Introduction: How to Make a Single-Bucket Self-Water Regulated Vegatable Planter
by Jake Robinson
I originally made my own two-bucket self watering, self feeding vegetable planter. They work quiet well, however, after some thought I have designed a single bucket system without sacrificing the watering feature that a two bucket system offers.
In a two bucket system the bottom bucket is where the water is stored for the plant. The top bucket contains the soil and allows the water to wick up through holes that are drilled in the top bucket's bottom. A larger hole allows a 'wicking cup' to sit the bottom of the 'top' bucket so some of the soil rests below the water line which allows the water to wick up into the upper bucket.
I have redesigned this system to allow the use of a single bucket which then saves time, labor and material. You eliminate the need for an extra bucket, or better yet you get two planters for the 'price' of one!
Here are some of the advantages of this type of system.
1. Use less water versus the same vegetable planted straight into the ground (about 70% less) One reason is the bucket has a lid and only a small opening where the stem is keeping the water from evaporating as fast as open ground... plus you just put the exact amount of water until is starts to flow out the overflow hole - then you stop watering
2. Use less fertilizer. Because the fertilizer strip lays at the top of the bucket, the lid prevents rain water from leaching it out. When adding fertilizer to a vegetable planted straight into the ground, the fertilizer will leach out very quickly causing you to use more, pollute water runoff as well
3. NO WEEDING!!! Because the lid is on it keeps weeds from growing. This saves time a
nd labor
4. You may have to still worry about bugs - but not those who burrow and less likely the crawling type bugs as it is harder for them to get to your plants
5. Produces more fruit. It has been proven that a properly designed planter will produce more fruit as it gets just the amount of water and fertilizer it needs and will last all growing season
6. Saves space - these planters can be housed almost anywhere, in your yard, driveway, back deck - anywhere they can get sun. I planted my garden very early before spring really had come. I moved them into my garage when the weather forecast called for close to or freezing temps. Then I wheeled them out with a dolly into the sun for the day. This way I was getting ripened veggies way before my neighbor's garden
7. Extended production. You can bring your plants in when first frost is forecast then put them back out for as long as the weather holds. Giving you extra bounty into the fall. It is not unheard of for some plants to be brought indoors once the weather gets too cool and continue to produce indoor using a grow light.
8. Can be reused... at the end of the growing season you can remove the plants... and next year just lay a new strip of fertilizer and plant again.
9. Easy to maintain. I water my plants in the morning and in the evening... it takes just a minute
10. When it rains your plant will not get over watered and hey, plants love rain. I usually shower my plants down after sundown each night as well
Step 1: Materials & Tools Needed
Here are the materials needed:
A plastic bucket & lid ( this item is a square bucket)
Plastic PVC pipe - approximately 36" long at least 2" diameter to 3" dia
Plastic PVC pipe - 1" dia
Potting Mix - very important, do not use dirt, soil, potting soil - use only potting mix - if you google 'Earthbox' you will see the inventor has determined several important aspects for proper growth of plants.....
Fertilizer (I prefer organic)
Lime in pellet form (if planting certain vegetables)
Tools needed:Drill w/ a 1/4 inch bit
Utility knife
Hand Saw or Hack Saw or Reciprocating Saw
Magic Marker
Tape Measure
Ideas on where to get Buckets: I got these nice square buckets from a local barbecue restaurant... I believe many barbecue joints use a similar vendor. They get many of their food and ingredients in these buckets - baked beans, margarine, slaw, sauce etc. The location I get these from has 30-60 at any given time as they don't throw them away and generally use them but will give them to you if you ask. Make sure you get the lids to go with them.
PVC: you should be able to go to a construction site and ask to pick up scraps - I got all my scrap that way. You may also find short pieces at a big hardware store like Home Depot or Lowe's as they will cut PVC for people and have short scraps left over and generally will not charge you for it.
Let's get started
Step 2: Create PVC Water Buffer System
I am using a 2 1/2"(OD outside diameter) PVC pipe for this step. Measure the width of the inside of the bottom of your bucket . My bucket is 8" square. Depending on the size of the bucket and your PVC diameter estimate the number of pipe sections that can lay in the bottom of the bucket. The buckets I am using will accommodate 3 pieces of pipe that lay side by side. Now use your magic marker and make a mark for the proper length on your single PVC pipe (8" in this example)
Make one length for the full size. Subtract 1" from the other two sections to make them a bit shorter.
You can build these with typical 5 gallon round buckets... you would just have to adjust the length of the PVC pipes and apply a miter cut to each length of pipe.
Step 3: Drill Holes in PVC Pipe
Take your drill and drill a line of holes down the length of the pipe that will span three sections of 2.5" diameter. Don't press too hard or you may shatter or split the PVC. Run the bit through the top and continue to drill on through the opposite side of the pipe.
