Quick and easy self-watering garden planters
introQuick and easy self-watering garden planters
Quick and easy self watering garden planters. Cheap, reuseable,
recycleable. All you need are: milk jug(s) (1 or 2 quart), scissors,
planting foam (used for live flower arrangements), and potting soil.
step 1Clean a 1 Quart or 1/2 Gal milk jug, cut it in half. Be sure you're below the handle.
step 2Name this InstructablePress the top of the jug into the "floral foam" about 1/2 to 3/4". Bend the top half of the jug to one side until the floral foam breaks - this will make a small "plug" in the bottom so the soil doesn't pour out.
step 3Name this InstructableInside the jug you'll see a ridge. This will keep the jug top above the bottom of the base, and allow water in and out. Invert the jug top with the foam inside and push into place.
step 4Add soil, seeds water to about 1/3 full and grow! Juice jugs work too, as do water bottles (Dasani, Evian, etc), as long as there's a ridge in the bottom. They're reuseable, recycleable and free. Another benefit is that since they're flexible and their conical in shape, a little squeeze and th…
| Any reason why you specified smaller jugs? Would gallon jugs not work? |
| Gallon jugs would work, but my use is for starting plants to replant
into larger ones. Also, the jug handle angle eats up a lot of space
where there could be soil. If you decide to use gallon jugs, I'd use
two of them, and cut the funnel shaped one at about 2" from the
bottom, then use another one for the base, cutting it just below the jug
handle. It'll give the plant more room to grow. Let me know how it
works out for you! |
| I set one up yesterday. I'm not sure if something is inherently not
straight, because of the shape of the jugs, or if I just didn't cut
straight, but my inside is a ocuple of inches lower on one side. I'll
probably trip the outside down, because now most of my (fairly limited)
daylight is getting diffused by the jug. And I'm growing algea already
- I deff. need to cover the sides with something. But I think so far
it is self-watering successfully. Either that or it just didn't dry up yet. |
| Jul 21, 2009. 8:01 PMguy90
says:
I'm using milk jugs at the mo, not sure if its just me- but the compost
is always moist, with this system, so for me to pour water onto the
compost, it makes it too swampy! I pour the water into the bottom part
of the planter myself, my tomatoes are growing high : ) |
| Sounds like you've got a good idea. Do you remove the upper part to add
water? Also - what type of tomatoes are you growing in them: cherry,
full size, paste (roma) or another type? I found that the smaller types
("bush" roma, cherry) worked better in the smaller containers,
where the larger size needed more room for roots. |
| Jul 23, 2009. 9:42 PMguy90
says:
Nope, see the part on the milk bottle where the handle protrudes out?
well, when I flipped and loaded this part into place, it left a neat
little gap, to save me dismantling the contraption when I need to water
it. I'm using cherry at the moment, my little sister mentioned the idea
of stacking bottles, but I doubt they'd have a lot of light, clear
bottles might make good propagators if they were around : / |
| How do you add water? Dump it right on the dirt, or did you put a hole
in the handle, to add water to the bottom part? |
| I usually add it from the top, right into the soil. Was hoping to use
the handle for something, but I haven't found anything unique. |
| you could drill little holes around the sides of the cap area where the
cap use to be to help the sponge exporb water... |
| Hi, Can you clarify, please, "until it breaks"? Until what
breaks? Since I don't have foam, I will be cutting whatever needs to
break. Are you removing the neck of the jug? It appears intact in the
picture showing the top being inserted in the bottom. Thanks for any
help. Lana |
| Hi Lana, you turn the top of the jug until the green foam breaks,
leaving a small plug in the bottom. This allows water in, but the soil
won't get out. |
| I think it means until the green floral foam breaks off into the neck of
the jug |
| Yes, you're right, that's not clear. I'll see if I can fix that. Until
the foam breaks off inside. |
| Oct 1, 2008. 11:09 AMjany
says:
Ahhh. I get it now.! I think I will try that with a small ivy plant.
