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

Step 10 Connect All Your Containers to a Single Reservoir

1. Get another container (your reservoir), drill a hole in the side at the bottom of the container and screw another hose barb into it

2. Using the T barbs to branch the flow, connect all your containers the reservoir.

The cool thing about this design is that, since the shut-off valves in the containers will make sure they won't just keep filling, the reservoir is simply topping off the containers when the water level drops, meaning that, no matter how many containers you have or how big they are, the size of the reservoir doesn't matter, you simply have to keep it full.

To show it in action, here's a picture of my girlfriend filling up the reservoir for our three containers with ease and aplomb, out of our bedroom window. Now isn't that easier than keeping track of the water levels of multiple containers and having to lug multiple buckets of water out of a window to fill them up?

I will update this instructable when our veggies start blooming.

Comments

[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this is my unpublished instructable: http://www.instructables.com/id/Self-Regulating-Container-Garden/ results: mixed.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.

[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

[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!

[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.