FAQ

We LOVE questions! It helps us help you.

Every person and every Patch is different: different lighting, different climate, different water quality, etc. and we've created this technology with these differences in mind. Answered here are some of your most frequently asked questions:

How big are the Herb Planters?
The planter is 12”x6”x6”, holds 4 liters of soil and the water reservoir holds 2 liters of water. When flat packed the Herb Planter is only 12”x6”x1” making for easy shipping and storage.

What is the Patch herb planter made of?
The Patch herb planter body is made with Tyvek (a HDPE), which has all the properties of paper film and fabric. It’s fully recyclable, washable, and stain resistant. The interior components are made of PP #5. All of these components are fully recyclable.

How does it “self water”? What is sub irrigation?
The Patch planters “self water” by using a technique called sub irrigation, which allows the water to enter the soil through capillary action; essentially the same process by which a paper towel, or sponge soaks up water.
This process ensures the plants in your Patch always have the perfect amount of water. All you have to do is make sure there is water in the reservoir. Easy!

How often do I need to add water?
Once a week will be more than sufficient in the early stages of growth. Once the plant is mature and quite large you may need to add water to the reservoir every 2-3 days particularly if it is quite hot.

What type of soil (growing medium) should I put in my Patch?
The best and really only type of soil (or as the pros say “growing medium”) to use in your Patch is called Potting Mix. Potting mix is defined as “Contains No Soil (Dirt)”, and is a sterile mix which may contain a combination of sphagnum moss, perlite and vermiculite. Potting Mix has particles larger than soil to allow the flow of water and air in the container. Potting Mixes drain well while still retaining sufficient water for plants. There are several types of potting mix commercially available, and they will all work in your Patch! If you have specific questions we welcome your inquiry to hello@letspatch.com

What can I grow in my Patch?
You can grow what you eat. With this self-watering technology you can grow edibles, particularly high-value crops that spoil easily. We’ve started out with basic culinary herbs as a way for us to launch this easy DIY system and will be releasing more growing options in the near future (think salads, peppers, cucumbers and more!). So, what do we recommend that you grow? Grow anything that loves moisture and doesn’t need too much depth for this 6” planter. The self-watering action of the Patches ensure that the climate inside of your Patch holds and retains enough moisture to feed and water the roots of plants you are growing. Sub-irrigation means lots of moisture, so we encourage our growers to stick with herbs and edibles that like this environment. Culinary herbs grow really well, as do leafy greens and kale.

What can’t I grow?
We do not recommend growing flowers in your Patches, unless they are nasturtiums or other edible flowers. Why? Because we believe that this thoughtfully designed growing system can do more than just grow pretty blossoms – it can feed you and your family! Take advantage of this hyper-local growing power!

Of the all the herbs in the culinary spectrum we can plant almost all of them, but we have discovered that the follow two don’t play nice with our planters, reasons listed below:

Rosemary – is NOT RECOMMENDED for Patch planters
Though Rosemary is a common favourite and the herb pairs well with pork chops, poultry, and even fish, (especially when grilled) and is versatile enough for vegetarians to enjoy the herb in potatoes, it requires too DRY a climate for your Patch planter. Because the planters create a moist climate for root growth and Rosemary likes it dry, we have found that Rosemary works best top-watered environment– not in sub-irrigated planters like the Patch. We don’t want to discriminate against any of our herb-y friends, but Rosemary likes it just a little too dry for our tastes. Super good in cookies though!

Sage – is NOT RECOMMENDED for Patch planters
Sage naturally occurs in desert-like climates. Our Patch self-watering technology creates more of damp and moisture saturated climate, not ideal to help Sage thrive. While sage is a good herb to pair with foods traditionally considered heavy, rich, and creamy, like meats (sausages!) and certain dairy products such as cream (ravoli with sage cream sauce anyone?); it doesn’t pair so well with our self-watering/sub-irrigated system. We love sage, but it doesn’t grow well with moisture! Try some basil!