Olive Self-Watering Plants - Ryan - handmade by Chive Studio Toronto
Olive Self-Watering Plants - Ryan - handmade by Chive Studio Toronto
17% off

Plant Pots with Drainage

Ryan Self-Watering Plant Pots

with drainage hole and saucer

$34.85 $41.99
Colors: Charcoal
Drainage hole
Saucer Included
30-day return policy

Pickup available at A.N. Deringer c/o Chive Inc

Usually ready in 24 hours

Curate Your Indoor Landscape With These:

Designed to layer beautifully in any room. Choose a piece as your design anchor, then build your custom pottery collection with these complementary companions:

The Ryan is a matte 5-inch ceramic plant pot, the only self-watering container in the Chive range. It stands 5 inches tall. A wick runs through the drainage hole, so you can water from the top like a normal pot or set it in a saucer of water and let the wick draw moisture up from below. Either way the soil stays evenly moist and the roots don't sit soaked.

The Ryan is named after the person who runs the plant shop, because for a long time the question he heard most, several times a day, was about self-watering pots. Chive held out as long as it could, then gave in to make the questions stop. Pothos and peace lilies do well in it, since both like steady moisture and neither wants to dry out. Ryan the person still gets asked about self-watering pots anyway, which is no longer Chive's problem.

Product detail
  • Color: Charcoal, Blue, Grey, Olive, Pink Blush, White
  • Material: Ceramic
  • Glaze finish: Matte Ceramic
  • Finish variation: Natural variation between pieces
  • Drainage: Included
  • Saucer: Matching saucer included
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes
  • Indoor / Outdoor: For indoor use and covered outdoor temperate weather use
  • Designed by: Chive Studio
  • Year Designed: 2024
Plants that love this pot
  • Pothos
  • Peace Lily
  • Boston Fern
  • Philodendron
  • Calathea
  • Spider plant
  • Nerve plant (Fittonia)
  • Baby's tears

Potting in the Ryan

  1. Choose a moisture-loving plant. The Ryan keeps soil consistently damp, which suits tropicals and ferns far better than succulents or cacti.
  2. Use a standard well-draining potting mix. The wicking system handles the watering; the mix just needs to hold its structure.
  3. Transplant from the nursery pot, settling the roots so they sit within reach of the wicking core.
  4. Fill the reservoir, then top it up when it runs low rather than watering from above. The plant draws what it needs.
  5. Keep it in bright, indirect light and check the reservoir every week or two. That is the entire routine.

Potting Tips

  1. Repot in the evening.
  2. Wait 1–2 days after watering, then repot.
  3. Buy potting mix. Not backyard dirt.
  4. Move the top layer of soil from the old pot into the new one. It's a little ecosystem.
  5. Never go more than one inch bigger.
  6. Soil line sits an inch below the rim. Leca or small rocks at the bottom for drainage.

Which pot size for my plant? →

Full Repotting guide →
Pot Care instructions
  1. Dishwasher-safe. Can also be hand-washed with warm soapy water and a soft cloth.
  2. Glazed pots are dipped and fired in the kiln — they are sealed, durable, and not looking for trouble. No special cleaning products required.
  3. For pots with saucers empty the saucer periodically. Standing water in the saucer defeats the purpose of having a drainage hole, which is a thing we feel strongly about.
  4. Not frost-safe. Designed for indoor use and covered outdoor temperate weather use. Freezing temperatures are not recommended.
Canada wide shipping & returns

Shipping 

  • Standard: 5–8 business days, Express 2–3 business days (at checkout)
  • Canada Wide Shipping: from coast to coast — rates at checkout
  • Packaging Ships: in outer box to protect gift box

View full shipping policy →

Returns

We accept returns within 30 days of delivery on unused hard good items in original packaging. If your piece arrives damaged, contact us within 7 days with a photo and we will replace it at no charge.

View full return policy →
Local pickup & delivery

Delivery: 

  • Delivered by hand across Toronto and the GTA. 
  • Next business day; same-day when you call the shop.
  • Local GTA delivery starts at $14
  • Call for a quote outside of the GTA

Pickup: Order online by 3pm and collect it the same day at:

702 Queen St. W.,
Toronto, ON M6J 1E7
437-777-5021

We are open for in-store shopping

Mon to Thurs: 12pm - 7pm
Fri to Sun: 11am - 7pm

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Customers are saying

4.88 ★ (6314)
Verified

The pot we made to stop someone being asked the same question forty times a day

The Ryan is the only self-watering pot Chive makes. We want to be clear about that upfront because the self-watering category is full of pots that describe themselves with enthusiasm and deliver with ambiguity. The Ryan has one reservoir, one wicking system, and one job: keep the soil consistently moist while the plant's owner does something else entirely.

We made it in ceramic because if you are going to make something that has to sit on a windowsill indefinitely, it should look like it belongs there. The matching saucer is ceramic too. We considered other materials.

We did not change our minds. The name comes from Ryan the person, who has worked at the Chive plant shop longer than we care to admit and who spent a significant portion of that time answering questions about self-watering pots. The questions arrived in clusters, four before noon on a Tuesday, seven during a Saturday afternoon when people had apparently made a group decision to visit the shop and ask about water retention.

We resisted making a self-watering pot for years, on the grounds that what plants actually need is someone paying attention. Ryan's experience suggested this argument had limits. We named the pot after him, which felt accurate.

He still gets asked about it. The pot now answers for itself, mostly, except when the questions are about the name. The Ryan is for the plant that wants consistency and the person who cannot always provide it.

It is made of ceramic, not plastic, not terracotta, not something that will look different in six months than it does today. The reservoir holds enough water to keep most plants comfortable for one to two weeks, depending on light levels and the plant's opinion of the situation. It does not overwater.

