Benefits of Using a Self-Watering Indoor Planter
The main reason for you to choose a self-watering planter is having your herb plants hydrated at all times. No worries about forgetting to water them and you can travel with ease of mind. Besides these personal reasons, you ought to know the TOP 3 benefits.
1. Water Preservation
Self-watering planters are intended to minimize water losses through evaporation and outflow. The water in the reservoir is covered, so it does not evaporate easily.
Additionally, as the water slowly flows into the soil, there is no excess that needs to drain off as it is the case with traditional pots.
2. Soil Nutrients Retention
Whenever you water your herb plant grown in a traditional planter, the excess water drains out of the hole at the bottom. For this reason, the nutrients in the soil are lost too. Periodically, you will need to replenish the soil or add fertilizers.
Using a self-watering planter, you may skip this chore or do so less frequent as the closed system keeps the nutrients within the setting.
3. Healthy Root Growth
Many herb plants need thorough watering for healthy growth. The water flow from the reservoir of the self-watering planter supplies a consistent and adequate amount of water to the root to stimulate growth.
Do these benefits give you more reasons to start your Self-Watering Indoor Herb Garden? Let’s look at what is available for your choosing.
Self-Watering Herb Garden Planters
Simple & Economical
For you who are first hand at growing your own herbs and does not mind getting your hands messy with soil.
COLE & MASON Self-Watering Indoor Herb Garden Planter – Single Pot
Price: approximately $20
Reviews: 70 reviews
Dimension: 125mm (w) x 132mm (h) x 135mm (d).
The Good. This simple yet attractive planter is suitable for pot with a diameter of 3.35 inches, square or round. Good to know that you need NOT re-pot your plant.
Simply insert the hydro felt pad into the bottom of the retainer and place your potted herb into it. The hydro pad allows the plant to draw water as needed. You will receive 4 pads in the package which is a 1 year supply.
The base has a spout which makes it easy for you to fill the water when necessary.
The Bad. They may be one flaw of this product. A number of customers commented that the base of the unit leaks. This is due to the spout not sealed to the base. Therefore, water leaks out of the bottom of the spout.
For this reason, you are only able to fill the water up to the bottom of the spout. And it may not be enough for self-watering purposes should you be away for more than a couple of days. You may need to do a little “DIY” improvement on it. A small tube of silicone sealant will do the job.
Overall. With a price tag of about $20, this fuss-free self-watering planter is very easy to use. Look at this product - it is actually very cute and attractive. Place it at your kitchen counter, it does not take up much space. And it fits on your windowsill too.
Start with one unit of this planter. Once tried and tested, you may consider buying a few to plant other variety of herbs. Line up your windowsill with herb plants, a beautiful sight!
__________________________________________________________________________________
AQUAPHORIC Self-Watering Planter 5”
Price: approximately $15
Review: 264 reviews
Dimension: 5.25 x 4.75 x 4 inches
The Good. This is a very straightforward self-watering indoor planter. Instead of using traditional potting soil, this planter uses fibre soil which is included in the package. So, all you need is a herb plant.
There is a water level indicator that lets you know when and how much to water your plants. In this case, you don’t need to guess.
The Bad. While it is simple and easy using the compressed fibre soil disk, you need to know that it contains minimal nutrients. Therefore, fertilizer is needed to keep your indoor herb plant growing lush and vibrant.
Overall. This self-watering planter is one of the most economical. If you already have a herb plant, simply transplant into this planter. If not, you may start with herb seeds or nursery-bought seedlings. Learn more about growing your own herbs.
Have fun choosing the colour of the Aquaphoric Planter, ranging from black, blue, green, pink, purple and many more. There should be one or two that match the concept of your kitchen.
Do you prefer bigger planters? Here are the options with the same concept as above.
Aquaphoric Self-Watering Planter 7”
Price: approximately $18
Review: 304 reviews
Dimension: 7 x 6.5 x 5.5 inches
Aquaphoric Herb Garden Tub
Price: approximately $40
Review: 63 reviews
Dimension: 14 x 5.75 x 7.25 inches
_________________________________________________________________
Advanced Gardening System and Reasonably Priced
For you whose home may have limited sunlight exposure and happy to maintain your herb plants without hassle.
Beautlohas Indoor Herb Garden
Price: approximately $55
Review: 13 reviews
Dimension: 12.2 x 4.6 x 4.3 inches
The Good. This Indoor Garden Kit simply makes things much simpler. Functioning on a hydroponic growing system, it does not use soil. Vermiculite, known to have strong water retention is used as the growing medium.
There is a water shortage indicator reminding you to top up the water.
