What's the best material to transport water by wicking? This is in the
interest of automating the watering of plants.

I hung a cotton rope into a glass of water. The water only seems to get
about 4" up the rope from the water line. I haven't tried paper towels
yet (the quicker picker upper).

Is there a definitive winner in this category? What material has the
strongest wicking ability?

Thanks for your help.