How to Make a Self Watering Planter

Pots and planters overflowing with colorful flowers always look beautiful on a patio or porch, but they require almost daily watering and leaving home for the weekend is a problem when pots must be watered. Here is a self-watering planter to solve irrigation problems when you can't be there. Read on to learn more.

Things You'll Need

• 1 terracotta planter
• 1 larger plastic planter
• 1 plastic drip saucer for the larger pot
• Epoxy gel
• Potting Soil
• Colorful plants

Instructions

1. Choose two pots of different sizes so that one pots fits entirely inside the other, leaving a 1 to 2-inch gap between the two pots. The smaller inside planter needs to be made of a porous terracotta material. The outside planter needs to be plastic or pottery that has been glazed and is non-porous and without a drainage hole in the bottom for the self watering planter.

2. Mix the two components of the epoxy syringe and apply a thick layer of epoxy gel to the outside base of the smaller pot and another thick layer of epoxy to the inside base of the larger pot. Place the smaller pot inside the larger pot and press firmly. Wait at least 24 hours without moving the pots.

3. Test the seal to make sure both drainage holes are plugged after the epoxy has dried for at least 24 hours. If there is a leak, apply more epoxy then check again for leakage.

4. Fill the inner planter with potting soil and plant colorful flowers. Water them in well. Fill the gap between the pots with water and the water will slowly leech through the terracotta to the plants, watering the soil by providing irrigation.

5. Keep the water level full in the reservoir pot to provide constant irrigation to the inner planter.

Tips & Warnings

• You can skip the epoxy step. Just purchase both pots without drainage holes.