Wick Method Reviews: 5 of the best Wick Method Hydroponic Systems available on the market today.
As you already know, wick method systems are quite simple, which means you really want to demand the best from any product you are buying online. The fact is, when things can be produced simply, they’re often produced cheaply.
The discerning consumer will want to be very careful about the exact products they choose to buy for such a product, balancing cost and effectiveness appropriately as well as seeing that be reflected in the final price. As such, our wick method reviews will, by necessity, be concerned with the fundamentals.
We tested 5 products and found 7'' Round Self Watering Planter with Water Level Gauge Indoor Home Garden Modern Decorative Planter Pot for All House Plants Flowers Herbs Succulents to be the best complete, wick method hydroponic system for the money.
Wick system hydroponics is amongst the easiest forms of hydroponics to get started. This kit really takes it to the next level with many great features that other similar products just don’t have, such as a water gauge, which really just takes it that next mile to the top.
While some may prefer more simple options (keep reading) it really is nice to find a product that looks for that bit of extra to add that really complete feel to it. For something like a wick method review sometimes it really is all about value-added in a small, compact frame.
5 Best Wick Method Hydroponics Systems Reviewed
- 7” Round Self Watering Planter with Water Level Gauge Indoor Home Garden Modern Decorative Planter Pot for All House Plants Flowers Herbs Succulents (3, White Without Soil)– Best Overall
- Mkono 3 Pack Self Watering Planter AfricMkono 3 Pack Self Watering Planter African Violet Pots Plastic White Flower Plant Pot with Wick Rope for All House Plants, Flowers, Herbs, Mediuman Violet Pots Plastic White Flower Plant Pot with Wick Rope for All House Plants, Flowers, Herbs, Medium – Most Complete
- T4U 4 Inch Self Watering Plastic Planter with Liner Pack of 6 – Matte White, Modern Decorative Small Planter Pot for House Plants, Aloe, Herbs, African Violets, Succulents and More – Best for Succulents
- Environet Hydroponic Herb Growing Kit, Self-Watering Mason Jar Herb Garden Starter Kit Indoor, Windowsill Herb Garden, Grow Your Own Herbs from Seeds (Lavender Munstead)– Best Starter Kit
- Hydroponic Garden In Wine Bottle – Indoor Herb Garden– Best Upcycled Kit
- Cost: $$ ($-$$$$$)
- Maintenance: Low (Low-medium-high)
- Key feature: Best priced wick system
- Includes: 13- 7” Pots, 6 Pre seeded Grow Plugs
- Assembly required: very little, very low difficulty, programming the timers can be challenging for some
- Container Material: Plastic
- Comes with Lights: no
- Reusable: yes
- Best for: Herbs and spices, succulents, most smaller house plants
- Cool factor: Built-in Water Level Indicator
- Meh (Cons): Coco coir disks and ceramic stones not included. Will not work well with Leca or Hydroton clay pebbles, a very popular hydroponic medium. Depending on the medium the meter may not be accurate.
It might surprise you in a wick method review, but the first thing that has to be said about this pot is just how good it looks. This product wows from the start with its sleek, stylish exterior that exudes cleanliness. It is certainly for those that want interior plants, but don’t want to sacrifice the modern home and kitchen look. The smooth exterior also proves easy to wipe clean and dust, a benefit that clay pots don’t always come with when it comes time to tidy up the home.
Far from being the type of pot you’re going to shove in a windowed corner of your home, providing hiding spots for house spiders and growing grounds for cobwebs, this pot can come to the forefront of your home and be shown off. If you want your plants to be a first thought, not an afterthought, you should consider this one!
The pot also contains an auto watering method with a measuring stick to indicate when you need to add water again. A definite check for those of us that forget things. One drawback of this kind of meter to mention in any wick method review is that small pieces of hydroton can get stuck in the nooks and crannies of the pot and clog up this sort of system. Luckily, there are several other growing mediums you can choose from without this problem!
So long as you aren’t making that mistake, you should be able to leave your plant alone for weeks without needing to water again! Great for the frequent traveler!
- Cost: $
- Maintenance: Low
- Key feature: Most complete countertop system.
- Includes: 3- 5.2” X 5.4” pots with net pot and wick
- Assembly required: Very little, 5 minutes maximum.
- Container Material: Plastic
- Comes with Lights: No
- Reusable: Yes
- Best for: House plants, Flowers, and Herbs
- Cool factor: Bookshelf size.
- Meh: Net pot a bit thin, fiddly.
This pot fits just about anywhere, making it perfect for the windowsill, countertop, or window side office desk. While small, the pot will still hold enough water for similarly sized plants to last the weekend and through the winter holidays when nobody is at the office.
This pot is really good for small plants. This is the pot for your favorite cute little plant lover! But the plants really do need to be little. Be prepared to prune the plant inhabiting this pot to keep it the right size OR get ready to transfer it to something else after it outgrows the pot.
A proper wick method review really needs to examine the wick housing, of course, so let’s do! The included net pots that come with this set have thin slits as opposed to large open wicker-like holes. This can help the wick do its job and keep roots from journeying outside of where they’re supposed to be for just a bit longer.
