I am a chronic over-waterer of plants. When it comes to hanging plants, it’s even worse because I can’t easily check if the soil is dry.

To save my plants from the perils of my deadly overzealous watering can, I designed the “Never-Drown” Pot Plant.

How it works

The system consists of an off-the-shelf glazed plant pot combined and a 3D-printable insert. The glazed pot retains water which prevents anything from leaking onto the ground, but it also means that the moisture in the soil isn’t wicked away.

The 3D-printed insert fixes this by increasing the surface area of soil that is exposed to air. It also allows water to drip out of the soil and into base of the pot below.

How to make one

The first step is printing your insert. PLA only decomposes under high temperatures, so unless you are keeping your plant in an oven, PLA should be fine for this design.

Files: ➊ STL ➋ Fusion 360 ➌ STEP

I use the following settings when printing:

• Material: Duramic PLA+

• Nozzle temp: 200°C

• Bed Temp: 60°C

• Infill: 20%

• Support: Tree

• Support angle 65°