Build a Self Watering Container

[craigan123]

I made thirty of these and found it to be a bad system. The soil at the bottom says wet all the time, gets foul and you end up with root rot. Better of with one bucket with some gravel at the bottom, with a lot of holes underneath. If you want self watering, go to a drip system.

[captainsvejk]

@craigan123 I think this can be a problem if you use a soil with a high clay content, rather than a more fibrous compost mix. Obviously some species are more compatible with this kind of system that others, and it suits plants like Basil and Parsley very well because they like soil that's constantly damp. It's difficult and expensive to run a drip system everywhere, so this design can be very useful in the right circumstances. :)

[RageAgainstRustyCage]

Someone showed me a completed one of these. It works. I might try it out myself, now.

[letsgrowpasco]

BULL CRAP

[lostjunkie36]

sounds like them sad drummers on bgt pmpl

[nitr0burn]

Missing an overflow tube so you know when the reservoir is full.

[captainsvejk]

@nitr0burn No, that's what the hole in the side is for.

[Cookiejug1]

I couldn't watch it long either. The music and video drove me crazy. Thanks for your intention anyway but it didn't do it for me.

[marito001]

Does it have to be organic fertilzer????

[FishingNinja1]

@marito001 NO

[iboy13]

I LOVE this video!! The ninja gardener.  Love it. Thank you for great instructions. I am totally doing this.

[VirtualTourShop]

For those who don't understand how it works, it's called OSMOSIS. By definition = Osmosis is the passage of water from a region of high water concentration through a semi-permeable membrane to a region of low water concentration.

My entire tomato and pepper crop in 2010 was grown in buckets and this year I will be using the self-watering concept as well to cut down on watering.. Visit my channel to see my container video using empty litter buckets which I also use for automatic pet feeders.

[voodazz]

It would have been a much better video without all distracting "effects". Just keep it simple

[suecsuecsue]

Love the music!

[dt88888d]

you can buy one like that for £10, why waste your time and effort

[SalmonSlayer1991]

@dt88888d reduce reuse recycle why not build somthing with your own two hands instead of buying it premade in china?

[ededsolano]

Trash the music 

[Saighton]

Er, OK but it's not explained at all why this thing is better than your average pot.

[TrangertoR]

@Saighton 1st you can never over water your plant and 2nd your plant will never run out of water if you have the res full and if you put a small water pump that will take the water that goes from the drainage hole and take it back to the top is gonna be perfect you wil have to add water to your plants probably once a week and you will never over water them.

[TheCannabisWhisperer]

Nice concept! keep up the good wrk

[matanuskatundra2]

Should have mixed the fertilizer into the whole batch of soil rather than

apply it only at the top of the soil . Other than that cool video.

[smash0]

I'm going to do this for my weed :D

[grengerx]

You are insane :)

[ukgardener]

Sometimes i like to bang my head against the wall but this is more painful. thankyou

[amishjim]

this was great :D

[kstew63]

I feel more stupid, now that i watch this..

[slingblade1116]

that was to hard to understand

[DailyBrusher]

Man, people can be such jerks? Why flame somebody when they're trying to be helpful, and have fun/be creative doing it?

I couldn't understand how it works. Does the water just seep up into the dirt, as it dries? I wonder how often it needs to be refilled with water? I understand that this will vary with weather conditions...

[CHOCCYDAZZLE]

that is AMAZING Thank you

[oorinator]

i can`t watch this...

[pepperjoe12]

Not a bad video...the music...but check out my Gardening videos on YouTube.

[courtneyflats]

love the video, the music, and plan! Thanks

[JanetinTenn]

Your vid is ok, but man oh man, I love those drums !!

[nevroth]

Did anyone even BOTHER to check his website? In less than a minute I was at this blog post with more photos and a great pdf link that had STEP BY STEP instructions for building a self-watering container with diagrams and the hole 9 yards. geez people...

[lynn990990]

Please Speed it up even faster!!! Make it more anoying than it is..

[TelManoko]

thanks but the video is so fast that i had to play it over and over, can you do smthing slow pliz, i want to start this type of growing vegtbls

[lostwun347]

haha..self watering takes the whole taking care of the plant out of the picture..who wants a garden if they never get the pleasure of tending to it? only plants iv ever grown were weed plants nd i know it would be much more boring watching them grow with a self waterer.

[NexusRebellion]

this is about sustainability.

Look up the deraves family and tell me if they could amp up efficiency with this.

[mikebius]

Hey, Like the video! Can you tell me where I can get the little plastic 'basket' that you use for wicking? I don't even know what it is called...

[Stormclouds777]

You could find a plastic drinking cup and drill lots of holes in it if you cant find one. (Thats probably what I will have to do.)

[Janeymacmac]

Any large hardware shop in the plumbing section

[Outsidebox7]

I did not understand which container and what was he doing and by the time the video ended even forgot what I was looking out for....so confusing...so fast...and so annoying...thank God it was only for 2.16 mins...

[xfdes]

I would call this video ' How to drive a sane mind insane.....'

[joecooper18]

so anoying. couldnt watch this shit

[PeruTheDamaja]

Easily the most annoying how-to I've ever watched.

Also: the title is misleading. Should be called "How to take a garden and completely throw its positive aesthetics out the window by disguising it as garbage."

[Pressurewashingtips]

lol I know, the music alone drove me insane

[GHilmers]

@PeruTheDamaja Some of us don't have yards to garden, hence "urban homestead." We put a better boy tomato plant in this kind of container and this season we already have over 20 tomatoes coming in. Say what you will, but it works and I love it.

