Best Self-Watering Pot I’ve Ever Used

Before he left the Dallas Arboretum and moved on to be horticultural director of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Australia, I went down to see my friend Jimmy Turner. The conversation began something like this, “We’re really going to miss you around here (same sentence, same breath continued) … how are you growing African violets and episcias and streptocarpus like those? HOW?” Then I gasped for air.

Jimmy replied, “Oh, it’s all in the pots. They’re Lechuzas.”

I thought Jimmy had sneezed.

He continued, “I can be travelling for three weeks. I fill the reservoirs before I leave, and the plants are better than ever when I get back.”

So I’ve had about a dozen Lecuzas for two years now, and I’m as sold as Jimmy was.

Their plus:
• They really work! And with a variety of plants.

Their minuses:
• They’re kinda funky shapes and colors. Very modern looking, which is fine for certain settings, but not so much for our traditional décor.
• They’re not sold in stores. You have to buy them by mail. They’re made in Germany, but they must have some kind of U.S. distribution, because orders arrive within days. (You may see listings that one or two regional chains handle Lechuzas, but call ahead. I have not found any that still do.)
• They come with their own potting mix. It’s like KFC’s “secret herbs and spices.” You can’t tell exactly what’s in it. But there’s never quite enough of it, so I combine it with a tip-top quality potting soil.
• These pots are expensive compared to any other pot that I’ve bought, but considering how well my plants have done, I am absolutely not complaining.

So let’s tally the votes:
One plus. Four minuses. The plus wins by a landslide! (Hey, that sounds like some of our U.S. elections!) But all kidding aside, when I bought my first several Lechuzas, all I wanted was something that would let me succeed (for the first time in my life) with African violets and that might give me long-term hope with Phalaenopsis orchids. Two of the plants in my photo below have been growing in Lechuzas for two years (the two-toned white African violet and the shortest light purple orchid), while the others are recently potted from Valentine’s Day last Sunday.

 

(Note: Lechuza is not, nor have they ever been an advertiser in anything I do. I buy from their website at regular price. These opinions are my own observations.)