Need help with self watering containers, please.

8 years ago

I bought these 2 containers over the weekend. I wasn’t particularly looking for self watering but liked the containers so grabbed them. But being in Georgia, maybe this will help with the mid summer cooking of containersed plants.

When I got them home I realized I have no idea how to set them up as they came with a removable piece in the bottom, and it was different in each, giving me no indication how to do it. So here is the pot,

here is how it looks in the pot without the extra piece, that is a tube leading to a drain plug on the bottom. There are little ridges around the perimeter that will hold the insert.

View of bottom, showing plug still in place

Here is the insert, shown basket up

And basket down

It fits perfectly both ways, so I’m not sure how to put it in. Also do I remove the plug or not? It is going to hold hostas outdoors.

Thanks so much in advance!

Featured Answer

Annette Holbrook(z7a)
Original Author

8 years ago

Thanks all. Based on that review of the product from a landscaper he stated basket points down as y’all suggested. If the self watering part doesn’t pan out, no harm no foul I guess. I’ve had hostas in pots in that spot for years. The old pots finally gave out after ten years so I’m just replacing what was there. Being in Georgia, I do water all my container plants daily in summer so I’m used to that. Here are the old pots at the end of the season last year.

The hosta in the green pot was a rescue from a neighbor who was digging up his entire bed to repair a water line. It sat out on a trash pile for a few days before I got permission from the owner to try and rescue it. Hopefully it will come back this year.

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Comments (8)

Babka NorCal 9b
8 years ago
The ones at HD are similar. Click on the "questions and answers" in the link":

Self Watering Planter

-Babka
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years ago
dont forget ... the most important thing in a pot .. is not the plant... its the media you choose ...

does the front door face south ??? .. big black pot could get hot ...

also think about pot in pot ....

also .... think about wind.. and it tipping over ...

ken
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Annette Holbrook(z7a)
Original Author
8 years ago
It faces north. I have hostas in pots in that spot for years. The old pots just gave out :(.
sherrygirl zone5 N il
8 years ago
Just My personal experience, return them. I’ve tried these a few times and was never happy with them, the bottom gets clogged. They just didn’t work that well.

Sherry
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years ago
looks like they fit the spot perfectly ..

but i dont understand how a few inches of water is going to wick up .. what 2 or 3 feet???

hence some bricks in the bottom .. and a pot that fits in the top ... open drain in bottom ;..

ken
StevePA6a
8 years ago
Agree with Ken.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years ago
one trick to raising a pot ... in a pot.. is to use other pots.. upside down.. as an internal pedestal .... but you still will need the weight in the bottom for wind ...

ken