Category: Product Information

 

The Maxikap self-watering planter is an easy to use, low-maintenance, simple way to grow just about anything. The system is half hydro-culture and half soil, featuring a 40 L reservoir for water & nutrients with a bag of sterilied soil-less media sitting on top. Many vegetables grow extremely well in these boxes, including tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, melons, and more. Since the boxes only need to be refilled every 1-2 weeks, many of our customers use these boxes for annual flowers at cottages or at home if they travel frequently (or if they tend to forget to water!).

Set-up Instuctions

The starter maxikap kit consists of the styrofoam box, liner, float ball, a bag of soil, and a litre of fertiliser.

Step 1 : Line the bottom half of the styrofoam box with the liner bag.

Step 2: Place the lid on the box

Step 3: Drop the float ball into the corner hole

Step 4: Place the soil bag on top. Cut the top of the bag either into 3 openings (as shown on the bag) or one large opening. Feel through the bag for 3 cylinders and cut through the bag to allow soil into them. Push soil tightly into all 3 cylinders.

Step 5: Plant a large plant (such as a tomato) into each of the cylinders.  If you are planting something with a more aggressive root system such as a cucumber, plant one on each end cylinder only and leave the middle cylinder unfilled. You can plant smaller plants such as herbs or lettuce in the surrounding soil. Do not push soil into the smaller holes, as they are for air flow.

Step 6: Water the plants from the top once, to allow soil to settle around the roots. Fill the resevoir with water (about 40L) after adding 160ml of maxikap fertiliser. You’re done!

Maintainence

Fill the box about once a week during hot weather, and every two weeks during more overcast periods, or if the box has been exposed to rain (which fills the reservoir). When you add water, lift up the side of the bag which is above the hold containing the red float ball. Judge how high up the ball is sitting and add the appropriate amount of fertiliser (for example, 80ml for a half-full box).

Year-end Cleanup

At the end of the growing season, prune the remaining plant material and add it to your compost pile (assuming it is free of fungus and bugs, in which case you should discard it). Mix the maxikap soil bag into your garden beds as a soil amendment and purchase a new bag in the spring. We advise that you  do not use the bag two years in a row, especially if you are growing members of the nightshade family (such as tomatoes and eggplant), which can be prone to sharing soil-borne diseases. Some customers with several maxikaps use the bag for vegetables one season, flowers the following season, and then discard the bag at the end of the second season.

 

Garden Retreat sells a number of high quality all-season  greenhouses for your backyard or acreage. The “Halls” brand greenhouse kits are perfect for city backyards and come with 4.5 mm polycarbonate panels. Custom BC Greenhouses usually come with double walled  6mm polycarbonate, but you have the option of glass or a 5-walled 16 mm poly as well.

Polycarbonate looks much like corrugated cardboard and is mostly clear. We recommend this material for Calgary because it is good at withstanding hail damage, and it diffuses light evenly (rather than the magnifying effect of glass).

One side of the sheet is covered in a thin plastic film that is UV protected, so be sure to install this side facing the sun. Peel off the film and mark that side with a sharpie. If the panel ever pops out or if you remove it for any reason, you’ll know which side faces out.

 

 

Dimensions and Pricing of Bulk Greenhouse Coverings:

Item	Description	Sold by
4.5 mm polycarbonate	2’ wide sheets Sheets come in even lengths from 8’ – 16’ Used for replacement panels for Halls Backyard Greenhouse Kits	square foot
6 mm polycarbonate	2’ or 4’ wide sheets Sheets come in even lengths from 8’ – 16’	square foot
8 mm polycarbonate	2’ or 4’ wide sheets Sheets come in even lengths from 8’ – 16’	square foot
6 mil flexible poly	Comes on a bulk roll, 20’ wide, lasts 3-5 years	lineal foot

 

Custom polycarbonate sheet cutting is available but requires 2-3 days notice for pickup.

If you are building your own greenhouse frame and buying panels, you will need the 8 mm panels and the appropriate extrusions to attach the panels to the frame.

 

“Small h”	Attaches a panel to the end piece of the frame, 8mm only	lineal foot
“Large H”	Connects two panels,6 mm and 8 mm	lineal foot

 

For additional technical information, please see this document (pdf): Polycarbonate Info. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions as well.

 

 

Fact Sheet

 

With only simple care and maintenance, your Henri fountain will provide years of pleasure and beauty. The Henri Fact Sheet offers basic guidelines for the seasonal care and maintenance of your fountain. Your local Henri dealer will be glad to help you with further inquiries. You can also visit our web site for product information at www.henristudio.com.

 

 

General Maintenance

 

Each Henri fountain comes complete with pump, connections and specific instructions. Please refer to those separate fountain instructions for installation and assembly of your fountain.

 

All Henri fountains recirculate water using a submersible pump located within the unit. The pump should be plugged into a GFCI receptacle only. To avoid damage to the pump, your fountain should never be allowed to run dry. Please refer to separate pump instructions for further information on pump care and maintenance.  To avoid continually plugging and unplugging your fountain, you may wish to add a Henri Remote Control, available from your local Henri dealer or at www.henristudio.com.

