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Click & Grow Plants Not Getting Enough Water? Read This!
Does it seem like your Click & Grow plants aren’t getting enough water? Is the soil dry despite the water float indicating that the smart garden is full of water? Let’s take a look at why this might have happened (and how to fix it!)
The wick is out of place
A wick is the absorbent stick located in your smart garden cup. Wicks absorb water from the tank and transfer it to the plant pod. It’s important to check the wick is in the correct position, as per the graphic below:
When it comes to pulling the wick out of the cup, don’t be afraid to use a bit of strength. Feel free to pull the wick with a pair of pliers if it helps.
The wick is clogged up
If the wick is in the correct position but still isn’t transferring water to the plants, it’s most likely clogged up. This could be caused by a buildup of hard water or root matter growing through the wicks. In this instance, the wicks need to be replaced with new ones. Depending on the water quality, it’s recommended to change the wick once a year or every two years. New wicks can be found here. Keep these tips in mind to prolong the life of your wicks:
- Do not leave any empty cups in the garden
Wicks may clog up quicker if the plant cup is empty and there is no soil to transfer the water to. After removing a plant, we recommend replacing it with a new one as soon as you can. Keeping the cup empty without soil for a week or two is fine, or until you wait for your subscription order to be filled. Just put the transparent dome on so no debris falls into the cup. If you do wish to keep one of the smart garden holes empty, remove the cup from the garden and cover the hole so no light shines directly into the water tank. This helps to prevent algae.
- Keep the water level topped up
Unless you notice mold in your smart garden, we recommend keeping the water level topped up. A topped up garden means the water float is level with the surface of the smart garden (no higher!) Two thirds of the wick should be immersed in the water for most of the time. This will help to prolong the life of the wicks.
The float is stuck
Hard water may have caused buildup around the float. In this instance, the float becomes stuck and can’t indicate the correct water level correctly. You can test this by gently tapping the float to see if it bobs up and down. If it doesn’t bob up and down, try again with slightly more force. If it still doesn’t move, try removing the float and cleaning the buildup around it. Once the float is clean, it should accurately indicate the water level again. Find out how to open your smart garden and remove the water float here.
Plants are root-bound
If your plants have reached the end of their life-cycle but are still in the smart garden, the roots may completely take over the soil and disconnect the soil from the wick. You can check this by removing the plant pod from the cup. If you see that the roots are covering the entire bottom half of the soil, it’s time to replace them with new plant pods. The best way to avoid root-bound is checking the ‘lasts up to’ date of the plants you’re growing. Every plant pod has been given a ‘lasts up to’ date, which is visible on the app, package and on the plant’s product page. The ‘lasts up to’ date refers to the maximum amount of time your plant pod can usually live in a smart garden (beginning from the time it was planted).
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