Instructions - Kaivo SemiHydro Planters

You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can get growing with our moss pole + semihydro combos, everything is designed to fit together with minimal fuss, almost completely tool-free!

This guide is based on the D-pole version of the Kaivo planter, if you are potting up any of the other moss pole lines (XL, XXL, or Demi), you’ll find assembly even easier, as there are fewer steps in the putting the pole element together.

Items required:

Kaivo Planter (example uses the 4L size with D-Pole anchor)
Moss pole extensions (D-pole in the example)
Rooted propagation, or plant with clean roots (more about that below)
Substrate of your choice
Scissors

Optional, but highly recommended, items:

Plant tape (Velcro straps) or twine
Cotton wicking rope (6-8 mm thick)

Water level assembly and calibration

Firstly, you’ll want to set up and calibrate your water level indicator. This important step must be done for every planter, as we have made sure you can use this planter for a variety of growing styles. It is easiest to complete this step at the beginning of the pot-up, while there is no substrate to obscure the view, or potted plant to disrupt.

Semihydro growing is only one of its use cases, with self-watering via wicking being another popular way to ease plant care, and the setup of the water level indicator is the main way the pot up process differs between these growing methods.

Water level recommended for each method:

Self-watering: only the “legs” of the inner planter are submerged, thus the maximum water level should come to just under the inner planter base.
Semihydro: several levels are employed, depending on personal preference, with 1/3 of the inner planter submerged being quite a popular choice.

Step 1: Remove the black cap from the white tube at the lower end of the inner planter.

Step 2: Slide the float with the red indicator into the opening, then replace the cap you removed in step 1 (the water level parts are shipped disassembled to prevent breaking).

Step 3: Trim the red indicator. This is done easily with a pair of scissors, but FIRST you must establish the level of water you want indicated, and fill the outer planter to the level you want indicated:

Maximum water level: fill the outer pot to the level you want to set as the maximum, then place the inner pot in position, and trim the red indicator to the correct height, holding the clear level cover in position to measure where to cut.
Minimum water level: same as above, but this time the water is filled to the minimum level (or left empty), and the indicator is trimmed down to where it appears out of the inner pot.

Trimming:

In the image above, the outer pot has been filled to the minimum indication desired, the water level being just flush with the base of the inner pot.

Pro tip: tap and shake the indicator to ensure it is really floating at the water level you want!

Optional wicking!

Add a wick to the moss pole, through the hole provided for wicking and drainage, a 6-8 mm thick cotton rope or microfibre strip works well. This will allow the sphagnum moss to hydrate from the water stored in the cache pot, meaning you’ll have to water your pole with less frequency, at least while you only have 1-2 sections built onto it.

After a certain height, the wicking won’t reach with enough volume to hydrate the pole, and you’ll have to additionally moisten the moss via a dripcap placed on the top.

Initial moss pole section assembly

Before adding substrate and plant, begin building the moss pole onto the inner pot anchor, as you will have greater freedom to rotate and upend the parts. The steps are the same in this example as in the D-Pole instructions, but I’ve added photos for extra clarity.

Add in the backbone: it can be pretty tight at the anchor joint, as it is the point that requires the strongest fit, but a slight twisting motion while you push the backbone in will help overcome the friction forces. Gentle taps with a wooden cooking spoon will also get the backbone firmly seated in the anchor.

Complete the rest of the steps to build the first moss pole extension or two onto the inner pot. Having at least one section assembled at this stage makes attaching and orienting the plant much easier, and is gentler on the plant to be potted up.

With the top D-Joint assembled, add the Face.

While not essential, you can add the clear back plastic at this stage as well, allowing you to fill the first section with moss, so you no longer need to worry about the wick slipping out.

Make sure all the joints and clamps are fully seated, ensuring a sturdy build. At this stage you can also choose to fill your pole with moss. Gently fill the pole out without packing it too densely, as you'll want to allow airflow to prevent the moss from staying damp for too long.

Once filled with moss (live, if possible!), you are ready to get your plant attached.

Plant preparation

Ideally, you’ll have propagated your plant in water, so that the roots it has formed are adjusted to living in water. If propping in moss or some other substrate, it is possible there will be a transitional period during which you may suffer some loss of roots due to rot; you’ll want to ensure you fully clean off any organic material that isn’t alive so that you don’t have anything rotting into the water of your pot.

If transferring a plant from soil to water, you can consider following the steps above, and simply not filling the planter with the semihydro substrate yet, but only using the pot as a massive propagation flask, filled with water and some rooting hormones, to allow the roots to transition to living in water (and thus, better suited for semihydro growing).

I use SuperThrive in the water, and let the roots sit in that water for about 4-6 weeks first, after which I take the inner pot out and trim away anything that might have died off during the transition. This makes the water stay healthy, as it can be harder to clean organic matter off the substrate after it has been added.

This example uses a water prop, so I’ve attached it to the pole using plant tape, positioned so that the leaves are facing forward, and ensuring contact of the nodes to the moist moss.

When happy with the position of the plant (it can’t easily be changed once the plant has rooted into the moss pole!), you are ready to add in your substrate. I am using a pon mix in this example, but LECA, plain pumice, and other options are of course possible.

Pro tip: Rinse your substrate well before using it, it will be covered in dust and detritus!

Watering time!

Place the cover on the water level indicator, pushing it all the way into the joint. It can be turned to face the direction you will be watering from, if you need to use the markings to track water use.

Important: Water does not contain all the nutrients required to sustain growth, so make sure you read up on what you’ll need to do to feed your plant (and pole!). Fill to the level you’ve selected, tapping the side of the pot to ensure the float has not gotten stuck somewhere, and enjoy!

Disclaimer

Please reach out if you have any questions about growing in semihydro! If it is your first time using this method, there are many resources available on Youtube and such that can get you started on best practices, with many differing opinions and methods, each with their own tips and tricks.

I would not yet consider myself an expert in all things semihydro, so please take the suggestions written here with a grain of salt, and be ready to practise and learn with a plant you are not worried about losing :D

Above all, have fun doing it! You can always wash out your Kaivo and start again (lukewarm water and mild soap only, please).