I finally switched to self-watering pots after killing 4 ferns in a row

My track record with ferns was awful. I'd water them every day, then they'd get yellow, so I'd back off, then they'd crisp up. Tried 4 different ones over 2 years and they all died. A guy at the nursery last spring said "you're either drowning them or drying them out, there's no in-between." He pointed me to these self-watering pots with a reservoir at the bottom. I bought a 3-pack for $35 at the hardware store. Now I just fill the bottom every week and the fern draws what it needs. Been 8 months and the Boston fern in my kitchen is huge. Has anyone else had good luck with these or do you prefer a different system?

2 comments

2 Comments

wesley8012d ago

Wrote off self-watering pots for years. Thought they were a gimmick. Then a friend gave me one as a joke after my third peace lily bit the dust. Figured I'd try it with a calathea just to prove it wouldn't work. That plant is now so big I had to move it to the floor. @the_olivia is right, those reservoir pots are a game changer for picky plants. The fern I killed last year would probably still be alive if I'd had one.

the_olivia3d ago

Ferns are picky little jerks honestly. Tried the same dance with mine before switching to self watering pots too. Those reservoir pots saved my last Boston fern from certain death.