Last Updated on January 19, 2023 by Urska
Many people with plants think about using a self-watering planter since it takes one thing off your plate. These smart devices can make sure that your plant is always properly watered. However, it is an investment after all and you should know what you’re getting into before you buy one.
In today’s article, we’ll be learning what these devices are, how do they work, and whether you can make one on your own!
Why Use A Self Watering Planter?
Some people wonder why is this important and how is it any better than watering the plants on your own. Well, the most important point of this device is that eliminates human error! It’s very easy to forget to water your plant on time. Some gardeners keep a watering schedule to minimize the possibility of this error, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t happen.
If you use a planter, all you have to do is pour water in every now and then and your plant can drink whenever it feels like it. Secondly, a self-watering planter eliminates the possibility of you overwatering or underwatering your plant! Since the plant itself will drink water whenever it needs to – it’s not reliant on you giving it the precise amount of water it needs.
This way, you can’t overwater it – something that can easily cause root rot – and you can’t underwater it either. This might not seem like that much of a worry, but many plants have inconsistent hydration patterns – needing only a cup of water one week, and then needing a whole bowl of water another week! A plant that has the option of watering itself as needed is always going to keep its roots hydrated and it’ll stay a happy plant!
Plants can easily regulate their water intake on their own, as they do in the wild, and they won’t rot if the roots are in constant contact with water. This is a worry to some users, but plants have shown that they actually prefer regulating water intake on their own, instead of letting us do it for them.
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Is A Self Watering Planter Better For Plants?
Typically, plants that you keep in your home are going to thrive if you use a self-watering planter and they’re usually better taken care of in comparison to you taking care of them. Because of this, it’s better for you to keep your in-house plants in self-watering planters than in regular pots!
How To Make A Self Watering Planter?
In case buying a planter of this sort is out of your budget, you can make one at home! All you need is a large plastic bottle and some cloth!
Step 1
To start, cut the plastic bottle in half with a box cutter and cut the cloth into a long string (about 10 inches). It should be about 3 inches wide.
Gardenix Decor 7” Self Watering planters for Indoor Plants
Step 2
Take the top half of the plastic bottle, turn it upside down, and put it into the bottom half. The top half of the bottle will act as a sort of funnel and also a container for the plant itself. The bottom half will actually hold the water.
Step 3
Tie a thick knot at about 1/3 of the cloth and push it through the mouth of the top part of the bottle. This knot will stop it from falling out! Have the rest of the cloth hang out of the top part of the bottle and lie at the bottom of the bottom part of the bottle.
Step 4
Fill the bottom part of the bottle with water up to the bottle cap. And there you have it! Your very own self-watering planter. All that’s left now to do is fill the planter with soil and a plant.
Plants have an innate ability to draw water from the soil and pull it upwards, into themselves, using their roots. This is very similar to the human ability to pump blood upwards, opposing gravity. The roots will come in contact with the cloth and use it as a sort of pathway for water!
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Why Is Watering So Important?
Perhaps you didn’t know this, but plants are usually more than 80% water! They use this water similarly to how we use blood in our bodies – it’s there to transport nutrients from the soil to the plants. If you cut off that water supply, you essentially cut off all nutrient intake from the plant.
Many plants have developed the ability to draw water from incredible depths, with their roots reaching insane depths into the ground. Larger plants usually have more need for watering than smaller plants, which is why they usually have more developed roots!
Final Words On Self Watering Planter
To sum up, a self-watering planter is a device that ensures a constant flow of water for the plant’s roots. This way, your plant is always properly hydrated and you don’t have to fear that it will run out of water at any point. It also works the other way around, as it stops your plant from becoming overhydrated, which can potentially cause root rot.
This minimizes the amount of responsibility you have, as you only have to refill the planter every now and again.
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FAQ’s
What is a self watering planter?
Self watering planters are essentially pots that have a reservoir for water at the bottom of the pot. This allows the plant to drink that water in whenever it needs to.
How does self watering planter work?
These planters are pretty simple! They have a container for water in the bottom of the planter, where the roots of the plant stretch easily. This way, the roots are in constant contact with the water.
How to use a self watering planter?
Know that the only thing the planter needs from you is to refill the container every now and again. This period depends on the size of the container and the amount of water your plant needs. Some planters would need you to refill them once a week, others can last for a much longer time before refill.