Another great advantage is that you’ll have a wider range of growing mediums than with your average net pot. The construction is a bit thin though, so be careful to install the wick gently.
- Cost: $
- Maintenance: Low
- Key feature: Best for succulent collectors.
- Includes: 6- 3.94” X3.94”X3.31” pot, liner
- Assembly required: Almost none; Just add a wick, then place the liner in the pot.
- Container Material: Plastic
- Comes with Lights: No
- Reusable: Yes
- Best for: House Plants, Aloe, Herbs, African Violets, Succulents
- Cool factor: Compact efficiency.
- Meh: Plastic insert a bit snug, can be tricky to pull out.
What’s cool about this pot is it really prides efficiency. The square shape lets you place the exact number of pots you want in a given area without having to do that awful circle math! Succulent hoarding millennials (and wick method review writers) will also be enthused to see that this comes as a set of six pots. Just arrange them as a three by two rectangle or line them up along the windowsill. Easy space-saving.
Another thing I really like about these pots is how intricately designed the insert is. Usually, small things leave out the details, but this pot really makes it work. There are two layers of holes in the insert. One layer is at the ‘top’ of the insert and another at the bottom of long tubes that reach down further into the basin. This allows you some room to be versatile and in control of your plants’ water supply just that extra bit more.
- Cost: $$$
- Maintenance: Low
- Key feature: Best Mason Jar Starter Kit
- Includes: One net pot, wick, preseeded grow plug, mason jar.
- Assembly required: minimal
- Container Material: glass
- Comes with Lights: no
- Reusable: sorta (the jar and net pot are reusable, the grow plug is not
- Best for: herbs, various varieties available upon checkout
- Cool factor: Instant herb garden for your kitchen window.
- Meh: Just one plant with the kit, which is always a gamble.
This kit is so cool for the chef in your life. Mason jar hydroponics systems are some of the most unassuming ones out there and just about anybody can care for one easily. Average people will take to this without fear (you won’t even need to tell them this is ‘hydroponics’ if you know they’re the type to shy away!) The aromatic fragrance of the supplied herbs will also be sure to inspire new dishes and put new enthusiasm into the cooking of old ones.
The mason jar is a nice, classic clear glass. Stylistically it goes with anything and will certainly look right at home in your kitchen. The material is easy to clean inside and out when you want to change the plant living in it – if you’re anything like this wick method review writer you’ve probably cleaned a jar already!
Lastly, the pre-seeded grow plug is a truly nice trait. It can be a bit hard to pick out exactly what growing medium goes with each plant, so having something built custom in this way can be a relief. Additionally, this feature works really well for those of us that just want to buy one thing instead of mixing and matching with many different things.
- Cost: $$
- Maintenance: Low
- Key feature: Best wine bottle planter.
- Includes: Wine bottle in two pieces.
- Assembly required: Almost none.
- Container Material: Glass
- Comes with Lights: No
- Reusable: Yes
- Best for: Small-Medium sized leafy plants, herbs
- Cool factor: That classic wine bottle look. People asking how you made it.
- Meh: No wine in the bottle. No wick, etc. supplied.
This is a nice bottle container for the foodie out there. It has that great aesthetic of wine, food, and culture. Whether the plant inside is an herb for cooking or decoration to liven up the table, the thing really does ‘say’ culture. There will also be that inevitable conversation where you’ll get asked how you cut the wine bottle in half. I suggest you look at them knowingly and say ‘credit card’ in a most sincere manner. No lie required.
One of the more disappointing things about this product is that there is no wine inside it. That’s yet another unexpected line in a wick system review, but I’ll pop a joke in whenever I get the chance. Really, this product can be expected to do exactly what it says on the tin… err, bottle.
Wick Method Hydroponics System Buying Guide
Cost
The cost for all of these systems is generally going to be quite low. You should expect to be able to make a purchase for under $35 even including shipping and, quite often, you’ll be getting more than one for said purchase.
Maintenance
Wick systems are, by design, pretty low maintenance. This wick system review saw more than one product with ‘self-watering’ in the product title, so that should tell you a lot!
Key features
Most systems are going to come with a nylon wick, but a few will require you to supply your own wick (which can be made of just about anything cloth-like). Wick systems are simple and don’t need constant watering.
Includes
Pot, inner lining/net pot, wick. Some systems will have extra features (such as prepared seed in media or water level measurement) while some may require you to supply the wick.
Assembly required
Having recently assembled a mason jar kit, a competent person should be able to assemble most of these kits within 20 minutes. Add 10 minutes for instruction reading!
Container Material
Most containers are plastic, but some are glass. The plastic itself looks much better than the word ‘plastic’ does!
Comes with Lights
None of the products today come with lights. Most are small, stick ‘em in a window!
Reusable
Wick systems are highly reusable… just clean thoroughly before putting a new plant into the system.
Best for
Small plants, succulents, African violets, herbs, etc.
Cool factor
Is the system going to be highly visible to house guests? Do you want to be able to brag about your cool new Hydroponic System when they come over or hide it in the pantry until they leave!?
Meh (Cons)
All systems have cons. Keep a watchful eye on this category as it can easily be a purchase killer!
Buy this system
