Returning home to discover dead or wilting plants is not the ideal end to a holiday. With a little forethought you can ensure your plants are kept well-watered while you’re away, without being overly reliant on obliging friends or neighbours.
Follow our simple guide to setting up a self-watering system, below.
You Will Need
- A flat tray
- A deep tray
- Capillary matting
- Large pots
Total time:
Step 1

Set up a flat tray over a container of water and cover with capillary matting. Add a piece of matting, which will function as a wick, drawing up water from the reservoir below.
Step 2

Fill the water reservoir right up to its brim and thoroughly wet the matting.
Step 3

Put pots on the surface, pressing them down so the pot’s draining holes are in contact with the matting. Ideally, ask a friend or neighbour to top up the reservoir from time to time.