[masivp]

@GHilmers Hey - I'm totally glad it worked for you. There's this competing technology that you might find at your local hardware store that's worth checking out, though - they might keep them hidden in the back, but discretely ask the gardeners for a "terra cotta pot" and

[thmoorer]

I love the music.

[rosewood513]

I tok this concept and used it for everything in my gardent his year. It works great on my window boxes. for the first tme my boxes do not dry out and the flowers are just beautiful. I have it for cabbage in smaller pots, I use it all over watering is kept to a minimal this way.

Thanks

[hewnandhammered]

or you could just make an upside down self-watering planter, much easier

[allWeNeedIsAWideR]

u got a link hommie

[applesmoothiee]

thanks mate but whats up with the stop motion..its confusing :S

[CuriousPhilomath]

Yay, the Hollywood Persuaders!

[Duckyistrippin]

sorry bout the first post..

Try this with 3-1 perlite/vermiculite or 5 parts peat moss 3 parts perlite 2 parts earthworm casting 1tsp powder dolomite lime per gallon of soil mix. use dry ferts or water with solubles every other watering. {water every 2 days} easy peasy!!!!! oh yeah these work better with chemical ferts, since organics tend grow anaerobic nasties in there.

[blackenstien]

reefers.....

[gwynedd1]

I just built 15 of these. Just get a set of hole bits from harbor freight for $5, it makes it much easier.

[adamatova]

How often do you need to fill the reservoir and how full do you fill it?

[gwynedd1]

It will depend on the climate and the plant. 15 foot pole beans will need more water. I use a water meter which does work pretty well in the potting soil. Even in standard 5 gal containers the tomatoes lasted a few day in my zone 5.

[adamatova]

Oh hey, thanks for that info. I'm going to try to rustle up one of these and see if it really does cut back on the watering. I live in a very hot desert climate and this might be just the thing to keep the plants irrigated. I like that the soil is covered too because we get fruit flies (ugh). Cheers.

[Duckyistrippin]

check out the "earthbox"

[ccoasterdesigner]

How does it work, like do the plants grow crazy or what? Also, this year we started a container garden w/plastic containers (40gallons or something like that) Do you think that some how we could fashion a system like this with those?

[armoniamg59]

great thanks

[kaz2664]

awesome.thanks

[gilgamesh1962]

I have seen another variation of this, where another pvc pipe with holes in it goes across the middle, to add Aeration. I plan on making one of these, for a tomato plant

[ikarosono]

best to be mindful of what was in the 5 gallon pail before using them to grow food.

[fnkycomdna]

very nice economic...! 5 stars. If the video goes too fast, some peps might find the pause button useful. Nicely done.

[MAKER6450]

great invention but i wish you didnt do the fast mo thing and it wouldve been awasome if you explaned how it works and the best way to use it. great stuff tho ,4 stars on your invention or whoever invented it.

[martiwf0]

It is actually the same concept as the Earthbox invented by ole Farmer Tom. Best thing is, it cost a lot less and works just as good.

[TelManoko]

thanx but this if too fast, well done

[highrate9]

brilliant, this will help so we dont spend more money on earthboxes, hve to find these buckets. thanx

[gnp8766]

would be a great video if the idiot that made it would slow the damn thing down

[lil27mike27big]

how i do it is just stab some holes in the dirt but every body has there own way of doing it

[MrsRoadRunner2000]

Entertaining and educational....

[4surePissedOff]

Outstanding!

I have done something simular, but I really like that idea.

[kimmarie801]

wash the buckets

[Sonofthebeach009]

Brilliant. Here, I've been spending $50 a pop for earthboxes and $12 for potting mix. I'm gonna go get some buckets now!

[13naturalflavors]

gravel in one bucket, with the watering pipe and the overflow hole, avoids second bucket. the gravel serves as the "screen" and the water "reservoir" crushed bricks could do the trick

[astrialkil]

And put weed or yard fabric over gravel to keep dirt out of water!

Polyester fabric (from pants) would be cheep replacement for yard fabric!

[Signzit]

nicely done.

[kwal57]

i did the same thing with rubber maid containers. use your imagination  it's fun

[kkacho14]

hey, what can I use for the hole container?

[azraaell]

a container with holes in it

[astrialkil]

walmart sells plastic baskets for 50 cents that would work.

[ScarletLetterR]

I make one of these today but forgot the drainage hole good thing i watched this.:)

[greengenes1977]

Yeah...there are better ways. Even a wick system might work better. There are biodegradable "water crystals" now too.

[SmittyB05]

Air flow in the water is a big thing with no air bubbles in the water the less oxygen (air flow) the roots get.

[london1817]

That was great...thank you so much for being specific.

[spittyfire3]

I totally agree...so much detail. I hope I didn't miss anything due to all my note taking.

[toucanvanbeak]

so how long does it last before the water runs out

[everything4every1]

It would depend on the environment. But I guess you could cut a small slit in the side of the outer bucket which you could cover with some clear plastic and use that as a gage.

[everything4every1]

Or you could use a dip-stick.

[trendy1966]

How is it self watering if you have to fill it with water? A better idea would be to put the plant in a plantpot and leave it outside in the rain... or am I missing something?

[stymye]

were you born yesterday?

[trendy1966]

I must have been

[Throckmorton0003]

meh

[utubepunk]

Thanks for the tutorial. Next time consider a presentation that doesn't induce epileptic seizures. :-)

[HighTimes4Life]

good point.

[leapingfroglady]

That was a great idea!

[thatbiologygirl]

Hey, keep up the good work :)