Self watering pots have a lot of downsides, but I find myself with several decorative plastic ones that I want to find a use for. What sort of plants thrive in these pots? What have you had luck with?
I don’t understand the issues surrounding bottom watering pots with a wick.
I have a number of succulents in them, and of course the usual unkillable Pothos. I partially/fully fill the bottom part (Depending on it’s carrying capacity) once every 2+ weeks and for the succulents they’re good to go. Saves me A LOT of effort doing the usual bottom watering process of putting the pots in a large container of water until the water saturates the soil.
Can someone go into detail on the downsides of such pots?
I have balcony plants in them - petunias, basil, some outdoor begonias, chives.
I have only killed plants in self watering pots (with soil). Semi hydroponic is the way in these pots as far as I’m concerned. Pothos worked pretty good for me.
I had success with a marble queen pothos. Right after I re-potted it in the self-watering pot, it had a big growth spurt and doubled in size over the last 3 months. Used a soil mixture with mostly perlite, which may have helped aerate the soil without needing to let it dry out.
I only use self watering pots for plants that don’t like to dry out. In fact, the only way I have been able to get ferns to survive is to have them in self watering pots. Currently, I have a maidenhair fern and an alocasia polly plant in self watering pots and they are doing great. Make sure you get self watering pots that have a reservoir and wick; I find that these keep the soil more consistently moist. Absolutely do not put succulents or cactus in self-watering pots.
