{"id":247693,"date":"2023-01-20T15:15:12","date_gmt":"2023-01-20T20:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/?p=247693"},"modified":"2023-05-24T19:39:47","modified_gmt":"2023-05-24T23:39:47","slug":"how-do-self-watering-pots-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/blog\/how-do-self-watering-pots-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How do self watering pots work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You asked, we answered<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>We took all the <\/span>frequently<\/span> asked questions on self-watering planters and answered them for you.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do <\/span>self watering<\/span> planters work?<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are <\/span>many <\/span>different types<\/span> of <\/span>self watering<\/span> pots in the <\/span>marketplace<\/span> and they all work differently<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>Traditional <\/span>self watering<\/span> planters will use small reservoirs at the bottom of the planter to keep a bit of extra water for the plant<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>They might also have rope wicks or other elements that are supposed to help get the water from the reservoir to the root of the plants<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>Some even require volcanic rock or porous pebbles at the bottom of the planter to hold <\/span>additional<\/span> water<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>Some have indicators that work based on water displacement and floaters to show you when the reservoirs are full<\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Self

Rope wicks and volcanic rocks are used in self watering pots to help maintain water reservoirs.<\/p><\/div>\n

Our TruDrop self watering pots<\/a> with their patented design work a bit different.\u00a0 They have a double wall construction that allows for a very large water reservoir that contains between 2 gallons to over 50 gallons of water inside depending on the size of the planter.\u00a0 The inside wall is shaped with staggered levels that have perforations; this inner cone like shape serves as a wick to make sure the potting mix in the container receives all the water it needs and can hydrate plant roots.\u00a0 Because this cone is large, there is no \u201ctraining of roots\u201d as often is described in traditional containers to have roots find the water reservoir.\u00a0 It is only required to top water initially and then water from the intake hole.\u00a0 This is one of the best features in TruDrop self watering pots because roots determine how much water they need instead of people; water thirsty plants you will find will grow down to be closer to the main water source while others may remain slightly higher in dryer soil.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, TruDrop self watering have features that help you grow better like an indicator that shows multiple levels to give you a warning before water is depleted, an overflow drain that can be capped for indoor use or left open to allow excess rain water to run out, and a drain plug that allows you to empty out the water easily when needed to move the planter.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"TruDrop

TruDrop containers are equipped with features that help your plants grow better.<\/p><\/div>\n

How to fill <\/span>self<\/span> watering<\/span> pot?<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Many <\/span>self watering<\/span> pots just require you to top water just like any container until water gets to the reservoir<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>TruDrop<\/span> self watering<\/span> planters have a water in <\/span>take<\/span> hole that has a removable, tethered cap<\/span>.\u00a0 To<\/span> fill the <\/span>planter<\/span> you just need to open the cap, use a hose or watering can and watch the indicator until the planter is full<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>If<\/span> using<\/span> outdoors<\/span> you will <\/span>also <\/span>see water come out through the overflow hole <\/span>at the bottom of the planter letting you know it is full.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Filling

With TruDrop planters watering is as easy as filling your water in take hole.<\/p><\/div>\n

Do <\/span>self watering<\/span> planters<\/span> need drainage holes?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Outdoors all planters should always have a drainage hole or water drain<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>After <\/span>all<\/span> when it rains you <\/span>don\u2019t<\/span> want excess water to collect in your pot and have your plants float<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>For this <\/span>reason<\/span> all our <\/span>TruDrop<\/span> self watering<\/span> containers have an overflow drain built <\/span>in to<\/span> the bottom<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>Indoors this drain can be <\/span>capped<\/span> however our indicator will show you when the reservoir is filled to avoid <\/span>over watering<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>Traditional <\/span>self watering<\/span> planters often have indicators to let you know when they are full<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>This is an important feature in any <\/span>self watering<\/span> planter.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"TruDrop

The TruDrop overflow drain works as a drainage hole to avoid overwatering.<\/p><\/div>\n

Are <\/span>self watering<\/span> planters good for plants?<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Plants have many important requirements to keep healthy like access to light and nutrients, but one of the most important requirements and the one that can <\/span>probably be<\/span> the culprit for killing most planters in containers is water<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>Many people <\/span>under<\/span> water or <\/span>over water<\/span> planters<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>Self watering<\/span> containers are <\/span>a great way<\/span> to avoid <\/span>under watering<\/span> plants as they always have a reservoir in case you forget<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>TruDrop<\/span> self watering<\/span> is also great at avoiding over watering<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>By watering through the root system instead of top watering, plants are less susceptible to <\/span>fungus,<\/span> and disease but also the roots <\/span>determine<\/span> how much water they need instead of people fomenting healthier growing and healthier plants.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"TruDrop