As for the grow light, you don’t need to be reminded to on or off it. The energy efficient LED grow light is on a 16 ON/8 OFF hours timer. Additionally, you can use the grow light as a reading light too. Simply click the switch to on the reading LED light and click it again turning on the pink LED grow light. Reset the on/off timer by holding down the switch for 3 seconds.
How to use this kit? Easy.
- 1. Remove the planting pod cover
- 2. Sow the herb seeds into the pod
- 3. Fill the container with water (1L capacity)
- 4. Turn on the grow light
- 5. Let them grow!
It does not take up much space on your kitchen counter.
The Bad. With only 2 planting pods, you may have limited choices of herbs for cooking. Well, choose your favourite herbs to grow.
Overall. No worries about watering your plants and dealing with messy soil, this planter is absolutely wonderful to begin your indoor herb garden. Easy to set up and at a price of about $55 with a 90-day money back guarantee, this is a very sensible buy.
___________________________________________________________________
Aerogarden Sprout LED with Gourmet Herb Seed Pod Kit
Price: approximately $75
Review: 550 reviews
Dimension: 11 x 4.5 x 10 inches
The Good. With this gardening kit, you will have everything needed to start growing. You need water though. Plants grow in water, not soil. Therefore, you wouldn't be making a mess with the soil.
Included in the package is
- • 3 Gourmet Herb Seed pods (Genovese Basil, Curly Parsley and Dill)
- • 3oz Patented Nutrients (enough for a full season of growth)
It is relatively easy to set up and operate this kit. It has 2 useful features.
- 1. The automated timer makes sure the lights go on and off at exactly the time you set.
- 2. A nutrient timer reminds you to add nutrients.
The grow light contains 60 LED bulbs giving your plants the full spectrum of sunlight for optimum growth. The height of the lamp is 10” that gives a growing area of 4.5 – 10”.
The Bad. The herbs grow rapidly with the help of the grow light and for this reason, they will outgrow the space. Also, the space between the 3 pod holes is narrow. Thus, your herbs have to fight for the space to grow high and wide.
Despite having timers for the grow light and nutrients reminder, there is no electronic reminder for adding water. But you can easily see the water level through the window. You won’t miss it.
Overall. Apart from the growth area, this Aerogarden Sprout is a relatively good buy at approximately $75. There is no hassle setting this up and you will be getting everything needed to start growing. The small footprint, 11 x 4.5 x 10 inches is ideal if there is a space concern.
This unit is perfect for you if you are
- • Starting out, growing your own herbs
- • Finding out if this style of growing is for you. I know some people like to get their hands “dirty”, contact with nature.
- • Simply forgetful – often forget to water your herb plants
____________________________________________________________________
Click and Grow Smart Garden 3 Indoor Gardening Kit
Price: approximately $100
Review: 110 reviews
Dimension: 9 x 4.9 x 12.5 inches
The Good. Technology certainly brought indoor gardening up to another level. This Smart Garden takes care of your plants automatically by making sure they have enough water, light and nutrients at all times.
With its Smart Soil Technology, the soil uses patented Nano-tech growth medium that accelerates the plant’s growth without jeopardizing quality.
The installation is hassle-free. I certainly do not like complicated assembling. I am sure you don’t. Here is how easy it is
- 1. Drop the plant capsules into the container
– The capsules are biodegradable and contain no harmful chemicals.
- 2. Fill the water reservoir
– The reservoir holds 1.2L/40oz of water and can last for up to 3 weeks
- 3. Plug in the device (120V – 240V)
– The LED lighting only consumes 8W of power
- 4. Let them grow!
As your herb plants grow, you can adjust the height of the LED lamp.
There are 3 basil capsules included in the kit. For subsequent plant, you can choose from over 40 herb or fruit plants to grow.
The Bad. In the long run, the cost of the plant cartridges may add up. For this reason, you may consider using your own herb seeds. Add your own potting soil if needed. But bear in mind that the system is designed to work best with Smart Soil. No harm trying though. You can always buy their experimental refill (Smart Soil) or revert to their pre-seeded plant capsules.
Take note to check your package for the basil capsules as there were a few comments that it wasn’t included. An email to Click and Grow had those sorted out quickly without fuss.
Overall. This Smart Garden 3 Indoor Gardening Kit, at nearly $100 is a reasonable buy. Why? You are able to grow your own herbs almost immediately without the need to buy any other supplies or accessories. Should you stay at an apartment with limited access to daylight, the LED grow light certainly helps. Furthermore, you need not worry about forgetting to water your plants.
A Common Problem
Mould is a common problem with most self-watering indoor planters. Why?
Mould can form on any potting soil when the conditions are too moist and the air is stagnant. Do not worry. You can easily fix this problem.