Potting a plant with Chive

  1. It's best to repot your plant in the evening. Trust us, we know.
  2. Repot 1–2 days after watering — keeps the same rhythm going and won't shock it.
  3. Potting soil is not the dirt from your backyard. Go buy good, nutrient-rich soil.
  4. The top layer of soil in your current pot should be the top layer in the new pot too. It's a little ecosystem your plant likes.
  5. Never go more than one inch bigger than your existing pot. "It'll grow into it" is not correct, and you will kill it.
  6. Keep the soil line about an inch below the top of the pot. Add some leca or small rocks to the bottom for better aeration.

The Ultimate Repotting Guide

For those who have killed a plant. Or several. Or, frankly, many.

Before you put a plant into your new pot, you have to get it out of the nursery pot — a process that ends badly more often than any gardening influencer will admit. We wrote a full guide: when to repot (early spring, and not when you're feeling impulsive in October), which soil to use, how to tell your plant is root-bound, and how to avoid the three mistakes that kill perfectly healthy plants within a week of a well-intentioned repotting.

Read the guide we wish we had

The Rest of the Pot Range

The Ryan is the only self-watering pot Chive makes, which is deliberate. For the plants that prefer to dry out between waterings, the cacti, the succulents, the snake plants, the rest of the pot range is the better answer.

Shop all plant pots

When You Want a Standard Pot

The Ryan manages water with a reservoir rather than releasing it through a hole. If you would rather have the classic setup, a drainage hole and a matching saucer, the pots-with-drainage range has fifty-plus designs built for exactly that.

Shop plant pots with drainage

Start Something From Seed

The Ryan handles the water once a plant is growing. Shido Seeds handle the very start, vacuum-sealed at peak freshness and viable for years, in packaging worth keeping. Start with the seed and let the Ryan take over when the time comes.

Shop Shido Seeds

Atlanta Botanical Garden Trusts It to Water Itself

The self-watering pot was the last category we agreed to enter. We held out for years on the grounds that consistent watering is not actually that difficult. Ryan eventually made a compelling argument, not by reasoning, but by counting. We made one. It is the only one we make.

San Antonio Botanical Garden carries the Ryan in its gift shop, and its buyers make decisions about ceramics the same way they make decisions about everything in the garden, which is to say carefully and without compromise. Atlanta Botanical Garden stocks it. Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge carries the Ryan as well, in a shop that serves visitors who have just spent an afternoon looking at plants and arrived at a considered opinion about what a pot should look like.

About Our Story

Plant Tips from Chive Studio

Quick tips, straight answers, and the occasional reminder that overwatering kills more houseplants than neglect does.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Ryan ceramic pot good for?

The Ryan is a ceramic pot for indoor plants. It works well for moisture lovers like peace lilies, ferns, and calatheas and suits modern, boho, and minimalist rooms. As a ceramic pot, the Ryan fits a shelf, sill, or desk and pairs cleanly with the rest of the Chive pot range. It comes in several colourways to match different rooms.

Is the Ryan a plant pot with a drainage hole and saucer?

Yes, the Ryan is a ceramic plant pot with a drainage hole and a matching saucer. The drainage hole lets excess water escape so roots are not left sitting in water, which is the most common cause of root rot indoors. Water until you see a little drain into the saucer, then empty it. For a ceramic pot with drainage, the Ryan keeps watering simple.

What plants grow well in the Ryan?

The Ryan is a ceramic pot that holds a nursery plant of a similar width, so match the grower pot to the opening rather than the mature size of the plant. Good choices include moisture lovers like peace lilies, ferns, and calatheas. For an indoor plant pot, size up by about an inch when you repot so roots have room without swimming in soil.

Is the saucer included with the Ryan pot?

Yes, the Ryan ships with a matching ceramic saucer, so it arrives as a complete pot and saucer set. The saucer catches water that drains through and protects shelves and sills from rings and moisture. Both pieces are finished to match, which is why the Ryan reads as one considered object rather than a pot with a random tray underneath.

Are ceramic plant pots good for indoor plants?

Yes, the Ryan is a ceramic plant pot. Ceramic is fired hard, holds glaze colour well, and does not break down with watering the way untreated materials can, which makes ceramic plant pots a reliable choice for indoor plants. The Ryan is glazed to seal the surface, so it wipes clean and keeps its finish on a sill, shelf, or table.

How do I care for plants in the Ryan pot?

To water the Ryan, add water until a little runs into the saucer, then tip out what collects so roots are not left standing in it. Because this ceramic pot has a drainage hole, you can water thoroughly and let the excess go, which encourages even root growth. Check the top inch of soil before watering again rather than watering on a fixed schedule.

Is the Ryan a good ceramic pot for peace lilies?

The Ryan is a good ceramic pot for peace lilies. It drains freely, so the roots get water and air in the right balance. For anyone searching for a ceramic pot for peace lilies, the Ryan covers both looks and function. Match the nursery pot to the opening and the plant settles in without fuss.

Does the Ryan work as a housewarming gift?

The Ryan makes a practical gift for a plant lover because it is a finished ceramic pot that solves a real problem rather than adding clutter. It arrives as a pot and saucer set and suits most modern interiors. For a plant pot gift that gets used, the Ryan is an easy choice, and it suits anyone building an indoor plant collection.

The pot is sorted. Now what goes in it?

Shido seeds come vacuum-sealed, non-GMO, and packaged well enough that people keep the packets after the seeds are gone. Which is either a design success or a problem, depending on how you look at it.

Your new pot is waiting.

Explore Shido seeds