From vegetables to tropical plants, herbs to annuals and perennials, building a self-watering gardening bed works for almost all plants. This includes African violets, snake plants, monstera, herbs, garlic, tomato, and more. However, one type of plant you’ll want to avoid is succulents. These are plants that don’t require moist soil and can retain water for longer periods of time. Eg: cacti, echeveria, and so on.  Thirsty plants like fiber-optic plants may also struggle under a self-watering system because they require constant watering.