Today we worked on Self Irrigating Pots, or SIPs. Also, glued together some pieces fo my wicking bed. I'm getting to know the people at the local hardware store well because of all the times I've been in there recently. It's a good opportunity for me to tell people about what I'm doing, they all seem really intrigued.
I had some help from a friend who lives down the street and we put together our first pot in about 45 minutes and whipped through them after that. Unfortunately, I made some mistakes to start. I bought some 20" pots wth holes in the bottom, and obviously the water leaked out. Also, I forgot to put in the overflow, which is very important. I left off today with a leaky pot and a dead drill in hopes that tomorrow will hold more promise. The good news is, my friend thought it was such a god idea that she's putting some in her backyard, too!
How to Make a Self Irrigating Pot
Materials
- Plastic storage bin, 5 gallon bucket, or large pot (preferrably without holes in the bottom)
- 2' of pipe (I used PVC)
- Storage bin lid, bucket lid, or other similar material that will fit inside pot (I used a metal fencing)
- Bricks (Optional)
- Wick, can be a premade drain or 4" length of pipe with holes
- Landscaping fabric
- Mulch, compost, coil
Steps*- Measure depth of water basin to about 3-4"
- Measure width of tub at this point and cut fencing to fit
- Cut two holes in fit fencing to width of drain and pipe.
- Place bricks in bottom of container for support.
Drill holes in bottom of pipe.
Place wick (drain) and pipe (holes down) in respective holes in fencing.- Place fencing, wick and pipe on top of bricks.
Cut landscaping fabric to fit over fencing, leaving holes for pipe and wick. - Drill overflow hole below fencing line.
- Fill with soil and/or compsot and place plant into SIP.
- Water from 2' pipe until water comes out the overflow hole.
*According to my specific project.
No comments:
Post a Comment