Self-watering planters are one of the latest trends that have made a huge buzz among urban farmers. Not only are they stylish and work as a great decorative element for both indoor and outdoor areas, but they’ll also help you grow your favourite plants, fruits and vegetables without having to dig holes in your backyard. So, if you’re wondering what’s all the hype about these gorgeous self-watering planters, let’s become familiar with the technology they use and why you should get one for your patio.
How Do Self-Watering Planters Work?
As their name states, a self-watering planter will water itself “on its own” without any human efforts. In fact, these containers have a built-in water reservoir inside and use a tube that sucks out water and delivers it to the plants through the well known capillary action. This wick-delivering system will draw water to your plants at the right time and the right amount, while the only thing you need to do is to occasionally fill the reservoir with water and watch your lovely planters’ glow up.
To make things easier for you, some of these self-watering pots come with water level indicators that rise and fall as the water levels into the reservoir change. This means that you don’t have to worry that the water will get drained out and you won’t even notice, because these pots will make it obvious when it is the right time for a refill.
They Save Water
Talking about the technology they use, one of the main reasons to get self-watering patio planters is that they’ll significantly reduce your water bills. If you’re curious how these planter boxes minimize water waste, it’s because the dense soil completely covers the water and stops it from evaporating in the air. These amounts of water will stay trapped into the reservoir until they get delivered to the roots of the plant, without a drop of water going to waste.
They Provide Plants with an Optimal and Constant Source of Water
What many urban farmers don’t know is that most of the plants are best grown with a consistent watering schedule, and watering them whenever you have some free time will stress them out even more. In fact, when a plant doesn’t receive a sufficient amount of water, it tends to keep the reserves on top of the soil which leads to drying out the roots.
On the other hand, overwatering your plants will only over-saturate the roots and make the natural capillary action impossible, which is one of the main reasons why many plants wither and die very fast. This won’t be the case with these convenient patio planter boxes, since the water in the reservoir won’t move anywhere until the capillary action system doesn’t transfer it to your plant in the optimal amount and at the optimal time.
They Preserve Nutrients
Growing plants in regular pots and containers means that you’ll have to constantly water them and take care of their well being. But as you water your plants, the water goes from top to the bottom to reach the roots which means that all the nutrients in the soil are slowly getting diffused out along with the water molecules. At this point, if you want to maintain sufficient nutrient levels in the soil, you’ll have to occasionally add different organic matters.
This can be easily solved with self-watering patio planters since as we mentioned before, the water stays trapped into the closed reservoir system together with all the nutrients, and they go directly into the roots and help your plants flourish.
You Won’t Have to Worry About Diseases
Shallow watering leads to shallow root growth, and not all plants can survive with small amounts of water. For instance, tomatoes always need deep watering, and not getting the right amount of water will lead to poor fruit growth and many plant diseases.
At this point, know that your plants won’t get sick only when they aren’t properly moisturized, but they can also develop diseases by pouring water directly into the soil. In fact, moisturizing the soil from the top to the bottom instead of from the roots to the stem and the leaves is one of the main reasons why many plants develop mould and become the ultimate space for breeding bacteria and germs that can harm it.
They’re Flexible
Many gardening enthusiasts will quit on their favourite hobby just because they don’t have the right space for planting. This won’t be the case with these self-watering boxes, since you can always conveniently accommodate them in the smallest corner of your patio and forget about them until they require a refill.
Self-watering planters aren’t only intended for small patios, but they can also work perfectly as balcony planters even if you live in a tall sky-scraper, office planters as well as other decorative elements for commercial purposes.
They Give Your Patio an Aesthetic Element
Your patio is your outdoor living room, and not a living room can be imagined without a couple of lovely plants, flowers and some greenery. So, besides taking care of your favourite plants’ well being, these self-watering patio planter pots come in clean, contemporary and sleek designs featuring different shapes and sizes as well as black and white and matte or glossy finishes. This means that you won’t struggle to find the perfect design to match it with your home exterior, regardless if it’s a modern minimalistic one, or your home is decorated into a more classic, vintage style.
Once you get one of these self-watering boxes and plant your favourite plant, you’ll see how you’ll instantly fall in love with it as you’re watching your plant grow and glow.