Self-Watering Containers

"Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams than Emperor's." -Mary Cantwell

I have lots of big plans for my balcony this year. Fruits and vegetables and edible flowers, oh my!

And as I think about all the plants I am planning to grow, I know that it could require a lot of water. I also know regular pots tend to dry out very quickly which stresses the plants, in turn making them produce less. I need to get creative. I need to conserve water not only because it's a good practice to get into, but also because it means less work watering for me in the long run. But how? One idea: self-watering containers!

Now you don't need self-watering containers. Good-sized ordinary pots are just great, esp. for plants that like to dry out between waterings like many herbs. Or even for vegetables (like tomatoes) if you are good at keeping them watered on a regular basis. However, for those particularly hot days in the middle of summer, self-watering containers are great for keeping your soil moist and plants happy.

What is a self watering container? A self-watering container is a container that can be watered by filling up a water reservoir at it's base. Plants soak up water from the bottom up, and sometimes, depending on how much water your container can hold and how well you mulch the top, it doesn't have to watered for several days! Now that is nice. I am liking this idea. Self watering container are also great cause they encourage your plants' root systems to grow downwards and thus, be more healthy overall.

The components of a basic self watering container are (a) the main container, (b) plane separating the soil body from the water reservoir, (c) a "foot" or "wick" that draws water up from the water reservoir to the soil body, (d) supports that hold up the plane, (e) a pipe (or opening) used to add water to the water reservoir, (f) soil, and (g) plants.



Self-watering containers are getting popular! So now you can buy them or buy inserts to convert regular containers into self-watering ones. However, these pre-made ones can be more expensive. So if you have some tools lying around (or know a friend with tools) consider making one yourself. I used a drill, an exacto knife, strong scissors, a saw (for cutting PVC pipe for the pipe and supports). It does take some time, but it can be the experience. And you can tailor them to whatever size you like.

Here's just one of the many descriptions you can find online on how to make your own self-watering containers. The pictures in this document give you a good sense of how many different types of containers you can convert into self-watering ones.

http://www.seattleoil.com/Flyers/Earthbox.pdf

Here also are some pictures of some of my attempts at self-watering containers. These are pieces of a self-watering container being assembled...


Here's James helping me make another one. Here we drilled holes in plastic flower pots as to create a soil "foot".


And here are the blueberries in the bedroom! Originally they were each going to get their own container, but we need to conserve space. Sigh. Usually you'll want to use an opaque container so light doesn't get through and cause algae to grow beneath the soil surface. I am planning to cover this container on the outside with cloth or paper. Also, note the mulch! Mulch (can be anything from leaves, straw, pine needles, etc...) or ground covers are a great way to help your plants from drying out and will mean you can water less often.


If you have any thoughts or ideas or questions on self-watering containers, feel free to comment. =)