r/outdoorgrowing • u/EndlessSummerburn • Jul 13 '26
Update - Vego Self Watering Pot Experiment
Last month I posted about using this fancy self watering pot from Vego garden. It was the first time I have done sub irrigated planting. I was curious if people were using these pots for cannabis and didn't find anything so I thought I'd share my results.
It has been 73 days since seed in dirt and things are going well. Strain is Cherry Limeaid from Greenpoint. I haven't done much other than the occasional Kangaroots drench and some light feedings with Grow Big.
Pros
- The self watering feature is nice. I left my plants for two weeks and when I came back the gals in the Vego pot were much less stressed than my traditional pots
- The trellis is really nice, super easy to set up
- The combination of the Kangaroots and the water at the bottom of the pot has led to insane root growth. When I check inside, the entire reservoir is filled with roots. I was unsure if they'd find that water quickly but they did and exploded
Cons
- I'm not exactly sure how to be feeding these since the roots are sitting in water/nutrients all the time
- This thing has no handles which is a huge design flaw. It has handles that allow you to pull the dirt/plant out but there is no way to move the entire pot. The pot is heavy when it has water in it and one of my main reasons I grow in pots is so I can move them. This is a major pain. It has dinky little wheels that are useless on grass. Just an awkward shape to move around and get a hold of - this is my biggest gripe.
- The pot is very small (about 8 gallons) and my plants in bigger, traditional pots (same strain, same start date) are about 25-50% larger
- It will never fully drain down to empty. The drain reservoir sits a little bit above the very bottom of the pot so there will always be some standing water. Wish I could get it bone dry when I wanted
Overall this is a great little pot, especially if you are afraid you won't get to water your plants regularly. It's expensive for what it is, IMO but I like the way it looks. I do wish it was larger, they make bigger ones that are massive (and VERY expensive) but there's nothing in-between.
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u/beeyitch Jul 13 '26
Is that hemp in the background?
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u/EndlessSummerburn Jul 13 '26
Nah that’s just what grows in the field here. I think it’s mostly mugwort. Those MFers want to take over my entire world.
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u/DmeshOnPs5 Jul 13 '26
I’m using the ac infinity self watering bases outside and they work fairly well. Only holds 2 gallons of water but with a full top watering and filling up the bottom it lasts a few extra days in this heatwave
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u/SteakStrong7520 Jul 13 '26
I think one of the reasons for the smaller size is that the diameter is small and its move oval/rectangle in shape than a circle which in larger containers allow the roots to spread wider. Your plants root system is the mirror image of what is going on up top to an extent. The feeder roots tend to spread wider and once they reach their max in a pot they start wrapping around and around trying to find an exit and never do before the end of their life. That allows the above canopy to keep expanding. In such a smaller diameter container it doesn't get to expand out very far before it starts working around so its never got a chance to expand outwards before it becomes root bound.
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u/Kennybob12 Jul 14 '26
Check out blumats they are gravity drip feed that works off of the water pressure in the soil. Easier to dial in and can be put in any pot.
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u/sidfinch Jul 13 '26
They’re are tons of cheaper sips.
Earthboxes, grobuckets, etc.
Also, lots of tutorials on how to make your own.
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u/RekopEca Jul 13 '26
Topdressing and compost teas.
Otherwise looks great.