Zero Power, Self-Watering, Self-Regulating Container Garden

This was inspired by another instructable that shows how to build your own earthbox. My design adds a gravity fed, zero power consuming irrigation system that can water multiple containers automatically.The whole project is built using common, easily found parts at potentially zero cost.

I live in an apartment that doesn't have a garden, but I do have a small roof outside my bedroom and I wanted to start a vegetable container garden on it. The idea of self watering containers appealed to me, but even with self watering containers I would still have to crawl out my bedroom window with multiple buckets of water every few days to keep the containers full.

What I needed was a way to keep multiple containers watered from a central reservoir that was easily accessible. I couldn't just connect the feed tubes straight from the containers to the reservoir because then it would just empty out, unevenly watering the containers and over watering the plants. However I didn't want wires hanging out my window, so I didn't want something that required electricity. It also had to be simple, so it could run with no need to dig it up and fix it, and it had to be cheap (or free), so I could repeat it on multiple containers and expand my garden without spending a lot of money.

The containers I've designed use the same self watering system as the earthbox concept, but I added an automatic shut-off valve to each container so that multiple containers can be gravity fed from the same reservoir. Each container regulates how much water it takes from the reservoir so, however many containers you have in your garden, all you have to do to keep them all watered is to make sure the reservoir stays full, no need for electricity, pumps or timers.

Construction is fairly simple and all parts are readily available for very cheap (almost all are very common and could be found for free if you are so inclined).

If you do decide to buy all the parts, it will set you back about $10-$12 per container

Step 1: Parts

What you will need for each container, (almost all parts are available at a good dollar store, except maybe the hose and hose connectors which you can get at a hardware store):

- A container with a lid (can be anything, I used two 5-gallon buckets and a big rubbermaid storage box).
- A plastic colander or basket that fits with plenty of room into the bottom of your container.
- A small rectangular tupperware container that can fit alongside the above mentioned basket in the bottom of your container.
- A toilet ballcock mechanism, the simplest, cheapest type with the float on an arm.
- A rubber ball that floats
- Some small gauge threaded rod (or you can just use the arm that came with the ballcock mechanism, if it can be cut down)
- A few feet of hose
- A nylon hose barb the same gauge as your hose (and barb T's, to add extra containers)
- Waterproof adhesive in a caulking gun

Comments

[msnyder4]

this is a great idea. I was wondering about root rot. Have you had any trouble?

[AnnaLove]

Good question... Anyone know?

[lickapop]

i dont think you can claim self watering when you have to 'physically' fill the reservoir. I got all excited for about 2 min Nice thought though

[wargecko]

You can automatically fill up the reservoir with another float valve hooked up to a water supply, that way when the reservoir level goes down the water supply refills it, much like a toilet.

[building a yurt]

I think this comes about as close as you could ask for to a self watering system. yes someone still has to fill the initial reservoir but what did you expect? if you put it under a gutter or a water collector from your roof then it might help but this is already freaking great!

[cooljamesx1]

If you seal the top of your reservoir air tight, (perhaps this would require a different container for the reservoir, I'm thinking like a water cooler bottle with a screw lid), you would not need the float valves, as air pressure would keep the water in the bottle which would only flow out when water levels in the planters fell to where air could be sucked in through the watering tube. Then, only the level of the watering tube end in the planter would determine the water level. This method would probably require a slightly larger watering tube diameter, to account for water surface tension, to allow air to flow in while water escapes. The tubes would also need to be kept at a continual slope, so as not to trap air, which you have already achieved, although it is unnecessary for your system. Thanks for your work!

[cooljamesx1]

This guy has the idea:

http://lifehacker.com/5891194/build-a-self+regulating-automatic-plant-watering-system-with-a-plastic-bottle-and-a-tray

no need for complicated valves! just air pressure. yay!

[cooljamesx1]

Nevermind about the continual slope, I was looking at the pics posted from olddirtyspatuala haha!

[gkaneto]

Hello, everybody!

I just wrote an instructable about self-watering (mainly for indoor plants, but will work for some outdoor setups): really self-regulating, and no powering needs.

It is here: http://www.instructables.com/id/Self-regulating-watering-system

Hope someone find it useful.

Best wishes,
Gustavo.

[tinker234]

wow going in my garden

[olddirtyspatula]

This is awesome and I'm so excited about building one.
I'm changing it slightly and using an evaporative cooler float valve instead, will maybe write an instructable if it's successful.
You wrote you'd update when the veggies bloom but I don't see an update- did you get too busy or was there a hitch? Did this work out for you?

