Growing tomatoes in a self watering pot is really easy. This is a great way to maintain even moisture and produce quality home grown tomatoes anywhere you have sun and space for a garden pot. more »

Plant spa or self watering pots are designed to deliver consistent moisture to your dendrobium with less weekly maintenance. Self-watering pots come in two parts: the top, in which you plant your orchid, and a lower chamber, which is filled with water for the plant roots to sip through capillary action on an as-needed basis. Dendrobium orchids like consistent moisture but can easily be killed if their roots are immersed in standing water. Self-watering pots can be ideal, allowing the orchid to reach for a drink as it needs. more »

Plants grown in hanging containers dry out much more quickly than plants grown in pots on the ground. The reason is that air circulates around the pot constantly. Self-watering pots are the only answer for hanging plants. The plant uses water at its own rate, so the self-watering pot works for all kinds of plants, including hardy succulents or plants with tender leaves such as ferns. more »

Self-watering planters help take the guesswork out of caring for your houseplants. With a self-watering pot, the plant itself gets to determine how much water it needs and how often through a process called capillary action. All you have to do is make sure there's liquid in the reservoir. You can make a self watering flower pot out of simple household materials. This project uses plastic food storage containers. more »

Though there are many store-sold kinds of self watering pots, they all tend to have flaws. Most of them are made of plastic, which won't stand up to severe changes in weather. They become brittle and break over time. Also, they tend to be very unsightly, making them a poor decision when one is trying to showcase a flower garden or prize plants. To make a self-watering pot, all one really needs is some water-resistant paint, epoxy gel and two terracotta planting pots--one small enough to fit easily into the other. more »

Self watering pots use a system called sub-irrigation. Sub-irrigation relies on your plant and the soil's natural ability to wick water upward as needed. There are benefits to this system. First, it allows your plant to "decide" how much water it needs without adding your own guesswork into the equation. Secondly, it encourages your plant's roots to grow downward, making them better established. Finally, it doesn't cause the same soil displacement and washing away of nutrients that top watering can. Sub-irrigation planters are easy to make. This project uses recycled pop (soft drink) bottles. more »

A 2-liter planter is a self-watering pot made for small flowers. This 2-liter planter keeps itself watered for up to three weeks. It is easy to make. Find most of the supplies needed for the 2-liter planter project around your home. more »

Growing hydroponically means growing plants without soil using a premixed solution of nutrients. Hydroponic gardens may be as small as a container for a few plants to as large as an entire greenhouse. Passive hydroponic systems are the simplest system using only a self-watering pot. But these systems also have a low yield. An active water culture system using a growing tray placed in an old aquarium with circulating nutrients is easy to build and more productive than passive systems. more »