Self watering pots are all I use, but only the kind with a drainage hole in the side of the pot. The drainage hole allows for excess water to exit the reservoir instead of waterlogging the plants! When the water starts draining from the hole, it's time to stop watering. Easy peasy! It takes out *all* of the guess-work!
The idea is that the soil remains moist longer, while keeping a water reserve from which the roots can draw, which establishes a deep and healthy root system, and you don't have to water every single day! Keep in mind, though, to always water from the top! That's how Mother Nature does it, so really, there's no need to reinvent the wheel...
Think of it as a pot with a saucer, but all in one piece. If there's a plastic spacer in the bottom, it's not necessary to use landscape fabric over it. The spacer is there to keep most of the bottom soil out of the water reservoir because most plants don't like sopping wet feet!
When I purchase a standard flower pot or hanging basket, I make them self watering pots by drilling just one hole, with a half inch drill bit, in the side of the pot, at about an inch or two from the bottom. The height really depends on the size of the pot. A huge patio or landscape size pot will need a deeper reservoir than the standard pot used for Summer annuals. Keep in mind that the bottom of the drilled hole makes for the top of the reservoir or water line. I then fasten a small piece of screen over the hole on the inside of the pot. Then fill the bottom reservoir with stones, leveled with the top of the water line. Tip: I keep the plastic nets, that oranges come in, and I fill them with stones and tie them off to place in the bottom of the pot, so that when removing dead plants and soil at the end of the growing season, they are reusable for the next season! Be sure to double up the netting for strength. (I just got tired of needing to get stones every season because they wind up in the compost bin along with the previous season's soil!) Then place a piece of landscape fabric over the stones, fill with dirt and plant away!
Hope this clears up some questions
Happy Gardening!!
