WaterUps SQUARE PLANTER
WaterUps SQUARE PLANTER
The perfect growing container for almost any plant. Utilising wicking bed innovation makes this container super easy to grow and care for not only ornamental plants but veggies and fruiting plants also.
These self-watering pots are perfect for not only for our hot dry summers but also for FIFO workers, those who live in apartments or units, new gardeners or growing plants that need that bit of extra water. WaterUps use 80% less water but have shown to increase plant growth by 30%.
Made from post-consumer recycled polypropylene.
How they work
WaterUps Square Planter have an in-built water reservoir in the base. Water is added by an inlet pipe at the top, above the soil, to fill the reservoir. This water is then wicked up into the soil via capillary action through the perlite wicks. This provides moisture to where it is of most valuable, in the soil, not running out the bottom of the pot.
Self-watering pots and planters will have a dry layer of soil on the surface. The further down you go, the more water is in the soil. Between 5 and 10cm down the soil will be perfectly moist. The dry soil on the surface reduces evaporation and humidity at the base of plants. This almost eliminates mould and mildew disease often present on indoor plants and the dry soil layer also deters insects that lay their eggs at the base of plants.
An overflow pipe connected to the reservoir drains off any excess water, avoiding damping off disease that can lead to root rot.
Topping up the reservoir
Self-watering pots and planters allow the planting mix to hold a lot more water than normal pots. In the case of the Square Planter, the 50lt of soil will carry 12.5lt of water. That is about 2/3 of the reservoir, so when planting and filling for the first time it is important to understand that it will take a few days for the soil to draw the maximum amount of water into its pores.
Give it 3 days for the soil to wick up the water, fill up the reservoir again and then top up as needed. This can be anything from 1 to 6 weeks depending on: the time of year, whether your plant is inside or outside, the environment you live in, the type of plant in the pot, and the size of your reservoir.