My $15 self-watering spike burned my pepper plants

I got those ceramic watering spikes off Amazon for 15 bucks and set them up in my tomato pots before a 4 day trip. Came back to find the peppers all droopy and mushy because the spikes kept dripping even when the soil was soaked. Has anyone else had those self-watering things cause more harm than good?

2 comments

2 Comments

james66129d ago

Wait those things keep dripping even after the soil's wet?!

zara_hunt29d ago

Have you tried putting a little cap or plug on the spike when the soil gets wet? I had the exact same thing happen with my basil last summer. Those ceramic spikes work okay for sandy soil but they just keep dripping in regular potting mix. My fix was to take a piece of tape and cover the top of the spike after I water the pots so it stops sucking air in. Or you can just use a wine cork to plug the hole. Honestly those things are just not great for anything that likes to dry out between waterings. I switched to just using those plastic bottle drip stakes instead and they work way better for my tomatoes and peppers.