Yes, Self-Watering Planters Work: Here's How To Use 'Em

Over- and underwatering is the root of many houseplant woes: Yellow spots, curling leaves, and a droopy appearance can all be traced back to the water supply. It's tricky to know exactly how much water your plant needs at any given time, which is where subirrigated or "self-watering" planters come in. Essentially, they allow plants to hydrate themselves so you can sit back and toss that weekly watering schedule out the window.

When a houseplant doesn't get enough water, the water it does get tends to stay on top of the soil, drying out the roots below. As long as your self-watering planter is refilled with water periodically, you don't have to worry about this either.

Since self-watering planters allow plants to sip water as needed, they don't require as much from you as a plant parent. "The plant itself is doing that work of deciding how much water to draw out," explains Rebecca Bullene, the founder of Brooklyn-based plant shop Greenery Unlimited. "You don't actually have to worry about the increment." For this reason, self-watering planters can be good for outdoor plants, too, since they ensure you won't accidentally double-water a plant after a rainstorm.

In addition to protecting the bottom of your plant from overwatering and root rot, self-watering planters also keep the top of your soil from getting too moist and attracting pests like fungus gnats.

While an inconsistent watering schedule may seem like par for the course, it can actually stress a plant out: "Plants really crave consistency: They want to have consistent moisture levels. They want to have consistent light. They want to have consistency in temperature," says Bullene. "And as humans, we're a very inconsistent species." With self-watering planters, you don't have to worry about leaving your plant out to dry the next time you go on vacation or have a crazy week at work.

Self-watering planters can be especially convenient for hanging plants or plants that live in hard-to-reach areas since they'll cut down on the number of times you need to pull out the step stool or shimmy your way over to them.

In between refills, Bullene says you can continue to water the top of your plants lightly every so often to raise humidity levels around their leaves. Misting your plant's leaves, then wiping them down with a microfiber towel periodically can also ensure that they don't get clogged with dust, which can mess with their ability to photosynthesize. Other than that, your self-watering planter should handle everything else in the water department.

Certain plants with shallow roots (think succulents like snake plants and cactuses) will not benefit from being placed in a self-watering planter since their roots don't extend far enough into soil to take advantage of capillary action. However, these plants also tend to be pretty forgiving and require less water anyway. Most other plants (Bullene estimates a good 89% of 'em) have deep enough roots to thrive in these containers.

Self-watering containers tend to cost about the same as a standard planter, but if you're looking to save money, you can DIY your own pretty easily. Simply fill a large bowl with water and pop the bowl on an elevated surface next to your plant. Then, place one end of a string in the water so it's fully submerged (you might want to use a paper clip for this), and place the other end in your plant's soil, about 1 to 2 inches down. Make sure that the string is on a downward slope so that water can travel from your bowl down to your plant whenever it gets thirsty.

Self-watering planters are a convenient option for plant parents who struggle to keep up a consistent watering schedule or travel often. They're easy to use, take the guesswork out of watering, and are suitable for most plant species.