Thanks for sharing. I've made about 10 self watering containers this year. Each one is slightly different than the one before. Every time I find something that would work slightly better.

My only concern with your design is the wood. I'd be worried that they will become weak during the growing season and fail. How about some PVC that is used for drinking water? I'm not sure of the best way to attach them, though.

Is the wicking chamber just sitting on the bottom of the bucket?

Hi fritz. I started back 3 years ago using the PVC pipe and found that it was a lot of work so I went to the wood and have good luck with it. I have some buckets with wood in their 3rd year now and are holding up well. For using the pipe, cut it to length wanted and 1/4 inch from the top drill a 1/8 inch hole through it, then place it where you want it and mark around it, then drill 2 holes on opposite sides then using a copper wire fasten the pipe to the lid. Do the other three and you are on go. Good luck with it.

fritz-monroe you asked about the wick chamber in my bucket, it is sitting on the bottom and up into the soil area about 1/2 inch to keep it from sliding around. I use the plastic milk jug as I have so many and I don't have to buy them. Cheap, CHEAP CHEAP. LOL.

DAN

If you dont like using PVC why not skip the fill tube. In mine I just fill from an enlarged drain hole. No difference really, dont mind a little bending to water, though I an not planning on hooking up a dedicated automatic watering system.

I've been looking for a frugal support solution, never considered using scrap wood for some reason, I might try it next container

tango-il I didn't say I was against PVC just that the wood is a lot easier to use. I use the fill tube because with my age and health I find that to just stick the hose in the pipe and fill the water chamber is a lot easer for me. I can water all my buckets just sitting on my electric scooter, and that keeps me from bending too much. The mid 90 degree heat here has limited my going outside, and the sun is getting my plants.Soon I will be reworking my bucket soil to get ready to plant my fall and winter garden. I ll be useing this soil for the 4th time, just plowing[LOL] the soil and adding the fert. needed to start it. Can you keep us posted on what you grow and how it progresses, when I get my winter garden going I will try to post pix too. GOOD LUCK GROWING>

That's similar to my earthbucket design variation which has served me well now for 2 years. I ended up using a 3.5 gallon bucket inside a 5 gallon bucket so I don't need to worry about supports to hold the plant mix up since the two buckets nest firmly. Drilled holes in the bottom of the 3.5 gallon bucket for ventilation and used PVC pipe with more holes drilled along its length for the wick and a second PVC pipe for water.

King

just wondering what crops do you intend to grow in those buckets. I am trying a crop in nested self-watering 5 gallon buckets for the first time this fall. will have short season det tomatoes (now in 3 inch pots), cucumber (direct sow in the buckets) and squash (direct sow).

Also, how large (in square inches) is your wicking area?

kingturtle, your system sounds good, could you post some photos to show how its made, and how the water system works. Thanks for the info. DAN

The buckets are all occupied right now, but I will post some photos as soon as I can. Let me state right off that my design was adapted from all the great container designs and discussions I've read about on this forum. It has been a great resource.

Tumbleweed, I had seen a similar design using nested 5 gallon buckets but decided to go with a 3.5 gallon bucket inside a 5 gallon bucket to increase the water reservoir. I did this because I travel out of town 2 days a week and wanted to make sure the buckets didn't dry out. With the 1.5 gallon reservoir that I get using the 3.5 gallon bucket, I figure I get about half an earthbox capacity which is how I've been planting them.

My wick is made from a 3.5 inch diameter (3 inch inside diameter) PVC sewer pipe which I punched full of holes up and down its length with a half inch diameter drill bit and position in the middle of the bucket. The wicking area is the 3 inch diameter cylinder times a length of 6.5 inches below the drain hole (just under 10 cubic inches).

I've planted tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, beans, and cantaloupe all with with pretty good success and comparable to the earthboxes I also use. I'm on a mountain with little soil but good southern exposure and am hanging these boxes and buckets on sturdy shelves attached to my deck.

Thanks for the interest. I'll try to get some pictures up soon.

"dangsr_grow posteed --Soon I will be reworking my bucket soil to get ready to plant my fall and winter garden."

Would you care to share more about how you will be doing this? I am planning my first ever fall garden and am considering a winter garden. I use all the help I can get with this.

Love your plan, going to try it but have couple quick questions:
1) How many inches up from the bottom of the milk jug to you make your cut?
2) How many inches long are the pieces of wood?
3) What is diameter of PVC pipe?

love2b-home, The milk jug is cut 3 1/2 inches from the bottom and the cutout for water to get in is at the bottom. The wood is 3 1/4 inches long and the pipe is 3/4" PVC. I hope you have as good luck with them as I have had.

