How to make a water level indicator (water gauge) 

Hi Swedish plant guys, I want to let you know that I made my own self watering system the other day and I just want to let you know that a friend of mine showed me to use a wooden skewer with a ball of foam on the bottom of it. (He made it up on the spot as I was explaining to him what I needed to do.) It looks much much neater than the foam stick. I just wanted to let you know and thank you for teaching me how to make one of these. If you want to photo just let me know. Kind regards Mari-Anne

I'm currently binge watching all of your videos. Definitely the most informative plant channel on RU-vid! Thanks for making great videos.

More details on all aspects of self watering for all the different kinds of plants! Yay! I would never have even thought to ask this question. Really appreciate this video. Keep up the good work!

The best! Been looking for this forever! Thank you

Following your instructions, I made several Styrofoam indicators and they are working amazingly well for my office plants! Using these gauges is helping me learn how often to water plants that have different needs (e.g. calathea vs peace lily vs ZZ plant) given the conditions in my office, which are different from those in my home. Thank you so much! I'm enjoying my plants so much more now that I don't have to stress about getting a watering schedule right! To make the indicators prettier, I cut the Styrofoam strip much shorter than you showed (perhaps 1/2 of the outer tube) and stuck a wooden skewer on top. I then affixed an "ornament" to the top of each skewer. Some have bright buttons, others have twisted wire with beads. I measured the indicator so that the decorative piece floats a few centimeters above the outer tube and rests on its rim when it needs to be watered. Now they are functional AND good-looking! I'm going to experiment with corks for the "bobbing" part next.

Your clear explanations of the fine points to keep our plants healthy are brilliant. I love simple and straightforward solutions!

Hello I'm from Thailand. Thank you so much. It's an easy-to-understand method.

Fantastic! I love watching your videos! 😍

Awesome video, very articulate without over explaining, thanks!

Great content. Very detailed as usual, thank you

you are Brilliant. much appreciate sharing this info

Excellent knowledge and well described tutorial. Thanks also for clearing up the question/answer issue. Tack!

A very truly appreciated video.

This is excellent teaching! I garden in large tubs that was used to provide elcectrolytes for cows, etc. I have turned them into self-wicking but it was always hard to tell when they were out of water. Thank you from Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA.

Amazing. Very useful information from a professional

great idea! one of the most informative plantchannels out here

Nicely done video and great coverage In detail of the process of making this work properly. I was thinking of using a cooking skewer or chopstick and a wine cork for the float since these are the materials I happen to have on hand. Thanks for the demo. It makes sure I think this through thoroughly and do it right the first time.

Thanks so much, I used this on my plants and it works perfectly.

I will now add it to my kratky gardens where water level is also important ... thanks for the ideas. Namaste Jay

SPG to my rescue again, thanks.

Amazing thanks!

OMG thank you so much for this!! I actually bought the manufactured ones but it came with no instructions/ any step-by-step video. So I got so confused and your video saved my plants!!

You always work very hard to explain even a small point👍🏻🙏

Thanks for making this video. I've converted all of my plants from soil to leca and was I am using a 3/8" Polyethylene Tubing with .170" thick Clear Vinyl Tubing to siphon the old water out, and add fresh fertilized water and that has worked out well for me. But not being able to see water level in some of my pots I inserted a straw but it does not float. After thought, I finally realized I can use miniture styrofoam balls to serve that purpose. Then, I saw your video and I knew I was on the right track!

Great idea!

Brilliant!! I've been trying to make one of these at home, but I haven't had much success. I think I was trying to use too small of a tube. I'll get some pvc pipe to try this out asap!

Brilliant !

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge! I have two questions: 1. What happens if the plant has more water roots than normal roots? Can it live for a long time? 2. Must the water level always be the highest(the indicator is on the top of the pipe)? Many thanks in advance for considering my questions!

Ty this is a great idea!

I come back for the pronunciation of ‘plont’

Thanks. Love it...great simple idea and at long last a use for my pet hate polystyrene so environmentally good from that aspect. It should be illegal nowadays with so many environmentally friendly options around.....rant over lol. Enjoyed the video. Informative and helpful as always. Thanks again :)

That's pretty cool.

So clever!

Love this! Very creative! I would love to see plant problems. For instance, my deiffenbachia is losing leaves. Only has them at the top. It seems that when it shoots out another leaf it dries up and falls off. Thought it needed more water but when I give it more, the leaves turn black like over watered. Now it just has leaves at the top. I gave it some fish emulsion which pushed out more leaves but it's not quite "happy". I moved out closer to an indirect lighted window. Maybe that's it? Hard to find videos about this. I'm wondering if it's the soil now? Thanks for any help you can give me.

This is the most informative videos I have ever watched. Please what is the medium you put like bubbles below the plan

Can you talk about ceramic aqua probes? How to use properly and how to prevent the probe from drying out.

Make sure the pumice doesnt get inside the indicator because it would jam that indicator and you would have to start from the beginning and replant the plant again. It happened to me.

Wow!

Can i use self watering pot for my rubber plant?and what kind of soil mix can i use?

Hi, could you please tell me when the plant out grows the small area it has on the top area of the self watering pots, how easy is it to repot or to propagate and split up the plant. Also I know each plant is different but does it take long for it to grow out and fill up that small area Kind regards Mari-Anne

Thanx for the video, it solved all my queries, but as a first time user of ready made self watering planter, accidentally I overwatered my plant as indicator mark went quiet above the maximum level. Now I am worried whether it will affect my plant. Please guide me

Nice tutorial, surely going to use this. What is the ratio of the pumice mixture, how much pumice and how much clay and nutrients pellets? Also what kind of clay and nutrients pellets?

Where do you get the pumice mixture?

How do you determine your maximum level if you don't have a glass pot? In your demo you can see the water came to just below the root ball, but with a normal pot how does one know where the maximum level will be?

Hi, this only works with self-watering systems? I got plants with good drainage system so it wont hold any water, you don't have indicators for those?

how we can give organic or chemical fertilizer in this system, it means I heard that for some semi-hydro when you give fertilizer to them after Ex. 30 min or 1 hour you should change the water.coz fertilizer stays in the water and it's not good for plants.is it correct? thanks👍

Please demo how to grow orchids in Leca with wicking!

Can you recommend a self-draining water system for Yucca plant? And does it need to be volcanic rock pumice or any kind of stone could works? Please if possible recommend some links for purchasing pumice. Thank you

Help my Spider plant is dying what do I do

When you cut the indicator stick off at the FULL position, it soon disappears and you have no idea how much water is in the container. I would rather cut the stick off at the EMPTY position. Then the part sticking out above the pipe lets you know the actual water level at all times.