Self watering wicking system physics question

Guys and gals

I have built a self watering system that works on the principle of the wicking material, a reservoir and the plant naturally drawing water.

So I have a trough of water, upon which is sat either A) a jar of water with a plant in it, or B) a small plant pot with a plant in it.  Both have a strip of wicking material connected to the water trough.  So as water evaporates from the jar, or water is drawn by the plant it is replenished by the trough via the wicking material.  I'm sure you have seen examples

I have only just started using this system.  What I found strange is that within seconds, the full jar of water emptied.  So instead of the trough filling the jar, the jar is filling the trough.

I am assuming I have somehow created a siphon, by connecting the two bodies of water.  Admittedly the jar and the plant pot are sat above the trough.  


So here is the actual question:  Because I can't see what is going on in the plant pot, I have a question to you physicists out there.  Is the same thing happening in my plant pot full of soil?

I know using wicking material is a tried and tested technique.  But what is actually going on in the soil?   Is it a different set of principles e.g. osmosis, water tension etc which would make it essentially transport water uphill to the plant.  Or is this simply not going to work unless I put the plants below the trough?

Thanks

I am assuming the box? to the left of the three soda bottles is the reservoir. Do the soda bottles have any soil in them? The soil and wicks draw the water through capillary action if you are just using water and no soil in the soda bottles raise your reservoir. To try and maintain a level of water without soil and with the soda bottle having quantity of water greater than what is in the reservoir at a height above the reservoir gravity takes over.

A video describing your problem would help for us to help solve it with you.

It is hard to understand from your picture where the water is running out.

Mart Hale wrote:
A video describing your problem would help for us to help solve it with you.

It is hard to understand from your picture where the water is running out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tIh5p6UN1E


Hope this clears it up

Your wicking action is only going to work with (wickable) material.   So your pots filled with soil that are above water supply will keep moist because the wick in contact with the soil will supply moisture. And the soil will absorb that moisture  ( If it is an absorbent soil). Sand would not work for example.
Your jars with water have no absorbent properties so gravity will use the wick to pull water from the jars to the lower level. If you put jars of water below the water supply, jars will overflow..( gravity.).  The jars of water would have to be at the same level as supply to work.
Sorry, not a good explainer.
 By the way, put those sweet potatoes under 4 inches of soil and you will get 10x the slips at least twice as fast.
 
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Ralph Sluder wrote:Your wicking action is only going to work with (wickable) material.   So your pots filled with soil that are above water supply will keep moist because the wick in contact with the soil will supply moisture. And the soil will absorb that moisture  ( If it is an absorbent soil). Sand would not work for example.
Your jars with water have no absorbent properties so gravity will use the wick to pull water from the jars to the lower level. If you put jars of water below the water supply, jars will overflow..( gravity.).  The jars of water would have to be at the same level as supply to work.
Sorry, not a good explainer.
 By the way, put those sweet potatoes under 4 inches of soil and you will get 10x the slips at least twice as fast.
 
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I see what you're saying, you are a good explainer.  So just out of interest, you're saying that the capillary/wicking action of water being drawn upwards is essentially stronger than the action of a siphon which i guess is the force of gravity?

I will no doubt find out in time, but would be nice to know if I come back in 2 months that all my plants haven't dried out.  

Yes, gravity wants to pull the excess water down but soil wants to stay wet.  Like the corner of a towel hinging over into a tub. The whole towel will get wet, not just the corner.  
Having the soil below your water supply might not work out. Once both have absorbed water, gravity might pull all the water to the lower level and run out pots. Always wick up.

Thanks so much.  That clarifies it.  

For anyone else interested in the subject, here is a good link I found: https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/capillary-action-and-water?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects