Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Self watering styrofoam planter

I used a foam broccoli box from the local fruit and veg store. I had seen some which used pvc pipes as the wick but as I had lots of empty plastic pots I used these instead. Basically the process is:

  • Cut lid to fit snuggly in the box and draw out where the wicking pots (2) will go
  • Cut holes for the wicking pots that will hold them snuggly in place (plus make a few small holes in each)
  • Tape 2 or 3 support pots in place
  • Cut a hole in the lid for the inlet pipe (retain this foam for float) and punch a decent number of holes throughout the lid
  • Push lid with pots down into box
  • Make an outlet hole just below the level of the lid (add optional pipe eg 13mm poly)
  • Test by filling with water and ensure it drains and add float
  • Pack wicking pots tightly with potting mix and then cover in potting mix to the desired height
  • I chose to plant beetroot and you can see from the last pic that the wicking effect is working well except for the smallest plant at the front sop I might move it a few cm
  • EDIT - i just realised looking at the pics that I need to make the wicking pot longer ie so it reaches to the bottom of the box!!