Baxrou Plant Self Watering Stakes 12 Pack Terracotta Watering Spikes for Indoor and Outdoor Plants,Wine Bottle Plant Watering Devices, Automatic Plant Waterers for Vacation

I recently ordered a second box of these because I liked the first box so much. I originally bought them to self-water my four orchid plants while we were away for a few days. These were just too big for the orchid pots, so that didn't work. However, I put them into my pots of tomatoes and other plants on the deck, and they worked very well. I used one liter bottles. These are not equal to a really good soaking rain or the hose, however, they did keep my plants going during some very hot and dry days.

This is my secret weapon in my garden. I swear by these things. They are fragile so I recommend filling the stake with water before putting the bottle in. And completely soak the stakes for at least 10 minutes prior to putting in dirt; use a flat hand on top to push down, THEN place the bottle in. I fill these weekly. Rain is the deep watering and occasionally let them dry completely to prevent root rot. But these things are incredible. We use old wine bottles (I’m a server and take home the empty bottles my tables leave behind) and a Lowe’s bucket that I leave out collecting rain water. I occasionally add fertilizer.

My mom has been using these to help feed her plants while she is out of town. The stakes are easy to use and last long in certain plants. They can be a little tough to take off because they are fragile but otherwise, no complaints! They work well for watering plants for over a week (thirsty plant dependent).

I actually really like this. It's a life saver. They go great in the garden. They do what it stated. Well worth the money. Also if you use Gator bottles it fits snuggly and you get more water. And they won't break. Helps a lot of you have a newborn and want to make sure your garden doesn't die

Works well! A pint jar of water (health aide kombucha) lasts several days, and a larger wine-sized bottle lasts up to a week. I like the watering stakes for evening out the moisture for plants that don’t like to dry out. Also, the one I’m using in a big outdoor pot was stable in pretty strong wind—I’d recommend burying as deeply as you can (stake flush with ground) for stability.

Disappointed with these. Based on the product description, I thought the terracotta material would allow my plants to self-water as needed. They worked well for one of my really big plants in a plastic pot that needs constant hydration, but they ended up killing two of my other plants. Some mold started developing on the spikes where they meet the soil. Because they water so deeply, I couldn’t tell from the surface that my plants were being overwatered, and they developed root rot. I think these would work better for plants in larger pots that aren’t ceramic or terracotta and don’t require well-drained soil.

Great product to keep your plants moist when you are away.

When I got these I thought for sure they would be all broken on arrival and that the few that were in tact would prove to be total failures. They are well packed and arrived in perfect condition. And the real shock? They actually seem to be working. I have some with full size regular wine bottles and some with a split size, or a glass soda bottle. I'm only using them in my "heavy drinker" plants. What I'm noticing is that if the soil isn't moist to begin with, it takes longer for the water to drip through the terra cotta. Makes sense. When dirt is fully dry, it doesn't take water right away and you have to let water sit for a while before the soil absorbs it. So definitely lightly water the soil before you insert the stake. Of course, how long it takes to drain into the soil will depend on the moistness of the soil, the spike (you're supposed to soak it before use) and the size of your bottle. I have some plants that the bottle emptied in three days, but other plants that are taking over a week. I have about 40 plants in one room and just being able to look at the bottle has made it easier to see which plants actually need more water and which don't. I'll be buying more of these stakes as well as some of the more whimsical ones. NOTE: These do well for larger plants. Maybe 10" pots and up. I'm going to be buying the silly cute ones for my smaller plants where the pot us under 10". But these large stakes are inexpensive (in comparison to the "cute" ones) and they will definitely see their share of use in the bigger plant pots.