Once you have drilled one set of holes turn the pipe 90 degrees and drill another line of holes. The holes can be anywhere from 1/2" apart to 3/4" - this is not critical.
This long piece will then be cut into individual sections... then these will be placed in the bottom of the bucket... once soil has been filled in these sections will allow the watering pipe to fill this area with water for the plant.
Step 4: Arrange Large Diameter PVC Pipes
Take the full length pipe and put it between to other two pieces of pipe that are 1" shorter. One of these shorter pipes will leave a 'hole' for your watering pipe (1" PVC) to rest at the bottom to allow you to pour water into the top and fill the bottom section of the bucket.
The other short side will allow your soil to fall into the bottom corner of your bucket to help wick the water up into the bucket.
Step 5: Measure and Cut Watering Pipe
put the lid on the bucket and measure the total height of the bucket. Now cut your 1" PVC pipe to a length that is will extend above the bucket approximately 1"
Step 6: Cut Access Hole in Lid for Watering Pipe
Just use your magic marker to trace around the pipe and then use this for a guide to cut a hole for your watering pipe to reside. Use your utility knife (or you can use a drill) and cut a hole in the corner of the lid that will match up with the short pipe. It is easiest to secure the lid onto the bucket before you cut the corner hole.
Now insert the watering pipe into the hole and let it slide down until it rests at the bottom of the bucket abutting the short pipe in the corner.
This second photo show the water tube through the lid as well as the opening to plant your seedlings.
Step 7: Notch the Watering Pipe
Now take your hacksaw or reciprocating saw and cut a 'wedge' off the bottom your pipe but do not cut across the entire diameter as you may shorten it too much. When pouring water into the top of the bucket the notch at the bottom will allow the water to easily flow into the PVC Water Buffer area. If you insert the water tube without notching the bottom the tube will fill up with water and take a while to seep put the bottom... this will slow things down quiet a bit...
Step 8: Prepare Potting Mix
If you plan to plant tomatoes it is important to mix some lime (pellet form) into your soil to properly nourish your tomato plants. Lime will supply the calcium they need. Other plants that need it are hot peppers, squash and watermelons. Do your research on the type of vegetable you want to grow and determine if it 'likes' lime or not.
Mix lime into the potting mix in about a 1:4 ratio (25% lime) - this doesn't have to be exact. The first photo shows adding the lime pellets into the potting mix... then mix it up with your hands like a tossed salad...
Make sure your have the water pipe standing up in the bucket.
The second photo shows pouring the potting mix into the bucket a bit at a time... pour about 1/4 of your mix into the bucket and make sure it fills the other gap in the corner where the short PVC is arranged.
Now sprinkle this potting mix with water and get it fairly damp.
Add more potting mix to about 1/2 and sprinkle with water again.
Do this until you fill the bucket to the top but don't water the top layer of potting mix. You may have to smooth the potting mix around the watering pipe to make sure it is standing upright.
Step 9: Prepare Lid for Planting
When you decide what type of plant to grow, you will want to plant the appropriate number of seedlings. The bucket can accommodate 2-3 plants per bucket. I have planted up to four tomato plants in one bucket! they all tend to do well as clustering like this actually bunches up the foliage and tends to protect the plant from overheating.
If we were growing bell peppers as an example, you could comfortably plant three in a bucket. How you arrange them is important. You will want to arrange them opposite to where you will lay your fertilizer.
I will be planting two Hot Pepper seedlings that I picked up from the nursery today... They have already started growing gigantic fruit - they are called 'Cowhorns' peppers.
Now you will need to cut an access into the lid to allow you to insert the roots and stem into the access hole then plant the seedling in the top of potting mix. If you have 3 seedlings then you either cut three separate holes along one side of the bucket or one long hole to accommodate the seedlings. I have come to prefer the single strip as shown below...
Use your utility knife to cut these holes.
Now remove the lid.
Step 10: Lay Fertilizer
On the opposite side of your access holes create a trench by separating the potting mix and leaving a trench approximately 2" deep in a 'V' shape.. fill this trench with organic fertilizer. Then cover back over with the potting mix and smooth flat.
Since your finished box will have a lid your fertilizer is protected from direct rainfall.... and since you water the box from the bottom up with an overflow hole then the fertilizer will last much, much longer than if you spread it directly on the ground in a conventional garden... fertilizer used in this way gets diluted very quickly and with hard rains can easily be washed away and/or leached away... the little bit of fertilizer in the box will last all growing season!
The first photo shows the 'trench' for the fertilizer.
The second photo shows the organic fertilizer being poured.
