That $60 self-watering pot I laughed at actually saved my basil

My neighbor swore by these ugly plastic pots with a reservoir at the bottom. I thought it was a gimmick. Three weeks in August I forgot to water and everything else wilted. That basil was still perky. Now I own four. Has anyone else had a cheap gadget actually work better than expected?

2 comments

2 Comments

patricia_lee1mo ago

Oh man, I had the exact same thing happen. I bought one on clearance thinking it was stupid and it kept my mint alive through a heatwave when everything else was crispy. Pro tip: fill the reservoir with a little diluted fertilizer and your basil will go nuts all summer. Which one did you get?

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emmajackson1mo agoMost Upvoted

Hold up, are you sure about the fertilizer in the reservoir thing? I tried that with one of those self-watering pots and the water got all slimy and stank like rotten eggs. Ended up killing half my plants. I think most of them work better with just plain water, and you add the fertilizer when you water the top. Was it a specific brand that handled it okay or did you just get lucky?