Never let the water chamber run completely dry. Once the chamber runs dry, the soil will quickly dry out, and once the soil itself is dry, it will no longer wick water!
Think about a completely dried-up dishsponge. If you try to wipe up a spill with a completely dry sponge, it doesn't work very well. It needs to be a little wet in order for capillary action to work.
For this same reason, when you first fill your planter with potting mix, water it lightly from above just to moisten the soil. From there on out the water will wick up automatically from below.
Do not leave
self-watering pots out after hard frost. The water chamber in the bottom will freeze and expand, and it can break the pot. If you want to store them outside for the winter, drain the bottom completely dry, and preferably, empty and invert them until spring, as you would with terra cotta.
Though many are photographed with flowers, all of them will work as well with vegetables. Pick the ones that fit your space, the size of vegetables and herbs you want to grow, and your sense of aesthetic. Have fun!
- See more at: http://www.planterchina.com/product/Flower%20pot%20%7C%20Planters.html
