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A self watering container consists of:
a pot (any old plastic pot will do, make sure it has no holes in it, the pot I used was a bucket I got at the dollar store)
a wick (any plastic bottle you can recycle, I used a Gatorade bottle)
a pipe ( any pipe big enough to pour water in easily, I used copper here, but you can use pvc pipe or any plastic hose you have laying around)
a barrier (you can use window screen like I did here or recycle your old grocery bags or any plastic bags like the one your soil comes in
some rocks (rocks are cheap, you can use river rocks or pea pebbles like I used here)
Soil (of course some soil whatever kind you like)
Optional - Kitty Litter ( You can stretch you rock supply by putting a layer of kitty litter on the bottom and your rocks on top. make sure you get kitty litter that has no chemicals in it)
a pot (any old plastic pot will do, make sure it has no holes in it, the pot I used was a bucket I got at the dollar store)
a wick (any plastic bottle you can recycle, I used a Gatorade bottle)
a pipe ( any pipe big enough to pour water in easily, I used copper here, but you can use pvc pipe or any plastic hose you have laying around)
a barrier (you can use window screen like I did here or recycle your old grocery bags or any plastic bags like the one your soil comes in
some rocks (rocks are cheap, you can use river rocks or pea pebbles like I used here)
Soil (of course some soil whatever kind you like)
Optional - Kitty Litter ( You can stretch you rock supply by putting a layer of kitty litter on the bottom and your rocks on top. make sure you get kitty litter that has no chemicals in it)
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Signing UpStep 1Getting the wick ready.
Take your plastic bottle and place it in your bucket or pot to see where you want to cut it. I would say at least one quarter of the height of the bucket or pot.
Mark your cut line with a sharpie.
Start cut with an exacto knife and cut the rest with scissors.
Poke holes all over the bottom and sides of the wick.
Mark your cut line with a sharpie.
Start cut with an exacto knife and cut the rest with scissors.
Poke holes all over the bottom and sides of the wick.
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Occasionally I scope out related Instructables -- not wanting to reinvent the wheel or duplicate something already out there. Does the screen actually wick moisture properly? You never have to top water? Otherwise it seems any water delivered down the pipe will quickly drain out the bottom of the container . . . that's the path of least resistance.
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Aside from the screen and the hole in the bottom of your larger container, this design exactly duplicates what I understand as sub-irrigated growing containers. Usually the gravel is about 4" deep and a water reservoir about 3" deep is maintained with an overflow hole drilled at that height through the sidewall of the container. The pipe is used to fill the reservoir; when it is full, water flows out the overflow. The only purpose of the gravel is to support a layer of landscape fabric under the potting mix.
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The smaller wick container is also filled with potting mix to form a "cupcake mound" before the circle of landscape fabric is put in. The smaller container passes moisture up into the mix as long as it's not allowed to get too dry. The mix is completely saturated initially and covered with a layer of plastic at the top. Bark fines are used to protect the plastic AND keep it from getting too hot. This upper layer of plastic minimizes evaporation and keeps the potting mix from ever getting too dry -- as long as the water reservoir is never allowed to run dry. For more info, scope out:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-Your-Own-Growing-Containers/
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For the jalapeno bucket, I used landscaper's lava rock for its light weight. The red penta flower bucket got styrofoam peanuts.
Looking forward to building a larger planter for some tomatoes!
BTW, I cannot fathom the benefits of using kitty litter....