Self watering 5-gallon bucket results

I made some self watering containers out of 5-gallon buckets a while back.  I thought I should post an update with how they are doing.

Tomatillos on May 8, 2013.

Here's a picture I took of them the other day.

July 28, 2013

I'm not sure what to say about them.  The tomatillo on the left is a lot bigger and greener than the other three.  But, it's not doing nearly as well as the ones I put in the raised beds.  I think the bucket on the left got better soil than the other buckets.  Or maybe tomatillos aren't the best things to grow this way.  I don't know. 

I'm undecided about trying these containers again next year.  All of my raised beds have drip irrigation fed by rain barrels.  That system has worked quite well so far.  I'm not sure I have a need for self watering bucket containers.  Oh well.  It was worth a try, and it wasn't a complete failure. It just didn't work as well as I had hoped.

Another self watering 5-gallon bucket

The self watering containers I built previously seem to be doing OK.  I put tomatillos in them, and they've got to be nearly a foot tall now.

I got more buckets, so I thought I'd build another one.  This time I'm using a round net pot that I found on Amazon.  I got 6 of them for less than $4. 

I cut a hole in the bottom of the bucket and put the net pot through it.  I probably didn't make the hole big enough, but the lip on the pot was rather small, and I didn't want to risk making the hole too big.  A hole saw would have been good for this, but I don't have one.  I used my Dremel.  The Dremel doesn't make nice round holes the way a hole saw would.  Oh well...  You use what you have.

Here's the view from the inside.  This bucket has seen better days.  I drilled several small drainage holes and a larger 7/8" hole for the PVC pipe.

I wanted to know just how well the soil wicked the water up from the lower chamber.  So as an experiment I put about an inch of soil in the bottom of the bucket.  Then I poured water down the PVC pipe, and waited over night.

Well how about that?  All of the soil in the bottom of the bucket was good and damp.   It really works.  Now I just need to make another trip to Home Depot to get more soil.  Seriously, I should just move in to that place.  I'm there all the time anyway.

More Self watering 5-gallon bucket containers

I made some more self watering containers.  I did some things a little differently this time.  I managed to cut myself while hacking on a tick can.  So I went to Lowes and got one of these 3" atrium grates.

I drilled holes in the bottom of the bucket to allow excess water to drain out.  I did use a can in this bucket.

I used the atrium grate mentioned above in this bucket.

I have three buckets done.  I used three different lids.  I don't know if the color will make a difference or not.  I'll just have to wait and see how well each one works.

I don't have a picture of it, but I did drill holes in the exterior buckets just below the bottom of the interior bucket.  That way water can drain out if they get overfilled.  

Now it just needs to get warm enough to plant stuff.

Self Watering 5-gallon bucket

I've read about self watering containers before.  I thought I'd try to make one to see how well they work.  The idea is to place one bucket inside of another.  The soil from the inner bucket will reach into the outer bucket and absorb the water.  A pipe runs through the inner bucket to the outer bucket and is used for filling the outer bucket with water. 

Here's what you need:

• Two 5-gallon buckets
• One 5-gallon bucket lid
• 1/2" PVC pipe ~20" long
• One can
• Burlap cloth (not shown).

 

I started by cutting a hole in the bottom of one of the buckets.  I used the can to determine its size.

I cut a notch in the bottom of the PVC pipe so it wouldn't sit flat against the bottom of the bucket.  Then I drilled a 7/8" hole in the bottom of the bucket and put the PVC pipe through it.

I cut notches in the bottom of the can to allow water in. 

Then I placed the inner bucket into the outer bucket and put the can through the hole in the bottom.

Then I put the burlap in place.  It'll keep the soil from filling up the void holding the water.

Then I filled the bucket with soil.  I made sure that the can at the bottom was filled first.  In theory the soil in there should absorb the water and draw it upwards to the plants.

I drilled a hole in the center of the lid.  That's where the plant will go.  I also put the PVC pipe through the lid and used the top of a soda bottle for a funnel.

The last step was to fill it with water.  

I'm anxious to see how this works.