Bottom watering is the ONLY way I water. In 2019 I brought in over 100 plants (and have even more now) including lots of ferns & calatheas into my very small Pacific Northwest 'rainforest' office and I had, no joke, over 1,000 gnats flying around. I had to start using a de-humidifier due to black mould, and the yellow stickies couldn't keep up - but they did a great job sticking to my hair and sleeves!! I switched to bottom water exclusively, and any time I see gray starting on the top soil I spray un-diluted Hydrogen Peroxide. Now all I worry about is mould on the walls, but the de-humidifier is a life saver! 6:35 I like the look of that. I think I will try it!! I'd put it in a cache pot.
Great video! Thank you for sharing. 8:43 I actually like the slits because it helps the roots to breathe to prevent root rot. I worry about the pots keeping the roots too wet.
It takes some experiments with the soil and the wicks to find the right combination. Some wicks suck the water up too fast and some soils keep it too much. The soil must be very airy, with lots of perlite and not pressed when putting into the pot to leave some tiny air pockets.
I am going to try self-watering pots for my plants that are in macrame hangers where it is nearly impossible to effectively water them. I will definitely be using the kind that have the slot to put the water in. That way I won't have to lift it up. ? - Do you every have an issue with algae in the water reservoir? Thanks for the video.
I'm going to try some more. I have one for my dragon's tail and it seems happy. I have a trip scheduled in a few months, and I don't want to stress about my plants.
My complaint about the 3 in. pots is that they are hard to fill. You can't use the "filler" spout as it won't let water go in, and you have to lift the whole plant out to fill. I'm going to drill out the fill spout so I can fit my filling can in there next group.
So, the large pots come without any strings attached 😀 Jokes aside, some pots come with cotton wicks that rot. It's better to use something synthetic that can be made out of synthetic ropes and 100% acrylic threads. But it will need some experimentation to find out what sucks up the water at the right rate. And the soil must be very airy for wick watering.
Interesting, I’ve never seen these types of pots before. Personally, I don’t care for all these time saving shortcut things for plants. I enjoy plant chores, I enjoy checking my plants regularly to see if they need water, and I enjoy traditional watering….it is just part of my relationship with my plants, and keeps me in the loop with them and how they are doing. I also like to let my plants dry out completely between waterings, which happens fast because I have them all in plastic orchid pots for better air circulation. It’s what works best for me. I’ve also stopped using soil mixes that are mostly peat based, I think peat mixes are what fungus gnats love the most. I have a lot of plants are rarely see gnats!
I stuck my pothos in one and it started "sweating" a couple of days later and had drunk up all the water really quick. Would you say that it's possible to overwater with self-watering pots or could that have been an error on my part?
Now that I have been expiramenting with them for awhile I do believe it is possible to over water 🥲 so to prevent it once its done drinking the water I let it 90% dry out before I refill it with water :)
I'm gonna be trying these pots too and I read in other places that sometimes you have to mix the soil with perlite so that it's better at draining for certain plants
I have hundreds of plants, so self watering pots are a must! my main beef with them is that on a lot of them, the net pots are so small!
I agree. I love the self watering pots. They make plant care so much fun.
Bottom watering is the ONLY way I water. In 2019 I brought in over 100 plants (and have even more now) including lots of ferns & calatheas into my very small Pacific Northwest 'rainforest' office and I had, no joke, over 1,000 gnats flying around. I had to start using a de-humidifier due to black mould, and the yellow stickies couldn't keep up - but they did a great job sticking to my hair and sleeves!! I switched to bottom water exclusively, and any time I see gray starting on the top soil I spray un-diluted Hydrogen Peroxide. Now all I worry about is mould on the walls, but the de-humidifier is a life saver! 6:35 I like the look of that. I think I will try it!! I'd put it in a cache pot.
Great video! Thank you for sharing. 8:43 I actually like the slits because it helps the roots to breathe to prevent root rot.
I worry about the pots keeping the roots too wet.
It takes some experiments with the soil and the wicks to find the right combination. Some wicks suck the water up too fast and some soils keep it too much. The soil must be very airy, with lots of perlite and not pressed when putting into the pot to leave some tiny air pockets.
I am going to try self-watering pots for my plants that are in macrame hangers where it is nearly impossible to effectively water them. I will definitely be using the kind that have the slot to put the water in. That way I won't have to lift it up. ? - Do you every have an issue with algae in the water reservoir? Thanks for the video.
I'm going to try some more. I have one for my dragon's tail and it seems happy. I have a trip scheduled in a few months, and I don't want to stress about my plants.
I completely agree with you! Going away I was so worried about my plants but now I feel like they will be perfectly fine 🥰
@@merleafies thanks for the video!
Try Lechuza planters👍
My complaint about the 3 in. pots is that they are hard to fill. You can't use the "filler" spout as it won't let water go in, and you have to lift the whole plant out to fill. I'm going to drill out the fill spout so I can fit my filling can in there next group.
So, the large pots come without any strings attached 😀
Jokes aside, some pots come with cotton wicks that rot. It's better to use something synthetic that can be made out of synthetic ropes and 100% acrylic threads. But it will need some experimentation to find out what sucks up the water at the right rate. And the soil must be very airy for wick watering.
This is a great idea!!!! You are definitely on to something :)
subscribed. Really liked the video. I'm converting my plants to self watering pots.
Yes they are truly awesome! :) welcome
30 seconds in and all the fungus gnat traps makes me think no 😂
Put a top layer of sand or pon or something on there and that'll take care of it
How do you feel about the IKEA PS FEJÖ?
Interesting, I’ve never seen these types of pots before. Personally, I don’t care for all these time saving shortcut things for plants. I enjoy plant chores, I enjoy checking my plants regularly to see if they need water, and I enjoy traditional watering….it is just part of my relationship with my plants, and keeps me in the loop with them and how they are doing. I also like to let my plants dry out completely between waterings, which happens fast because I have them all in plastic orchid pots for better air circulation. It’s what works best for me. I’ve also stopped using soil mixes that are mostly peat based, I think peat mixes are what fungus gnats love the most. I have a lot of plants are rarely see gnats!
You still have to water from the top until the roots grow down into the pot section.
I've been only bottom watering and it's been working well for me :)
@@merleafies ok
I have all those dont like the fact that any of them dont have a clear inner pot so I can see the roots
I’ve begun to put my plants in self watering pots. I’m an over watered lol. 12:11
How do you fertilize and how do you water? Through the soil or directly into the bottom
I fertilized directly from the top once a week
The soil at the top of self watering pots do get wet through the capulary action.
I stuck my pothos in one and it started "sweating" a couple of days later and had drunk up all the water really quick. Would you say that it's possible to overwater with self-watering pots or could that have been an error on my part?
Now that I have been expiramenting with them for awhile I do believe it is possible to over water 🥲 so to prevent it once its done drinking the water I let it 90% dry out before I refill it with water :)
I'm gonna be trying these pots too and I read in other places that sometimes you have to mix the soil with perlite so that it's better at draining for certain plants
Good
Do you transplant when the roots grow through?
Yes ma'am :) to a bigger self watering pot
The only plants that I would not use them for is cacti and my snake plants.
Oh, interesting!
What plants can't b.in self watering pots
Walmart has then
Not sure I trust them lol Oops no link. 💚
Oh my lanta! Lol I am so sorry it never saved. I just updated it with the links 💛🥰
@@merleafies Thank you
Please learn to get to the point.
🤣