- 1. Gently spoon off the mould and discard.
- 2. Move your planter to get better airflow.
- 3. Sprinkle ground cinnamon onto the area where mould was removed or
- 4. Top the planter with a light layer of mulch.
All in All
All you want is to grow your own herbs without worries about watering or coming home from a trip to see your herb plants wilted. Sad, isn’t it? Well, with self-watering indoor planters, you can grow your herbs all year round.
Many self-watering planters use the hydroponic technology while Click and Grow gone one step further using Smart Soil Technology. Needless to say, technology comes with a price. Will the sheer joy of watching your herb plants growing abundantly stir you into buying the more expensive self-watering planters? Yes, No?
On a budget, you can always go for the conventional and cheaper version of these planters. If you have enough sunlight exposure at where you are staying, the basic self-watering indoor planters without the grow light are all you need.
Otherwise, I will urge you to consider buying the Click and Grow or Aerogarden which comes with the grow light.
On a tight budget? I understand. Alternatively, you can look at the economical grow lights available that go well with the conventional planters.
I will leave you to your decision. Knowing that you will be having fresh herbs for cooking all year round sounds wonderful, isn’t it? Well, make it happen. Start your self-watering indoor herb garden today. Let’s get growing!
Should you have more herbs than needed for cooking, you must try juicing with herbs.
Please Leave a Comment
Have you been growing your own herbs or owned a self-watering planter before? Share with us your experiences.
Look forward to reading your comments.
Share This Article
If you find this blog post interesting, please share it with anyone that you think might find it useful. Thank you and have a good day!
From the Corner of My Home – Spice Up Your Life with Herbs and Spices
Disclosure: This blog post may contain affiliate links as part of the Amazon Services LLC Associate Programs and other affiliate services. This means that coenerofmyhome.com receives a small commission by linking to amazon.com and other sites at no extra cost to the readers.
Some great information you have shared here about the benefits of growing an indoor herb garden in a self watering pot. I didn’t realise that watering in normal pots drains away the nutrients with the excess water, but that’s fantastic to know and understand, I’ve often struggled top get certain plants growing, particularly coriander. Perhaps this is part of the reason!
Hi Josie. Nutrients may be part of the reason but take care of the sun exposure too. Coriander needs at least 4 hours of sunlight. And regular watering is needed to keep the soil moist but not soaked. Having the self-watering pot will help but remember to place it on the windowsill if you are growing coriander indoors.
Thanks for dropping by.
Sharon
I love to grow my own herbs for cooking, the fresh tastes so much better than what you often can find in the supermarkets. That is why finding this article and review of the self-watering indoor herb gardens was so timely today for me. This is the perfect solution that you are offering, and you have covered the subject well.
I like also that somehow this whole indoor gardening can make a difference for the environment, as you are contributing to lessening all the pollution and waste that is involved with the harvesting and logistics to get the herbs to the supermarkets. So the herbs I harvest from my indoor garden can taste doubly so good in my culinary delights.
Of the options that you have highlighted and reviewed, the one I like best is not the cheapest (of course not!). Since this is not a one-off purchase, I do not mind spending a little more and having something that will be used again and again to grow my herbs. That would be the Aerogarden Sprout LED With Gourmet Herb Seed Pod Kit…
It is not the most expensive kit, but it also does not involve some of the extra environment impactful stuff that you get with the more expensive option. I think for me this Aerogarden Sprout system is the best compromise for me, and the price is reasonable.
Thanks for a very well laid out review of the self-watering indoor herb gardens that are out there to buy, and I do hope lots of people read this and take action. Each little bit of change to help the environment makes a difference, and the foods the herbs that you grow with the systems can be used in will taste better too!
Hello Dave. Thank you so much for sharing your insights on growing our own herbs and use them for cooking. The taste is definitely different with fresh herbs from the garden to plate. I grow my own basil and mint, and the aroma is much better than store bought.
I believe you have made the right choice with the Aerogarden Sprout. It is an all-in-one system that allows you to set-up and start growing in no time. Let me know how the herbs turn up.
Happy Growing!
Sharon
Hi Sharon. My Mother sometimes leaves from home and she has lots of plants. Maybe she could use some self planters to make it easier and not worry.
The 7″ inch self planter seems decent and cheap at 18$. I will need to read the article more times because i don’t know anything about planting and some things i must reread to get a better grasp of them.
Maybe i will get one of these as a birthday gift hehe. Good article. It was an easy read even though i’m a newbie. Cheers.
Hello George. Besides serving its purpose, I think it will make a beautiful addition to the home as they come in many colours. Mix and match the colours. Should you want to learn more about growing your herbs indoor, read more here.
Happy growing!
Sharon