I recently made a self watering container from a 5 gallon bucket. It had a small resevior for water under the soil with an opening at the top where you can add water. I used Styrofoam cups perforated and cut, then place together as well as bricks to create the resevoir. There is an overflow hole, but since the soil is all around the resevoir(for the wicking) I doubt it will serve much purpose.

I put a squash plant in there and it is almost completely dead after just a few days.... I thought these self watering containers were the 2nd best thing for plants other than being in the ground. Am I wrong? Or is it just not a good idea for squash plants? The leaves have white spots all over them and the flowers have fallen off :(. It is obviously in a miserable state. Should I just plant the others in regular buckets after all?