BlumatClassic (Jr.) Automatic Plant Watering Stakes for Watering Plants on Vacation, X-Large (4 Pack XL)

I was using these this past year - Sept through May - for watering my indoor plants. Most of my pots (clay) are 6" - 8" dia., and were packed into cedar mulch in planter boxes (to reduce evaporation) on my ground floor NYC windowsills. So without any real direct sunlight, I've been supplementing with LED strip tubes suspended over the plants. There is a ceiling fan for minimal air movement.The planter boxes held either 3 or 4 pots. Each pot had one Blumat spike (regular) going to a liter bottle reservoir (empty seltzer bottle) of water. The bottles were open and exposed to the light, and quickly developed slime/algae along the feeder tubes. I alleviated this problem about 80% by adding one to two droppers full of concentrated barley straw extract (I had previously used it in my birdbath) each time I added more water to the reservoirs... Works like a charm! I have since added neoprene bottle sleeves to insulate from heat (plants are now outdoors on a deck) and block the algae-inducing sunlight. so far...so good! I have also added sponge stoppers (from sponge hair rollers) to each reservoir. These inhibit evaporation and keep bugs out! (They already have a central hole, so just cut up one side with a scissor to open the foam, slip it over the tubing, and insert into the bottle neck.)And having each plant on a separate reservoir, lets me see how much water each plant is drawing.INDOORS, over the winter, with NYC apartment dry radiator heat, each liter reservoir lasted well over 10 days! But do not wait until they're completely empty to refill, or you'll end up having to re-prime (re-soak and fill) the Blumats...!OUTDOORS currently, in addition to my houseplants which are still in their individual sunken pots (in a shaded location), I have annuals and perennials planted directly into planter boxes in full sun. Each planter box (24" - 30") has 3-5 plants growing in it, and each has 2-3 Blumats with covered reservoirs.I also have several hanging baskets that tend to dry out quickly, which now have three reservoirs attached to them! I have an avocado tree with four reservoirs, and four cherry tomatoes, each with two attached reservoirs... This is an experiment setup! We've left them all for 10 - 15 days. If we get no rain in Ulster County, we'll see how well they survive...Reservoirs are very easy to refill from a watering can with a fat flexi straw fitted to the spout. Don't forget to add the barley straw extract, neoprene sleeves, and hair roller sponge stoppers!So far, a great product! Use your own ingenuity to make it even better...Photos will follow at a later date...

They seem to be working perfectly and arrived quickly

Using 1 XL stake per 3 gallon pot, and they work great. Allows me to not worry over the weekend or even over a workweek if I'm away from my cubicle. As long as you don't hit the bottom of your reservoir, and the water level is above the stake... the plants will be alive. These stakes have kept me in blossoms and fruits for a couple months now. Easy setup, easy to keep clean. Absolutely a good value for the money if you have plants that you don't want to die while you're away.

Update:I repotted my plants and saw the roots had completely over taken the stakes. It wasn’t an issue with them after all, it was my fault for under watering them and them strangling the stakes. Stick the ends of the tubes in a gallon jug of water and they’re thriving again. Would buy againGreat product but if you don’t keep the water full 24/7 you have to remove the cap to refill. Now the tubes don’t work at all. It’s not pulling the water in like it did in the beginning so they don’t work anymore

The XL is the size I think most folks will want. These will not turn an inattentive gardener into a master... they're a tool but a helpful one especially for plants that hate to dry out. You need to pre-soak the cone and water the plant in well, and also purge the full line of air. If the soil gets dry, the jar runs out, or the line breaks vacuum, just perform the start up again.All that done, it works consistently and is a boon in our dry climate for soil plants like vanilla orchid, croton, bird of paradise etc who don't like to dry all the way out. Be aware that the ceramic works on potting soil but not on media with less capillary contact (orchid bark, semi-hydro media, etc). It needs full contact for the water to wick into the soil.