Thank you so much for your input again. Jan |
| Does the bottom work as a water reservoir and how do you put it in? You
do dampen the dirt some when you plant the seeds don't you? I am
totally new. I know the questions sound weird but I'm trying to understand. |
| Hi, and thanks for writing! Yes, the bottom works as a resevoir - you
water the plant - and keep watering 'til you see that there's about two
inches of water in the bottom (outside) container, then you can let it
be 'til it's at about 1/4" or so. I'd wet the soil once it went
in, then let it stand for a day or so. You can always pull out the
upper part and drain off the excess water if you add too much. |
| Aug 10, 2008. 7:23 PMjany
says:
I would like to see more pictures. Im confused about the top part of the
jug and the bottom half. Why is that ridge in the bottom of the jug so important? |
| Hi Jany, The ridge holds the "spout" high enough that the
water can enter. If it wasn't there, the rim of the spout could
actually press too hard against the bottom of the jug, and not allow
water in. I'll see if I can redo this instructable with more pics, or
maybe a video to show the steps easier. |
| Oct 20, 2006. 6:04 PMboocat
says:
This seems neat! I'm eager to try it next summer. Thanks. |
| What a cute way of using up plastic bottles...I'm going to try this a.s.a.p. |
| Great instructable short and sweet. :) A tip to take into consideration
though is to tape or paint the outsides opauqe to prevent algae growth
and promote healthy root development.This is because algae like light
and suffocates the roots by covering them and stealing nutrient etc. And
the roots become stunted on some plants because they strive to avoid the
light and by doing this they bunch up in the middle of the planter. But
like i said great tutorial iam gonna make some for my Daturas(Angel
trumpets,thorn apple and Bella Donna)
|
| Bella Donna isnt a Datura, though it is a Baneful herb and both are from
the same family and contain some similar trptophans |
| OHHHH.... wow, I had to stare at that a long time to get it. You're
making a plug out of the foam for the funnel part of the milk carton.
Can you maybe put a picture of that part in? Also, are you meant to
keep the jug handle full of water?
|
| there is an easier way to make self watering plaunters. Fill a cup up
with water and stick the end of a piece of string in it. Connect the
other end of the string to a regular planter. Use more strings for
bigger planters. Great instructable, though :) |
| Thanks for all the comments! Looking forward to hydroponic instructable. |
| Thanks for all the comments! Looking forward to hydroponic instructable. |
| May 11, 2006. 4:16 PMtchbk
says:
Sorry for the double post up there. Ive made a few of these now. Couple
milk cartons and a t liter soda bottle that I am also trying out. Should
I be keeping the water level high enought to touch the foam at the bottom? |
| May 11, 2006. 7:06 AMtchbk
says:
I am assuming that you hyave to keep the water level high enoug hto
touch the foam right? And what if you aerated the water in the bottom?
Would you still have the same mold problem? |
| If you aerate the water you dont need any soil if you add liquid
nutrients to the water. Iam going to put up a tutorial on a rooting unit
and a big hydroponic unit soon i just have to get the supplies together.
And since also building a still iam a bit swamped :) |
| The foam goes into the throat of the top part of the jug like in the
picture. Atleast thets how i see it. |
| yup, foam draws up water from bottom through neck to the soil. Pretty
neat although even if you solve the algae problem you will have mold to
deal with as the soil cant breath against the plastic. Its always best
to have a flow of water from top to bottom rather than constantly soaked. |
| If the the plant is healthy that wont be a problem most plants produce a
natural fungicide. |
| I forot and adding some perlite or gravel in the dirt att the bottom
will help with aeration. iam also going to put up a tutorial of a easy
hydroponic setup. |
| May 11, 2006. 7:06 AMtchbk
says:
I am assuming that you hyave to keep the water level high enoug hto
touch the foam right? |
| May 9, 2006. 5:51 PMtchbk
says:
Im not quite understanding this. Does the foam go inside the base,
underneath the top part of the jug? Or does it go inside the top part of
the jug underneath the soil? The 2nd seems to make more sense. And is
step 2 just to make the foam fit in the inverted top of the jug? |
| Do you just pour water into the handle to water the plants? |
| May 7, 2006. 8:10 PMg0pher
says:
I use this same method! and it works great too |
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