How to Build Self-Watering Planters With Landscape Timbers
Self-watering garden planters require less irrigation than a traditional bed. The bottom reservoir in the planter holds water that slowly seeps into the soil only as needed, so there is nearly no water loss. Most self-watering containers are made of plastic, which isn't always an attractive choice. Create your own planter using treated landscape timbers. These boards don't rot like untreated wood, making them suitable for using outdoors. You can place the planter out in your yard or keep it on a patio or deck. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Three 12-foot-long, 2-by-12-inch treated boards
- Circular or hand saw
- Galvanized screws
- 2-by-2-inch board
- Black plastic
- Staple gun
- Perforated drain pipe
- 4-inch-diameter PVC caps
- 1-inch-diameter PVC pipe, 3 feet long
- Plumber's putty
- Soilless potting mix
Instructions
-
-
1
Cut the 2-by-12-inch treated landscape lumber into eight 4-foot lengths, using a circular or hand saw.
-
2
Arrange four of the boards on their narrow edge to make a square frame. Alternate the corners so each board has one end as the exterior corner and the other end as the interior corner to form a perfect square. Screw the corners together with galvanized wood screws. Make a second box from the remaining four boards.
-
-
3
Set the first box flat on top of its permanent location. Arrange the second box on top the first so it sits level and the sides are even.
-
4
Place a 24-inch-long 2-by-2-inch board in each corner of the box. Screw both the top and bottom box to the 2-by-2 boards to secure the corners of the two boxes together.
-
5
Lay a sheet of heavy black plastic inside the box, lining both the bottom and sides of the box with the plastic. Staple the plastic to the top of the box with a staple gun. Trim off the excess plastic so it doesn't hang over the sides of the box.
-
6
Arrange a 25-foot long perforated plastic drain pipe inside the box. Coil the pipe so it fits inside the frame and covers the entire bottom of the box. Insert a 4-inch diameter PVC pipe cap into each end of the pipe. The perforations in the pipe allow water to seep out.
-
7
Cut a 2-inch diameter hole in the top of the pipe near one end. Cut the bottom of a 3-foot long, 1-inch diameter PVC pipe at a 45-degree angle. Insert the angled end of the pipe into the hole and seal the seam with plumber's putty. This pipe is the fill tube.
-
8
Fill the garden bed with a soilless potting mixture. Make your own by combining equal parts peat, compost and vermiculite. Water the mixture until it's evenly moist before planting the garden. This is the only time you water the soil from the top instead of through the water reservoir.
-
9
Fill the water reservoir, or drain pipes, once weekly by pouring water into the fill tube. In exceptionally hot and dry water, the reservoir may require twice weekly filling.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Cover the bed with black plastic before planting. Cut holes in the plastic for each plant. The plastic prevents evaporation and minimizes water loss from the soil.
