Remembering to water your plants is hard! Especially for gardeners growing plants in containers, because containers dry out faster and require more care and attention than plants growing in the ground. Self-watering containers are ideal for gardeners who are too busy to remember, for people who travel often, or for someone who wants more free time enjoying the garden instead of caring for it. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors for every need.
How Does a Self Watering Planter Work?
How Do You Fill a Self Watering Planter?
Do Self Watering Planters Cause Root Rot?
Some plants require the soil to dry out completely between waterings. Plants like succulents, orchids, cactus & sedum need the soil to dry out completely in between watering. So a self-watering planter will not be a good choice for those types of plants. But most every other type of plant will thrive in a self watering planter.
How Do You Fertilize Self Watering Containers?
To fertilize your containers is pretty simple. It is always a good idea to add a slow release fertilizer such as an Espoma product. It won’t hurt to add a liquid fertilizer to the water that is diluted properly as well during the summer. Liquid fertilizers are optimized by remaining in the reservoir instead of being washed out due to frequent irrigation, which reduces waste and saves you money.
What is the Best Self Watering Planter
Our favorite self-watering planters are Crescent planters with their Tru Drop technology. They are stylish and come in a variety of sizes, colors and styles. The pots have small weep holes inside them so you fill them up until the water sensor pops up telling you that it is full. There is also an overflow valve to insure you don’t overwater or Mother Nature doesn’t do it for you. They are lightweight to move around. There is even one called the Nest which comes in varying sizes. It is elongated with an option of trellising and a greenhouse cover to get a head start on spring. You can grow cucumbers, beans or in my case, zucchini.
The advantage of the Nest is it is on a stand so no bending over. Everything is at waist height, ideal for those with physical issues or just to keep it away from 4 legged critters.
Here is more information about how the Tru Drop system works.
What Plants Do Best in Self Watering Planters
These will work well for flowers (annuals and perennials), shrubs, small ornamental trees, herbs, fruits & vegetables.
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Author Denise Schreiber - Published 6-10-2020 |