Okay, so I’ve been seeing these self-watering orchid pots all over the place, and my orchids, well, they’re not exactly thriving. I tend to overwater, then underwater… it’s a whole thing. So, I decided to give this self-watering thing a try. I mean, how hard could it be, right?
Getting Started
First, I gathered my supplies. I picked up a couple of clear plastic pots – one slightly smaller than the other. The smaller one will hold the orchid and the potting mix, and the larger one will act as the water reservoir. I also grabbed some orchid bark mix, because that’s what my orchids seem to like. And, of course, I needed some wicks. I just used some strips of old cotton t-shirt, but you can buy actual wicks if you want to be fancy.
Setting Up the System
- I started by threading the cotton strips through the drainage holes of the smaller pot. I made sure they were long enough to reach the bottom of the larger pot.
- Then, I placed the smaller pot inside the larger one. The wicks should be dangling down into the bottom of the larger pot.
- Next, I carefully removed my orchid from its old pot and loosened up the roots a bit.
- I added some of the orchid bark mix to the smaller pot, then placed the orchid on top. I filled in the rest of the pot with the bark mix, making sure the roots were nicely covered.
Adding Water and Watching
The final step was simple to add the water.
I carefully filled the outer pot (the larger one) with water, making sure the water level was high enough for the wicks to reach, but not so high that it touched the bottom of the inner pot. The idea is that the wicks will soak up the water and deliver it to the potting mix as needed.
Fingers crossed
It’s really work,I observed the setup and the orchids doing well.
I checked the water level every few days and refilled it as needed. And you know what? My orchids actually seem happier! They’re not waterlogged, and they’re not drying out. It’s like magic!
So, yeah, that’s my little self-watering orchid pot experiment. It was way easier than I thought, and it seems to be working. If you’re like me and struggle with watering your orchids, you should totally give this a try!
