Hi Sara,
I'm one of the people who distain clay and ceramic pots. My main reason is weight. I grow on a plant stand and if I had a dozen plants in clay pots on a shelf it might be too heavy and collapse the shelf. In addition to the weight problem there is the problem of a clay pot destroying the leaf stems by rubbing against the rim. Many have solved this by dipping the rims in parafin but why bother when a plant will be happier in a clean plastic pot with a curved rim. This plus the fact that tub pots are available in all sizes and not in clay makes me wonder why anyone would want to grow in clay now.
Fred in NJ

Hi, Sara,

One of the things that is needed for anything other than watering from the top is to be able to leach the accumulated fertilizer salts from the soil. This is done by running plain water through the soil from the top occasionally. How are you going to do this in this type of pot with no drainage?

Barbara

Fred, the rim of the inner pot is glazed, and quite smooth - the leaves wouldn't be harmed by it. It's more of a water/fert problem. And the weight isn't an issue, because it's for a window - I use tray reservoirs on my stand.

Barbara - I assumed that if you repotted frequently enough, replacing enough soil, the salts wouldn't accumulate. That's even if I can use fertilizer at all. It's entirely possible with a pot like this that I might have to stick with plain water - as I said, I'm worried about it accumulating in the bisque.

I have yet to find a nice cache pot, though I could rig this to work like one if I drilled holes and put enough of a layer of perlite at the bottom - I suppose like "texas potting."

I'll figure it out. I'm tired of looking at plastic pots when I bring a plant out to dispay. :o)

Sara

Sara,
I thought you were using the old clay pots not the self watering type. I have tried those also but still prefer my plastic pots which I wick water. If you don't like the plastic when you display the plant, I would suggest that you simply slip it into one of your outer ceramic containers.
Fred in NJ

To each his or her own. I travel on the same boat Fred does. I like it simple and I wick water and I like to be able to see whats going on. I like to see if algae is building up or something else.

Im only showing this so you may see my setup
{{gwi:366720}}

It may look trashy to some , works for me

Steve
Very Clever. Great Idea!! And it WORKS!!!
Cork

Thanks Cork--- glad you like it. I was forever knocking over the cup by itself so I came up that and as you say it works. This is one the four plants I did in the comparison a while back , its one that I propagated in Nov.

Steve,

I'm so glad you posted this picture, from your previous descriptions in other posting I wasn't getting the idea.

I can see a great advantage to this system beyond the stability of the plant. You don't have to pick up the plant to fill the reservoir!

There are enough questions on the forum about wick and mat watering, I think we should have a separate thread. That will get me off my lazy butt and get some pictures taken. And please re-post this picture on that thread.

And the rest of you that do some type of 'system', please participate on the new thread.

You can start it if you want, I won't get to it until tomorrow, have a club meeting in NH tonight. I'll at least open the thread.

Barbara

Sara -

self watering pots look attractive - but otherwise they are much harder to maintain to achieve the similar results as Steve's home made system.

You will need to repot every 4 no more than 6 months, you will need to soak the inner pot for some time before reusing it to leach the salts out. You need to use extra light soil - something as 1:3;1 - peat(or miracle grow violet soil)- perlite - vermiculite. The problem with these pots is too much water, not that the center of the root ball stays dry. Let the thing dry before refilling the reservoir.

You need to use a fertilizer - otherwise AV won't bloom too much.

So - basically - you can do it, you can be successful, it just more work and more attention.

I agree with Fred and Steve and the rest. The time and money and effort - you can have 10 blooming ones in cheap plastic pots and you can slip them in ceramic bowls or china cups or insert them in a teapots if you want to have a whimsical container basically using Steve's idea.

irina

Goodness!! I didnt know I would get such a positive response for this little idea that seemed like common sense to me. Sorry Im just now getting back guys but my sister and I have working over at the house where the fire was and Im dead tired , but I sure appreciate all this, thought I might get some negative comments, glad I didnt.

Barb I have no problem with posting the photo again on another thread, glad you approve of my idea. Evidently you think it will help other people, but some have not gotten into wicking yet. Im also very thankfull for all the people who helped set me straight when I first came on this forum like, Barb , Irina , Korina and others. I almost forgot, this setup with small plants seems to let algae buildup a lot quicker than a larger more mature plant.

I use some ceramic pots, with no problems and no more work. I like the looks of them, so I bring them upstairs and take them down if they stop blooming. I change the soil once per year.