TruDrop containers take the guessing out of watering.<\/p><\/div>\n

Are <\/span>self watering<\/span> planters worth it?<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

When evaluating the \u201cworth\u201d of any purchase it is always important to understand what it can do for you<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>We developed <\/span>TruDrop<\/span><\/a> self-watering to help people grow better, more successfully in containers<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>Our <\/span>self watering<\/span> planters can go weeks without watering, even outdoors in full sun<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>We believe the best way to quantify their worth is <\/span>the<\/span> time savings<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>A traditional <\/span>20 inch<\/span> planter outdoors with annuals during <\/span>a hot summer<\/span> requires to be watered twice a day, the equivalent <\/span>TruDrop<\/span> self watering<\/span> planter will last at least a week without watering<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>So how much is your time \u201cworth\u201d<\/span>?\u00a0 <\/span>If you are looking at using these commercially, how much <\/span>is your employee\u2019s time<\/span>?\u00a0 <\/span>Once you do the accounting you will find that you might enjoy doing other things in your garden, or <\/span>else where<\/span> instead of watering.\u00a0 Do remember as you research <\/span>self watering<\/span> planters not all are created <\/span>equal<\/span> and it depends on how they work, and how much water they <\/span>contain<\/span>, how efficient you will be<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>If you are an individual that <\/span>actually <\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span> mind watering, then consider the environmental impact of using a <\/span>self watering<\/span> pot like <\/span>TruDrop<\/span> that will collect <\/span>rain water<\/span>, require much less water, and save in the use of fertilizers<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Do <\/span>self watering<\/span> planters cause root rot?<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Root rot <\/span>can be caused by many different things such as overwatering, fungus in the soil or poor drainage in a planter<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>Self watering<\/span> planters do not cause root rot unless they are designed in such a way that they <\/span>don\u2019t<\/span> drain properly<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>TruDrop<\/span> self watering<\/span> planters are designed with an overflow drain for outdoor use that allows excess water to escape from the planter especially when it rains but even when watering<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>It also includes an <\/span>indicator<\/span> let\u2019s<\/span> you know when the reservoir is <\/span>full<\/span> which is especially useful indoors to make sure you <\/span>don\u2019t<\/span> over water<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>When using indoors if the plant you are growing <\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span> require a lot of water you may also choose to not fill the reservoir completely and leave only one indicator up on your container<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>To avoid root rot in any planter it is important to use good container potting soil<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>If <\/span>you<\/span> for <\/span>example<\/span> use regular garden soil it is too dense and will hold too much water<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>For more information on soil <\/span><\/span>here<\/span><\/span><\/a> is our Garden Story on the subject.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Are <\/span>self <\/span>watering<\/span> pots good for fiddle leaf figs<\/span><\/span> and other indoor plants?<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

When some of the <\/span>first <\/span>self<\/span> watering<\/span> planters started in the marketplace they were designed specifically for indoor <\/span>plants<\/span> so they <\/span>definitely work<\/span> for indoor plants<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>Many houseplants are tropical outdoor plants that thrive with a lot of water so giving them access to a reservoir works well<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>TruDrop<\/span> self watering<\/span> planters can work well indoors and outdoors.\u00a0 <\/span>The nice thing is that the reservoir doesn\u2019t need to be <\/span>completely filled<\/span> all the time and the water remains at the bottom so plants can determine how much water they need on their own.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Fiddle Leaf <\/span>Figs,<\/span> are a <\/span>ficus<\/span> that has a <\/span>a<\/span> thriving root system. We <\/span>find they grow very well in <\/span>TruDrop<\/span> and get <\/span>very large<\/span> and tall when the reservoir is <\/span>filled<\/span> and they have access to a window<\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Mod

Access to a water reservoir and a window will do wonders for houseplant growth.<\/p><\/div>\n

