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Viva self watering planter - how to use?

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

Hi,

I recently purchased a couple self-catering planters from home hardware (Google Viva 1711 home hardware and you'll see it) and am confused about the design and hoping someone could explain it to me. From my reading, I understand that self-catering planters should have a reservoir of water at the bottom that you fill directly via tubes or access point, and this allows soil to wick water up from the bottom. This planter consists of a pot and a shelf, with the shelf creating a little reservoir, and a water overflow in the bottom of the pot at the level of the shelf. I have read that you should never watering a self-watering pot from the top, but there's no apparent way to water the reservoir itself.

Should I still a hole in the side to let me water the reservoir, fill the bottom of the reservoir with soil/gravel and put the shelf on top, or just scrap the shelf, drill drainage holes all over, and use it like a normal planter?

Thanks for the help,

James

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Comments (4)

purslanegarden
7 years ago
Could not find a good photo online and your photos don't show any kind of access point either.

You could make one yourself, I suppose, just by sitcking in some kind of pipe to the pot, or return it for a better design that is more intuitive about how it should work
mangoapricot (6a)
7 years ago
I'm surprised there's no hole on the side towards the bottom. Most other Viva brand planters has them. Yes, you could make one yourself.
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I hate to be a Debbie downer but I think problems will come your way. Does your condo have an association and rules? You may have exclusive access to the roof but building a structure of any type may not fly. Lets say they let you build it. Now you have building codes to deal with, and the snow load and live load of the roof will need to be known. The snow loads in Canada are 50 or 60 pounds per square foot. Roof live loads are low at around 20 Lbs/sq/ft and may not of been built to carry and heavy live load, so you'll need to find the live load of the roof and an engineer to certify it will be safe. One square foot of your planter will weigh approximately 60 + lbs per square foot, or in excess of 960 lbs on 16 sq. ft. This will dead load only and snow load can't be used to determine safety, snow load is for snow load only. Anyway good luck, and 16" apart will work if they're smaller plants. Farmers plant processing (bush) tomato plants in their fields spaced 18" apart.
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James Crawford
Original Author
7 years ago
After a little more research, I believe the intended use is to just leave it in the rain and not water it.

I ran some hose down the side so I can water the reservoir.
dale92539 Riverside Co SoCal
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I see what appears to be a vertical overflow in the container bottom, to set max water level. You can water with the vertical pipe suggestion, or water from bottom by submersion in water.( A water level at little higher than the height of overflow port top to just fill the reservoir). Any excess should drain from overflow port when removed, from filling the reservoir. Try with the empty pot to test. It appears as wicking media should be placed in the hollow portions of the 3 screen support feet only, leaving the reservoir area under screen for water only. This will draw water thru the capillary connection from support feet material into the growing medium.

Sample Viva Pot Photo

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