Wasted $60 on a fancy self-watering planter that just grew mold

I saw this sleek self-watering container online and thought it would solve my problem of forgetting to water my cherry tomatoes during heat waves. It had a reservoir at the bottom and a wicking system that supposedly kept the soil perfectly moist. After three weeks, my basil started wilting and I pulled it out to find slimy green mold all through the lower soil. Turns out the wick just kept the bottom soaked with no air flow for the roots at all. I lost two good plants and that planter is now sitting in my storage closet. Has anyone found a self-watering setup that actually works for a sunny balcony without turning into a swamp?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_seth3d ago

A buddy of mine tried one of those on his patio and ended up drilling extra holes in the bottom to let air in, which fixed the mold issue. Did it ruin the self-watering part though?

sethc123d ago

84 bucks for a self-watering planter that needs surgery to work, that’s rough. @the_seth sounds like you need a PhD in drainage just to keep a fern alive.

quinn_nguyen3d ago

Ha, yeah, I've definitely been there. @the_seth I once drilled holes in a planter so aggressively I basically turned it into a colander. Watered my plants and the whole patio got a shower too. Guess I'm just a natural at ruining good design. Still, the mold problem was solved, so maybe I'm onto something.