Dropped $45 on those fancy self-watering pots and my basil drowned in a week

I thought I was being smart buying the deluxe ones with the wicking system, but my poor basil turned into a swampy mess before I even got to use any leaves. Has anyone else had those automated pots backfire on them or was I just doing it totally wrong?

2 comments

2 Comments

nora5351mo ago

Wait, $45 for ONE pot? I thought you meant a set or something. That's wild.

ruby_sanchez451mo ago

Funny you mention that, because I actually watched a YouTube video from this guy who tested a bunch of those self-watering pots and he found most of them just keep the soil too wet for stuff like basil. The wicking system pulls water up constantly, so if you don't have super good drainage at the bottom it just turns into a mud pit. My neighbor bought the same kind and killed three rosemary plants before she gave up and went back to regular pots. You probably didn't do anything wrong, the design just doesn't work great for herbs that like to dry out a bit between waterings lol. I'd say stick with a normal pot and just water it yourself, way cheaper and you actually get to see how damp the soil is.