The automatic watering device for plants is placed in the soil of a potted plant. A float is housed in an outer chamber. The float has a ferrous metal contact at each end, with and the chamber has magnets at each end. The chamber top has a water inlet. The upper end of the float has a shutoff valve. The lower end of the chamber has a calibrated orifice for water dispensing. A water supply is connected to the chamber inlet. The water eventually provides sufficient buoyancy to the float to release it from its lower magnet and rise for attachment to the upper magnet, thereby shutting off the water inflow. Water continues to seep from the lower orifice until the level drops within the chamber to a point sufficient to cause the float to to drop from its upper magnet, allowing the water to again flow into the chamber.