[Lrimerman]

Did that work? Did it need to be modified. Seems an easier solution than fussing with a toilet float valve.

[olddirtyspatula]

this is my unpublished instructable: http://www.instructables.com/id/Self-Regulating-Container-Garden/ results: mixed. The peas love love love it and I'm having to go up to the roof every other day to detangle them from each other and wrap them around the poles. the soybeans and greenbeans are doing well too. All 3 of them developed roots all the way down to the water bucket. The carrots/chives were a horrible algae mess and the 2 transplants i bought (tomatoes and peppers) can't seem to decide what they think. I'm new tyo gardening, so I welcome any suggestions or theories on the failures. Here are current pics, about a month after building.

[kingnemo]

This is awesome!! So glad it worked out for you. I'm absolutely going to do mark II with those evaporative cooler float valves. So much easier. Great instructable!

[kingnemo]

Actually, I just googled the valves. They way cheaper too!

[olddirtyspatula]

Thank you so much, and thank you for your insructable on which mine is based. After reading yours I fell in love with the idea. question: how did your plants go? Did you also have mixed results or were they consistent? Did you get any algae? Did you start seeds and transplant or sow directly to the ground? Did you water overhead at all or just use the main reservoir? Like I said, new to gardening and learning it all by trial and error.

[FeedTheGrid]

Great concept. I'm wondering if this type of mechanism might even work on a larger scale; like my front yard. This is the second instructable within two weeks which I've seen that toilet-valve used; useful, indeed! Thanks for sharing! FTG

[kingnemo]

I don't see why it couldn't. The shut-off valves keep the containers from over watering, so in theory you could have as many containers as you wanted running off one reservoir. I guess you could also hook it up to a garden hose instead of the reservoir and never have to water your plants again.

[deathbellstar]

or hook it up to a rain barrel

[deathbellstar]

i think im going to try this when i have time with a Kerick float valve M252 and mod the float

[andybuda]

do you think a rubber ball pushing against a washer would do when the water level increases in the reservoir it would cause a seal they did use something like that in ancient plumbing systems

[ralls1935]

I'm not sure what part of the country you are from, but here in the southwest there are still a lot of swamp coolers in use which use a very small float valve to maintain a proper water level. Therefore doing away with modifying a flush valve. the 1/4 in plastic line is connected to a hose bib with a needle valve. I'm not sure what part of the country you are from, but here in the southwest there are still a lot swamp coolers in use. These coolers use a very small float valve that will eliminate modifying a flush valve plus you only have to drill a 3/8 inch hole to install it. A 1/4 inch plastic hose connected to a hose bib with a needle valve and your in business. If you do not have a water faucet close by connect to your 5 gal bucket.

[saxien]

You could always try the vacuum system with no floats or anything, just keep everything level , the outlet from your reservoir has to be the same level for all grow boxes you want to hook up, say 3cm from the bottom, then into the first growbox you need an air line at the same level, then run that to nearly the top of your reservoir, you only need one air line, but the reservoir must be airtight, use those plastic containers with the screw on caps, the water will fill to the top of the inlet and when it drops it exposes the air line and lets more in again until the airline is covered with water, you just make up a manifold to fill the other boxes from your first inlet, all the boxes will fill to the same level

[trebuchet03]

Just curious - is there any benefit of using a mechanical valve as opposed to a siphon (that would not require lifting the reservoir bucket)?

[joen]

Great idea. If you live in the southwest or western deserts you could use evaporative cooler float valves. They are ultra simple to install and you can shorten the float lever arm just about as much as you need to fit. There is nothing to take apart or re-fit. Just make sure the hole you drill for it is the right height, hook it up and you're done. They're available at almost any home center here.

[jimtran93]

using evaporative cooler float valves is a great idea, and would prob save a ton of time spent on modifying the toilet float.

[Mr. Rig It]

If you could get this near a rain down spout it could refill itself during the rain showers. I think this is a great idea and well written. Good job!

[drawe21]

Replace the shutoff valve with 2 sizes of pvc and a pingpong ball.

[kingnemo]

i tried that on the first version (that's the stuff you see ripped out in the photo), the pressure of the water in the bottom of the bucket isn't enough to shut off the flow, the ping-pong ball ends up just bobbing around while the reservoir empties in into the bucket rendering the whole shutoff valve useless. Good idea though, I wish it had worked, it would have been simpler.

[iancremona]

Great idea, I'm going to blog this at emotioned.com