A capillary wicking system for watering and/or nutrient feeding plants has a rising wick E isolated from a reservoir or supply by an enclosure J. Water is admitted to the enclosure via a control valve H in order to control the percentage field capacity of the growing media or to adjust the rate of flow. The wick is integral with or contacts a spreader mat B to deliver water to the growing media. The wick is preferably enclosed within a plastics bag sealed along three sides and open at an end at which the wick contacts or forms the spreader mat (see figure 2). Alternatively the enclosure may be a rigid enclosure (not shown). The control valve may be moveable vertically relative to the base of the growing media. The system may be a domestic or indoor system with the spreader mat B located on a table or bench A supporting planters D. Alternatively the system may be used in an outdoor setting with the rising wick disposed in a trench (see figure 3).
