AllotMate Essentials

We've been starting tomatillos, peppers, and even chickpeas in this, and the difference a covered, self-watering propagator makes to germination rates is hard to overstate. The right humidity, the right moisture, without you checking on it twice a day. Exotic or heirloom varieties especially benefit from that consistent environment early on.

Three seasons in and we're still reaching for these first. Our preferred method is to sit the halo on the soil surface and mound a little extra compost in the centre, which gives climbing plants like tomatoes and aubergines a slightly raised, supported start. Simple idea, genuinely clever bit of kit.

They're bright yellow and pink for a reason: you will not lose them. A quick snip of a wayward vine or a yellowing leaf makes a real difference to how a plant channels its energy, and having snips you can actually find means you do it more often. That's really the whole trick.

It's in the name, but it bears repeating: self-watering. During the busier summer months when watering schedules slip, this keeps things ticking. The vertical structure is also a proper space-saver, and for climbing plants it means you're not bodging together a makeshift frame mid-July.