 

Henri fountains are handmade of premium cast stone, and are most often finished with either penetrating stains or sealer-type paints. Often, various relic and antique looks are then created by hand for a rich appearance. Henri Studio offers a wide range of beautiful, trend-setting finishes, which will weather and age gracefully over the years to unique effect. Your fountain may also be in natural, unfinished cast stone.

 

Should you choose to refinish your fountain after a number of years, your local Henri dealer can provide you with a Henri Refinishing Kit. For finishes using matte or clear sealers, Henri Sealer Spray is an effective treatment. And, to protect the appearance of products finished in Henri Relic Stains, use Henri Relic Sealer. Henri care products are available from your local Henri dealer, or at www.henristudio.com.

 

To camouflage minor nicks, dings and scratches, use a dab of virtually any similarly-colored paint. For finishes that have a black or dark antique effect, use black paint; for lighter antiques, use white. Simply dab the paint onto the scratch, and wipe off the excess as you blend it into the surface for a virtually invisible touch up.

 

Henri’s Relic Stains create a rich and complex look that is unique to each Henri fountain. These finishes are etched into the cast stone surface. Due to the initial release of salts released from the cast stone by these penetrating stains, your fountain water may have a yellow or green tinge when initially filled. The green color will gradually disappear and the water will eventually clear as the fountain water cycles through normal evaporation and refilling.

 

Depending upon temperature and evaporation, you may encounter a build up of white residue on the surfaces of your fountain. This is unavoidable in areas with high mineral content, especially calcium and lime, in the local water supply. More frequent rinsing of the fountain and replacement of the water will help to minimize this occurrence. To remove lime buildup, use Henri Lime Remover, available from your local Henri dealer or at www.henristudio.com. This surface cleaner is designed to foam away lime deposits without damaging the cast stone surface. Be sure to follow all cleaning directions on the bottle.

 

To help keep fountain water clear from sludge, algae and cloudiness, use Henri Water Clarifier. Henri Water Clarifier also helps to prevent fountain water from becoming dirty, and improves submersible pump efficiency. To protect the finish, pumps, and tubing, do NOT use chlorine or harsh chemicals such as TSP or CLR to clean or clear the water.

 

 

Winter Care

 

The quality of Henri cast stone is legendary. Henri Studio has been refining its proprietary process and mix for over fifty years, and your Henri fountain or décor item has been manufactured from only the finest materials for resistance to weather.

 

Extreme and rapid changes in temperature and humidity affect all cast stone adversely. Cast stone has an inherent tendency to expand and contract with climatic conditions, as evidenced by the expansion joints engineered into concrete sidewalks and driveways. Although normal surface shrinkage cracks may occasionally appear, crumbling and cracking can be avoided if you:

 

●Do not allow water to collect and freeze in fountain bowls and shells.

●Do not allow water to collect and freeze in planters and birdbaths.

●Do not allow statuary or pedestals to sit in a pool of ice.

 

Cast stone products left exposed to icy conditions may shale or crack due to the mechanical force of water solidifying and expanding against the concrete surface.  If indoor storage of your Henri fountain, birdbath, planter, statue or bench during cold-weather winters is not possible, you must protect it from ice collection and exposure.

 

To protect your Henri cast stone fountain for sub-freezing winters, first drain the water from all receptacles and allow them to air dry for at least a week. Then fill the fountain bowls with absorbent material, such as blankets or burlap, to absorb any condensation that may form inside the cover and turn to ice. Cover the entire unit with a Henri Fountain Cover, available from your local Henri dealer or from www.henristudio.com. Durable Henri Fountain Covers are shaped and sized for Henri fountains, and feature a convenient bottom draw string to secure the fit. To protect birdbaths and planters that cannot be brought indoors, set the pieces on high ground to avoid their standing in ice, and cover.

 

 

 

 

© 2012, Stonecasters LLC

One-Year Limited Warranty

 

This consumer warranty extends to the original consumer purchase of any Henri Studio brand product manufactured by Stonecasters LLC (herein referred to as the “product”).

 

Warranty Duration: This product is warranted to the original consumer purchaser for a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase.

 

Warranty Coverage: Stonecasters LLC warrants to the original consumer purchaser that any product of its manufacture is free from defects in material and workmanship. This warranty is void if the product has been damaged by accident, unreasonable use, negligence, improper service, failure to follow the instructions provided with the product, or other causes not arising our of defects in material or workmanship. Stonecasters LLC is not responsible for products cracked or damaged due to exposure to freezing temperatures. This warranty shall not apply in any manner to parts or accessories not manufactured by Stonecasters LLC.

 

Warranty Performance: During the above one year warranty period, Stonecasters LLC shall repair or replace with a comparable model any product, or component thereof, which may prove defective under normal use and proper care, and which our examination shall disclose to our satisfaction to be thus defective when the product is returned, shipping to and from freight prepaid to Stonecasters LLC, 1250 Henri Drive, Wauconda IL 60084. Other than the shipping requirement, no other charge will be made for repair or replacement of in-warranty products. Stonecasters LLC recommends that you ensure the product for value prior to shipping.

 

Warranty Disclaimers: Any implied warranties arising out of this sale, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, are limited in duration to the above one year period. Stonecasters LLC shall not be liable for loss of use of the product or other consequential or incidental costs, expenses or damages incurred by the consumer for any other use. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties or consequential or incidental damages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you.

 

Legal Remedies: This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you also have other rights which may vary from state to state.