DAN

lime-coke, I will wait until the present plant has finished all it can, then I will remove the plant, then dig out the root and then take out the top 3 gal. of soil into another bucket, I will add to this the fert. needed for the next plant and give this soil a real good mixing with trowel and if a little more soil is needed, add it and mix it in good. Then I will use the trowel to mix fert. in the soil in the bucket and mix it good too. Then put the soil back tn the bucket, add water to the water chamber and its ready for a new plant. DAN

Dan, I have another question; do you use the same soil/fill for your bottom wick container or some other material. Also, I know you use cutoff milk jugs for your wick container but what other containers can be used, how about a squat flower pot? I'm getting ready to build my first SW plant bucket.

Thanks, JoeRay

joeray--You asked about the soil in my wick chamber, it is the same as the soil in the top of the bucket. I use the milk jug bottom because I tried one on my earlier bucket and it worked for me but you can use anything you like, just be sure that it lets the water in keeps the soil out of the water chamber. What ever you use good luck with it and let us know what you use and what success you have with it.

DAN

Dan, one further question. What do you use to cut the rim off the lid; jig saw, snips, knife? I haven't cut this material before and don't want to mess it up.

Thanks again, JoeRay

joeray -

a ready-made hard plastic cricket basket is ideal size for the wicking basket, can support a full load of planting mix in a self-watering 18 gal Rubbermade box, with no leakage of potting mix into the water chamber. Approx. 6x6x6, ideal size for most applications.

Can get them at most fishing tackle shops for less than 3 bucks. I get mine at Bass Pro Shop and at Academy Sports here in Dallas. There is a square version (which I prefer) and a cylindrical version.

38-425-710-00 * CRICKET BASKET 6'' DIAMETER
6'' HEIGHT $2.99

Here is a link that might be useful: Bass Pro Shop

joeray--I drill a 1/4 " hole then use a hand held jig saw to make all the cuts. I then use a file or wood rasp to smoothe all the cut edges. Good luck with your bucket and happy growing. DAN

Thanks Dan, I wasn't sure how brittle the plastic was, I didn't want to splinter it trying to cut it.

Thanks also to you Tumble Weed, I'll check those cricket baskets out, sounds easier than fabricating one.

Regards, JoeRay

WELL, GOOD SATURDAY MORNING, I just this morning got 3 of the buckets on my deck cleaned out from the large tomato plants thatfinished their usefulness, and in cleaning out the soil I found that it was still soft and almost fluffy all the way to the bottom. I mixed in more fert. and put it right back in the bucket, and planted the top 12 inches of the plant that had been in the pot all summer. I think it will take on roots and grow into nice plants. I'm hoping for some fall tom. sandwiches, I'll let you all know if I make it or fail. DAM

Dan, good luck on your tomato replanting; what variety of tomato do you have planted in your bucket? I finished my first bucket and planted a Jalapeno pepper in it; I'm hoping for some peppers.
One more question; do you make any more holes in the bottom plastic piece other than the large one for the wick container to fit through? Your photo at the top of this page shows just that large hole and four small ones for the attachment screws but on another site, I saw the piece pierced with many other small holes for drainage. If you have no other holes why do you need the piece of fabric over it?
Thanks again, JoeRay

joeray, The toms I grew are better boy, one that I have used for several years and like. I only have the 4 holes to hold the legs on and the larger hole for the wicking system as that is all I need for my buckets. The cloth is cut 2 inches larger than the inside of the bucket so I can turn it up an inch all around ths edge to keep the soil from falling down into the water. HAPPY GARDENING AND GOOD LUCK WITH IT. DAN.

Well here I go again on those tomato plants. I got all 5 of the buckets on the deck cleaned out and replanted with cuttings from the plants I took out of them. Just after that the storm started hitting us and I knew my plants were gone but after 2 days and nights of winds up to about 40 miles per hour and about 15 inches of rain in those 2 days I got a look at them through the rain and saw 2 and maybe 3 that may live if I get well enough to get out there to work with them soon. I am having some health problems, but think I may get out there to do something for them before this next storm hits us.

well just my luck, I got out to help my toms. and found that the storm had damaged them too bad for them to make it, so I took them out and planted turnips that are now up about an inch. I planted 2 of the buckets in mustard and collards to get plants for my fall garden. Heres hoping. DAN.

Well now that all my buckets are cleaned of the roots and have been reworked the soil and added more fert. I have now planted my fall/winter garden of collards, mustard, and turnips all in the same soil that I started with and this is the 5th crop in this same soil. All the plants are looking good and I have hopes of a lot of good eating later on. DAN.

well here I go again on those buckets on my front deck that I planted in turnips, well just a few minutes ago I went out and gathered all of the largest leaves from the 3 buckets and the wife is in the kitchen right now fixing them for us to enjoy. I can almost taste them already, and will be rushing what I left in the buckets to grow more leaves for the next feast. I really love those greens. DAN.