daily watering.
- Anyone who travels in summer.
- Gardeners starting a new trug who can fit it from the start.
Common Owner Complaints
Having to empty the trug to fit it. Do it in spring before planting.
Alternatives to Consider
A drip line on a timer for several trugs. Water-retaining granules in the compost. The matching kit for other VegTrug sizes.
Verdict
For the trug that dries out every afternoon, a reservoir underneath is the fix and this one is made for it. Fit it when the trug is empty, fill at the funnel and drain it before the frost.
Full specifications
VegTrug Self-Watering Kit for Classic Small 1m Raised Bed with Reservoir, Water Level Indicator, Fill Tube and Funnel FAQs
The tray holds water below the compost. Wicking columns draw it up by capillary action as the compost dries, so the roots take what they need and no more.
Several days in summer for a planted trug, longer in spring and autumn. The float shows the level at a glance.
Only by emptying the trug. The kit sits at the base under the liner and compost.
No. The compost sits above the water line and draws up only by wicking; an overflow prevents flooding.