Do <\/span><\/span>self watering<\/span> outdoor pots<\/span><\/span> work?<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Not all <\/span>self watering<\/span> pots work outdoors<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>There are some very key features that you want to look for in a container that is going outdoors<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>We designed our <\/span>TruDrop<\/span> containers to be successful outdoors and they include an overflow drain to make sure excess <\/span>rain water<\/span> can get out; our planters have a large reservoir to make sure that the user can extend weeks between watering and the reservoir; <\/span>additionally<\/span> the shell on our planters <\/span>have<\/span> a <\/span>10 year<\/span> warranty allowing you to have outdoor planters season after season<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>We only recommend that in freezing temperatures the main drain is left open so that there is no freezing of water in the reservoir.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Pinch

With a 10 yr warranty and large water reservoir, TruDrop planters will ensure your plants thrive outdoors.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You asked, we answered.\u00a0 We took all the frequently asked questions on self-watering planters and answered them for you.\u00a0 How do self watering planters work? There are many different types of self watering pots in the marketplace and they all work differently.\u00a0 Traditional self watering planters will use small reservoirs at the bottom of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2123,"featured_media":249030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[252,1752],"tags":[],"acf":{"structure":false,"autoplay":true,"global_slides":false,"blog_related_products":[13734,20617,12711],"author_name":"Paula Douer","author_description":"As one of the founders of Crescent Garden, Paula should consider herself a garden expert. Instead, she sees Crescent as a vehicle to find success in the garden for people just like her: extremely busy, in love with the idea of having a garden, but with a deep fear of killing plants. She spends time in the garden with her two children, who always remind her gardens are not perfect and that is part of the fun. Paula is also known for her creativity in the kitchen when it comes to vegetables and herbs. After 22 years of marriage, her husband no longer laments when he asks \u201cwhat\u2019s for dinner\u201d as she stands in front of an almost empty refrigerator and responds with, \u201cOh! There is a cauliflower head!\u201d","author_image":{"ID":18133,"id":18133,"title":"Paula Douer bio 2020 2","filename":"Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","filesize":620153,"url":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/blog\/planter-to-table-focaccia-pizza\/attachment\/paula-douer-bio-2020-2\/","alt":"","author":"40","description":"","caption":"","name":"paula-douer-bio-2020-2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":11118,"date":"2021-03-25 17:37:15","modified":"2021-03-25 17:37:15","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2258,"height":1893,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":126,"medium":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":252,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":644,"large":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","large-width":1024,"large-height":858,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1288,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1717,"et-pb-post-main-image":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","et-pb-post-main-image-width":298,"et-pb-post-main-image-height":250,"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth-width":805,"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth-height":675,"et-pb-portfolio-image":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","et-pb-portfolio-image-width":339,"et-pb-portfolio-image-height":284,"et-pb-portfolio-module-image":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","et-pb-portfolio-module-image-width":456,"et-pb-portfolio-module-image-height":382,"et-pb-portfolio-image-single":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","et-pb-portfolio-image-single-width":1080,"et-pb-portfolio-image-single-height":905,"et-pb-gallery-module-image-portrait":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","et-pb-gallery-module-image-portrait-width":400,"et-pb-gallery-module-image-portrait-height":335,"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth-large":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth-large-width":2147,"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth-large-height":1800,"et-pb-image--responsive--desktop":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","et-pb-image--responsive--desktop-width":859,"et-pb-image--responsive--desktop-height":720,"et-pb-image--responsive--tablet":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","et-pb-image--responsive--tablet-width":657,"et-pb-image--responsive--tablet-height":551,"et-pb-image--responsive--phone":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","et-pb-image--responsive--phone-width":322,"et-pb-image--responsive--phone-height":270,"rpwe-thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","rpwe-thumbnail-width":45,"rpwe-thumbnail-height":38,"woocommerce_thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","woocommerce_thumbnail-width":2258,"woocommerce_thumbnail-height":1893,"woocommerce_single":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","woocommerce_single-width":600,"woocommerce_single-height":503,"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2-100x100.jpeg","woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail-width":100,"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail-height":100,"variation_swatches_image_size":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","variation_swatches_image_size-width":50,"variation_swatches_image_size-height":42,"variation_swatches_tooltip_size":"https:\/\/www.crescentgarden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Paula-Douer-bio-2020-2.jpeg","variation_swatches_tooltip_size-width":100,"variation_swatches_tooltip_size-height":84}},"hero_background_image":false,"hero_title":"","hero_subtitle":"","hero_link":"","text_copy":"","youtube_id":"","vimeo_id":"","activate_video_schema":false,"activate_article_schema":true,"article_schema":"