Introduction: How to Make a Self Watering Container
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)
Step 1: Getting 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.
Step 2: Getting Pipe and Drain Hole Ready.
Place your pipe in bucket or pot and cut down to size. Let it come from about one inch to two inches above top of pot.
Next place your wick in bucket to measure where you need to drill your drain hole in bucket, which will be right below the top of the wick. (drain hole prevents water from building up in pot which caused root rot)
Drill hole in bucket. See top left picture of drilled hole.
Next place your wick in bucket to measure where you need to drill your drain hole in bucket, which will be right below the top of the wick. (drain hole prevents water from building up in pot which caused root rot)
Drill hole in bucket. See top left picture of drilled hole.
Step 3: Filling and Placing Wick
Cut a piece of window screen to place in wick. (you will want a big square two and one half diameter of bucket)
Find center of screen and place in wick.
Open up screen and place soil into the wick at the center of the screen.
Do not leave excess screen in wick, pack the soil tight into the wick.
The excess screen should now be all around the outside of the wick.
Find center of screen and place in wick.
Open up screen and place soil into the wick at the center of the screen.
Do not leave excess screen in wick, pack the soil tight into the wick.
The excess screen should now be all around the outside of the wick.
Place the wick into the bucket now.
Step 4: Placing Your Rocks and Watering Pipe
Your wick should be in the middle of your bucket and you are ready to put your rocks in.
Place your pipe on the side of bucket as shown in picture.
If you want you may put a few rocks in to help hold the pipe in place.
Put rocks all around the wick being careful to hold the screen up and out of the way, keep putting in rocks until it reaches the top of the wick.
Push down the screen on top of the rocks. The screen is your barrier to keep the soil and rocks separate.
Place your pipe on the side of bucket as shown in picture.
If you want you may put a few rocks in to help hold the pipe in place.
Put rocks all around the wick being careful to hold the screen up and out of the way, keep putting in rocks until it reaches the top of the wick.
Push down the screen on top of the rocks. The screen is your barrier to keep the soil and rocks separate.
Step 5: The Soil and Plant
Start placing your soil in the pot.
Start in the center where the wick is and work towards the sides. You will want the screen to cover the rocks but not the wick.
Keep pushing the screen down as you place soil. Pack it in nice.
When you have most of it covered now would be a good time to place your plant in over the soil to see what depth you need for the plant. keep putting in the soil all around the plant and a little bit around the pipe until the pot is full.
Start in the center where the wick is and work towards the sides. You will want the screen to cover the rocks but not the wick.
Keep pushing the screen down as you place soil. Pack it in nice.
When you have most of it covered now would be a good time to place your plant in over the soil to see what depth you need for the plant. keep putting in the soil all around the plant and a little bit around the pipe until the pot is full.
Step 6: Finishing Up and Watering
Now that your soil is in, it is time to water your plant. Since this is a new transplant you will want to water the top of the pot.
Next pour water down into your pipe until you see water coming out of your draining hole you put in before.
From here on in you just need to water your plant through your pipe. The roots will take all the water it needs from the wick.
I like to put my plant food into the water.
Next pour water down into your pipe until you see water coming out of your draining hole you put in before.
From here on in you just need to water your plant through your pipe. The roots will take all the water it needs from the wick.
I like to put my plant food into the water.
