Q&A for How to Use Wicks to Water Plants

You can buy them from local stores. I would think you would be able to find individual wicks near oil candles.

Capillary action becomes sluggish after you exceed 33 centimeters, ensure you keep it at 15 to 20 centimeters.

You can use 2 liter plastic soda bottles for wicking. Cut 1/3 of the top off. Flip the top upside down and invert into larger section. Top part is your pot and bottom is your water vessel. Insert wick. I add a small piece of coffee filter doubled to hold in the soil. Insert soaked wick and soil/plant. Fill your vessel with water.

Thread the wick inside some plastic tubing. Insert the tubing a little way into the plant container's drainage hole. Punch a hole in a plastic lid to fit the tubing through, seal the vessel with the lid.

Yes, it is possible as I have done so for years. I don't use candle wicks or specialty cords. I use fuzzy yarn (thin yarn dries out). Has to be synthetic or it will rot.

You should use this method only to water house plants. When it comes to plants in a field, you should water them by yourself.

Yes, it does. I put my pot in a flower vase large enough to hold the pot on the top of the vase and fill with water just below the pot. The water will last for more than six months.

It depends on the bed size, the plants' water needs, and other transpiration rate. But most importantly, you need to have the space, time, budget, and crafting skills. Getting enough water for vegetables, fruits and showy flowers will require a lot of wicking and bottles. I've seen people use the top of a cut in half bottle buried in the soil as watering funnels. I'm suspicious of the method because it seems likely to concentrate water at the bottom of the bed. Honestly, drip tape is your best better.

Use a synthetic material as your wick, such as nylon rope (superior), acrylic yarn, etc.

Use a synthetic fiber such as a nylon cord, acrylic yarn, or strips of nylon stockings to use as a wick. Organic fibers like cotton will work well for a period of time, but will eventually rot and fall apart. Synthetic wicks won't rot and will be able to provide your plants with a continuous supply of water.

Yes! Using a wick to water your plants is a simple way to make sure they have a steady supply of water. As the soil in the plant's container dries out, the wick draws water from the reservoir to hydrate the plant. When the soil is saturated enough, the wick stops pulling water.

Use a wick to water your plants while you're away! Take a strip of synthetic fiber like nylon stockings or cord and fill a container such as a bucket or a jug with water to serve as your reservoir. Bury 1 end of the wick into the potting soil so it's about 3 inches (7.6 cm) deep. Then, place the other end of the wick into the bottom of your reservoir. Use a rock or a heavy coin to hold the wick at the bottom of the container. As long as there's water in the reservoir, the wick will water your plants!

Pour few drops of oil in water reservoirs. By doing this you reduce the surface tension of water. Mosquito eggs will not float.

That depends on how far are you are placing the water from the pot. You need to make sure that the rope between the two is not taut, there needs to be little relaxation in the rope for water to soak through till the end. If you have extra rope left, you can just place it in the water container.