Question: I purchased some self-watering pots (elsewhere) and have found that with a couple of these, the water never would weep into the pot with the soil and the plant. I’ve lost two violets due to the lack of water not seeping through the inside liner pot. Any suggestions?
Answer: If working properly, a self-watering ‘violet pot’ keeps the soil constantly moist by allowing the water in the outer glazed pot (reservoir) to keep the unglazed inner pot wet and, by osmosis, the soil inside. If the inner pot is clean and unglazed, sometimes you just need to get the process started. Try soaking the inner pot in (hot) water before using (potting in) it. This will get it clean (unclog the pores, so to speak) and give capillary action a head star. Water the plant from the surface of the soil in the beginning, so that both the soil and the inner pot are damp. The self-watering process should begin once the damp inner pot is submersed in the reservoir water.