Give wick watering a go with the new Aqua Self Watering Pot Kit in medium. This design features a larger than normal inner pot, making it more suitable to a wider range of plants (plant ideas below).

Your kit comes with an inner pot, outer pot and cotton wick. Just add substrate and water. Use with the substrate that's best suited to your plant. Leca, potting mix, fern fibre, hydromix, vermiculite... the list is pretty much endless. The inner pot is transparent plastic in a gorgeous shade of aqua, with drainage holes and wick holes in the bottom. The plastic outer pot is white. Cotton wick included.

The benefits of wick watering

Self watering pots save time and stress. The clear inner pot makes it easy to check root health. They keep plants at the right moisture level for about twice as long than manual watering. Very popular for African Violets and a long list of other houseplants (starter list below), plus any plant who like staying moist, and hate drying out. No more panic-stations when you realise you entirely forgot to water and your plant's suddenly on death's door. No over-watering either. Just top the water level in the outer pot, to just below the level of the inner pot, and the wick will do the rest.

Which plants do well with wick watering?

African Violets are probably the best known, as well as also other gesneriads, such a streptocarpus, who do well when kept moist but when you want to avoid the crown getting wet. Peace Lily are another popular choice for wick watering and semi-hydro. A baby Parlour Palm, Croton, Spider Plants, Aloe Vera, Papyrus, Lucky Bamboo, Areca Palm, Jasmine, most Ferns, Begonia... there are so many! Research your plant's needs to help you decide. Anything that prefers to stay lightly, evenly moist (not soaking wet, not dry), could be a good choice.

Complete kit

Each kit is actually two pots with wick included. The outer pot holds the water, and the removable inner pot holds your plant and substrate. The inner pot has drainage holes and two larger holes which you loop the wick through to feed moisture to your plant when it needs it.

The wick (included) is a nice thick cotton rope wick, which can (and should) be replaced over time. You can use other wick materials instead for less or more absorbency, just make sure it is absorbent enough to keep your plant happy.

What's the size?

Total size measures 11.5cm tall x 11.5cms wide. The inner pot measures 9.5cms tall x 9.5cms wide across the top. The outer pot measures 9cm tall x 11.5cm wide across the top.

What substrate can you use with self watering pots?

Use with leca, potting mix, fern fibre, hydromix, vermiculite... pretty much any substrate that fits and matches your plant's needs. Best with a free-draining mix that provides a balance of absorption for moisture, and drainage for oxygen. If you need to make your mix lighter, grab some of the Egmont Hydromix (a 50/50 blend of vermiculite and perlite). That's superb for adding to any potting mix to increase aeration and drainage without reducing moisture retention.

How do you use a self watering pot?

Just loop the wick (supplied), through the hole in the bottom of the inner pot so about half the wick is in the pot, and half out. Pop your substrate and plant inside the inner pot. Add water to the bottom of the outer pot, until it's just below the bottom of the inner pot. Then pop your inner pot inside, double-checking the wick is in the water. Job done!

I highly recommend using fertiliser, even more important if your substrate is inorganic and doesn't retain or supply nutrients. My go-to is Dyna Gro Foliage Pro. Simply top up with fresh water and food when the water's low. Plant Runner is another popular choice.

How high should the water level be?

You want the water level in the outer pot to be slightly below the bottom of the inner pot, so the substrate and roots don't get 'wet feet' (the inner pot should never sit 'in' water unless your plants like having the roots in water). Maintain the water level just below the bottom of the inner pot.

How does wick watering work?

Roots absorb water from the substrate. As the substrate dries, it replenishes water through the wick, from the reservoir in the outer pot. Wick watering is a bit like a straw, giving your plant sips of water on-demand when they're thirsty. For a plant that might normally dry out in less than a week, self watering pots average 2 to 4 weeks watering instead depending on the size of the water reservoir. There's no exact amount of time though, as the plant, substrate, conditions and time of year all factor in to how fast a plant uses up the water. Wick watering also helps prevent root rot from overwatering or oxygen deficiency, as the roots only take in what they need, when they need it, a little at a time.

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SELF WATERING POTS

CUP O FLORA Glass Self Watering Pot - Mini

CUP O FLORA Glass Self Watering Pot - Small

Aqua Self Watering Pot Kit - Medium

CUP O FLORA Glass Self Watering Pot - Small Ribbed

Crew Plastic Self Watering Pot Kit - Medium