The third photo shows the fertilizer strip covered back over with potting mix.
The last two photos are "cutaways" to illustrate the position of the water tube and the PVC "water table"
Step 11: Insert Seedlings
Create two holes in the potting mix for the two seedlings. These should be opposite the fertilizer strip. Now carefully remove seedlings from their package and gently pull the roots out and loosen the soil around them.
Lay the lid on the bucket but do not secure.
Take your first seedling and gently press the root ball into the cutout of the lid and let it sit there. Do the same with the other seedling.
Here's the tricky part... Lift the lid up the stems enough for you to get your hand inside the bucket and gently press the root ball of seedling into the potting mix and gently cover the plant. Compact the potting mix around the base of the plant slightly to support the plant upright.
If you are planting three seedlings on a side, you may want to plant the middle hole seedling first as it will be easier to access the other two plants that should be near the corners of the bucket.
Now secure the lid onto the bucket being careful to fit it over the watering pipe.
Step 12: Drill Water Relief Hole
You will now take your drill and create a hole into the side of the bucket at the height of your PVC Water Buffer area. You may want to elevate the hole just above the top of the pipe. This allows your system to prevent over watering your plant and water logging them or worse, drowning them and causing root rot.
I would recommend positioning the hole on a side that your watering pipe is on so when filling you can see when it starts to overflow and you know your watering is complete. When you plants begin to grow you would have to lean over to see the hole if positioned on the opposite side of your water pipe.
Step 13: Fill With Water
I collect rainwater so I don't expose my plants to chlorine plus it's FREE!. But a water hose will work just fine. I use a plastic funnel with a long skinny snout. Insert the funnel into the watering pipe and fill until water starts running out of the overflow hole (you can see a small stream in the photo coming out the overflow hole). Now sprinkle a bit of water into the holes at the base of the seedlings... remember, it could take a short while for the water to wick up to the roots. The root system will take a while to grow and head down towards the water. So give the new seedlings a drink.
Step 14: Finished Product
You will love the gratification of picking you own tomatoes, bell peppers or hot peppers that you grew and you care for. I receive a great sense of accomplishment that I grew them myself, saved money in the process and that they are organic. I use rain water I collect to water my plants so I don't waste money there either.
Here are some of the advantages of this type of system.
1. Use less water versus the same vegetable planted straight into the ground (about 70% less) One reason is the bucket has a lid and only a small opening where the stem is keeping the water from evaporating as fast as open ground... plus you just put the exact amount of water until is starts to flow out the overflow hole - then you stop watering
2. Use less fertilizer. Because the fertilizer strip lays at the top of the bucket, the lid prevents rain water from leaching it out. When adding fertilizer to a vegetable planted straight into the ground, the fertilizer will leach out very quickly causing you to use more, pollute water runoff as well
3. NO WEEDING!!! Because the lid is on it keeps weeds from growing. This saves time a
nd labor
4. You may have to still worry about bugs - but not those who burrow and less likely the crawling type bugs as it is harder for them to get to your plants
5. Produces more fruit. It has been proven that a properly designed planter will produce more fruit as it gets just the amount of water and fertilizer it needs and will last all growing season
6. Saves space - these planters can be housed almost anywhere, in your yard, driveway, back deck - anywhere they can get sun. I planted my garden very early before spring really had come. I moved them into my garage when the weather forecast called for close to or freezing temps. Then I wheeled them out with a dolly into the sun for the day. This way I was getting ripened veggies way before my neighbor's garden
7. Extended production. You can bring your plants in when first frost is forecast then put them back out for as long as the weather holds. Giving you extra bounty into the fall. It is not unheard of for some plants to be brought indoors once the weather gets too cool and continue to produce indoor using a grow light.
8. Can be reused... at the end of the growing season you can remove the plants... and next year just lay a new strip of fertilizer and plant again.
9. Easy to maintain. I water my plants in the morning and in the evening... it takes just a minute
10. When it rains your plant will not get over watered and hey, plants love rain. I usually shower my plants down after sundown each night as well
I have a mixture of two-bucket system and now some single buckets - i can say with certainty that making the single bucket version it takes way less time and way less effort to build these.
My garden consists of 4 boxes of tomato plants for a total of 7 tomato plants and i just added two more boxes with a total of 7 Yellow Roma plants a nice lady from Freecycle gave me. I also have Jalapenos, Cayenne, Habanero and now Cowhorn peppers and Bell peppers (my two plants now have 17 ripening bell peppers coming in)
I hope this idea can help you start your own garden...
Here is a link to a youtube video of my garden: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0R0tC8UZcw
This is when I was still building two bucket systems... but gives you an idea of what a bucket garden looks like...
