DIY: Building Self-Watering Grow Boxes (18 Gallon Tub Edition)
Previously, I showed you how to make self-watering planters out of yogurt containers that are perfect for growing herbs or small flowers. Several readers have asked me how to implement this model at a larger scale. In this model, I’ve used 18-gallon tubs – enough for larger vegetables that require more soil and water.
For this project, you will need:
- Two 18-gallon tubs
- One wire basket
- Razor blade or x-acto knift
- Drill
- Scissors
- Tubing
- An old t-shirt
Start by placing the wire basket on the bottom of one of the tubs. Trace the perimeter with a sharpie marker.
With your drill, make six holes along the top and bottom (long) edge.
This is what it will look like at this point.
With a razor blade or x-acto knife, cut inside the perimeter you traced, ensuring that you don’t make a crack in the bottom of the tub.
Cut 10 small strips out of an old t-shirt. Six will be used to secure the wire basket to the tub, while 4 will be used as wicking agents, to draw water up to the soil from the reservoir. Tie the wire basket to the tub, ensuring that there is no gap between the bottom of the tub and the edge of the wire basket.
Drill four additional holes – two on each side, and thread a strip from the outside to the inside. Tie a knot so that the strip is outside the box, as shown, and the knot on the inside keeps the shirt strip in place. Make a hole large enough for the tubing in one corner.
Thread the tubing through the tub so that approximately 6 inches remains on the outside of the tub and the remainder runs up and through the box, as shown. There should be enough tubing left so that filling the box with water through the tube is not difficult.
Place the modified tub inside the other tub. The internal tub will rest on the wire basket, leaving about a 6 inch reservoir underneath that can be filled through the tube. This enourages plants to grow deeper roots (tap roots) in order to access the moist soil. Finally, drill a hole in the bottom of the outside container, about 3-4 inches up, to handle the overflow. This means you can’t overwater!
Put the planter where you want it and fill it with 18 gallons of soil. It may seem like a bit of an expense up front, but if you stick with it, the cost will decrease substantially over time – the planter should last for more than one season.
[...] I usually do. As I was walking down 18th street, I spotted something that made me do a double-take. A self-watering planter? It was! Sorry for the blurry iPhone photo, but I was just so excited and didn’t have time [...]
[...] About 0 Must-read Articles Before You Plant Your Balcony or Backyard Garden John Reinhardt | January 30th, 2011 | Balcony Garden, Do It Yourself, Features, Gardens in the City, Grown in the City, Resources It’s been almost a year of blogging, and over 200 posts! (March 10, 2010 is the actualy “birthday” of Grown in the City). In that time, there have been a lot of interesting posts covering balcony gardening. Since it’s almost time to start thinking about this season’s planting, here’s a few of my favorite articles. It’s never too early to start saving your yogurt containers or building those self-watering planters! [...]
[...] DIY: Building Self-Watering Grow Boxes (18 Gallon Tub Edition) [...]
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Hi! I’m working on four of these self-watering planters this weekend. I was wondering if you could offer any advice on how many plants to put in each? I have a 9 tomato plants total, 3 early girls and the other are cherry tomatoes. I also have 3 green pepper plants. For seeds, I was hoping to add zucchini, yellow summer squash and beans. Do you have any advice on what can be planted together and how many of each could go into the 18 gallon tubs? I also have radish seedlings but I don’t think I will put them in a self-watering container. Thanks!
[...] heirloom seeds, there was a lot of variety. I chose two of the most vigorous plants to grow in my DIY 18-gallon self watering planters, and I noticed one grew much quicker than the other. When it came time to pick the fruit, it took [...]