Three years ago, I was excited to support a Kickstarter project promising a new approach to plant growth. The tevaplanter is a terracotta vessel designed to act like a water bank, slowly diffusing water through tiny holes to plant roots. As a plant lover, I was fascinated by the concept and decided to support the project. Knowing the hit-or-miss nature of Kickstarter projects, I wasn't entirely surprised when the tevaplanter arrived three years later (June 2023) than promised (Oct 2020). I was annoyed by the delay.
My initial excitement turned into disappointment when the planter I received didn't work properly. However, their customer support was excellent and quickly replaced the faulty unit. Over a few days, using distilled water, I tested the water flow through the holes of the replacement tevaplanter before attaching one of my orchids. This orchid was thriving in a planter using LECA (Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate). LECA is a growing medium that provides excellent drainage, aeration, and root support, ideal for hydroponics and orchid care.
I've got an aquarium, a terrarium, and a jungle-like home filled with tropical plants. Despite my green thumb, the tevaplanter proved to be my plant nemesis, claiming the lives of one orchid and two ferns in my attempts to make it work.
Desperate to salvage the situation, I transferred another thriving orchid, previously flourishing in LECA and filtered water, into the tevaplanter. I'm at the point of losing a second orchid. After half a year of battling, I've thrown in the towel on the tevaplanter.
After a white residue appeared on the planter, customer service suggested that I clean the replacement planter by soaking it for about 30 minutes in a bath of vinegar, citric acid, and warm water. I then rinsed the planter with distilled water and refilled it with distilled water. However, over two days, the only water that flowed from the planter was at the bottom, and it remained covered with a white residue.
I've scoured the web for success stories with the Tevaplanter, but they're as elusive as a thimble of water in a desert. Reddit is filled with dismal reviews, and even Trustpilot isn't singing its praises.
The result has been disappointing, especially given the lofty promises made during the Kickstarter campaign and the excruciatingly long production delay.
Based on my experience with both the originally shipped planter and its replacement, this product does not work as advertised. I’ve put them both in the trash and said goodbye to my $68.00 (includes taxes and shipping).
