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This widely available window box was easily converted to a highly productive and efficient sub-irrigation planter. The same method was used here and here.
Note the barely visible overflow drain hole in the middle of the planter sidewall.
It's easy to convert any water tight container to a sub-irrigation (aka self-watering) planter with this easy-to-make platform. The white platform disk is made from expanded polystreyne (EPS). Coupled with a perforated plastic container below, it forms both the water reservoir and the soil wick.
See it installed in the green pail planter here.
Brooklyn Garden Center - Note the recycled water bottle (PET) fill tube and overflow drain hole (lower right corner of planter).
Sub-irrigated raised bed planters like these will typically produce in the range of 50% more produce than top watered traditional raised beds while saving in the range of 90% of the water. It is a closed system and there is no runoff.
Lengths of perforated, corrugated drain pipe create the water and air reservoir. The plants receive an optimized supply of both water and oxygen via the reservoir system. This is a major benefit for the plants. You might think of this type of planter as an "intensive care unit" (ICU).
Perforated. corrugated drain pipe with a fill tube is a universal way to make any watertight container into a sub-irrigated planter (SIP). Read more about corrugated drain pipe sub-irrigated planters (SIPs).
OBSOLETE METHOD - This will work but the methods using perforated, corrugated drain pipe or recycled inverted nursery flats or plastic food containers are simpler to make and just as productive.
Update May 21, 2009 - Check out this version with the platform made from the tote box cover.
This simple construction sub-irrigation (aka self-watering) planter is made from an 18 gallon tote box, 2 vinyl floor tiles, 8 recycled deli containers and a length of 1" vinyl tubing. Two of the deli containers are right side up in the corners to create soil wicks. The rest of them are upside down under the vinyl tiles for support.
All you need is a pair of scissors to cut the vinyl tile and a hot poker (or a Dremel tool) to make the aeration holes. There's no need for a power drill and hole cutter. It's really very easy to make.
You don't need to be a power tool do-it-yourselfer to grow delicious heirloom
tomatoes...and other fresh vegetables! You also don't need tilled earth. All you need is 6 or more hours of sunlight on a patio, balcony, rooftop or even a paved surface such as a driveway.
Brooklyn Garden Center - Note the height difference between the two planters. They can be essentially any size to suit your particular design requirements.
Sub-irrigated raised bed planters like these will typically produce in the range of 50% more produce than top watered traditional raised beds while saving in the range of 90% of the water. It is a closed system and there is no runoff.
Lengths of perforated, corrugated drain pipe create the water and air reservoir. The plants receive an optimized supply of both water and oxygen via the reservoir system. This is a major benefit for the plants. You might think of this type of planter as an "intensive care unit" (ICU).
Perforated. corrugated drain pipe with a fill tube is a universal way to make any watertight container into a sub-irrigated planter (SIP). Read more about corrugated drain pipe sub-irrigated planters (SIPs).
This widely available window box was easily converted to a highly productive and efficient sub-irrigated planter (SIP). The same method was used here and here.
It did not take long for these plants to grow and spill over the sides of the planter. They love growing in an intensive care unit like this. They get all the sun they need from the sky and all the water and oxygen the roots need from the SIP. They have the best of both the natural and technology worlds.
Learn more about this simple to make sub-irrigation grow box. You can soon be growing your own fresh vegetables on your rooftop, balcony, deck or driveway pavement.
All you need is at least six hours of full sun. You do not need access to turned earth.
The only tool you need is a box cutter.
Here's a planter like this with peppers growing on a Brooklyn Fire Escape.
This widely available window box was easily converted to a highly productive and efficient sub-irrigated planter (SIP). The same method was used here and here.
It did not take long for these plants to grow and spill over the sides of the planter. They love growing in an intensive care unit like this. They get all the sun they need from the sky and all the water and oxygen the roots need from the SIP. They have the best of both the natural and technology worlds.
Yes, there's a dinky commercial window box under there. Go ahead and tell me you can grow plants like these by top watering from above with your sprinkling can. Yeh, right!
Go here for a photo with explanatory captions and more information
This sub-irrigated planter (SIP) is nothing more than a translucent plastic storage box with a juice bottle and nursery flat at the bottom. The fill tube (lower right) is a recycled water bottle. The soil wicks for moving water up into the root zone are formed by the spaces between the recycled plastics. The bottom side of the juice bottle has a slot cut into it to allow water to flow freely. There are also aeration/drainage holes poked into the bottle and the nursery flat. The holes were made with a hot metal skewer and the slot cut with a hot knife heated on my gas stove.
Here are two Coffee trees planted. You can see the pattern of the capillary water rise. This method obviously works. Now we can monitor the growth of these trees and hopefully produce flowers and fruit.
This platform/wick insert converts any water tight container for use as a sub-irrigated planter. It's installed in this $2 plastic bucket simply for demonstration purposes. You could even install it in a clay pot. Read more...
Even rather mundane wooden window boxes can become highly productive and efficient portable micro gardens (PMGs) using the sub-irrigated planter (SIP) method. Simply line the box with sheet plastic to make it watertight, install some inverted nursery flats to create a water and air reservoir. Add a recycled water bottle (PET) fill tube and one or more overflow drain holes and you're good to grow.
Plants have been added and the SIP is now ready for water. Simply pour it into the recycled ((PET) water bottle fill tube. As soon as you see some water dribbling out of the overflow drain hole tube(s) you're done!
The wooden window boxes at this pie shop in Brooklyn are about to become portable micro gardens (PMG) using the sub-irrigated planter (SIP) method. Even a bright young lady like Oona can do the job.
Learn more about this simple to make sub-irrigation grow box. You can soon be growing your own fresh vegetables on your rooftop, balcony, deck or driveway pavement.
All you need is at least six hours of full sun. You do not need access to turned earth.
The only tool you need is a box cutter.
This widely available window box was easily converted to a highly productive and efficient sub-irrigated planter (SIP). The same method was used here and here.
It did not take long for these plants to grow and spill over the sides of the planter. They love growing in an intensive care unit like this. They get all the sun they need from the sky and all the water and oxygen the roots need from the SIP. They have the best of both the natural and technology worlds.
This widely available window box was easily converted to a highly productive and efficient sub-irrigated planter (SIP). The same method was used here and here.
It did not take long for these plants to grow and spill over the sides of the planter. They love growing in an intensive care unit like this. They get all the sun they need from the sky and all the water and oxygen the roots need from the SIP. They have the best of both the natural and technology worlds.
Go ahead and tell me you can grow plants like these by top watering with your sprinkling can. Yeh, right!
Even rather mundane wooden window boxes can become highly productive and efficient portable micro gardens (PMGs) using the sub-irrigated planter (SIP) method. Simply line the box with sheet plastic to make it watertight, install some inverted nursery flats to create a water and air reservoir. Add a recycled water bottle (PET) fill tube and one or more overflow drain holes and you're good to grow.
Lightweight planter mix has been added and the SIPs are ready for planting.
OBSOLETE METHOD - This will work but the methods using perforated, corrugated drain pipe or recycled inverted nursery flats or plastic food containers are simpler to make and just as productive.
View with platform removed to reveal support containers. See the completed planter here..
Brooklyn Garden Center - It does not really matter whether you use widely popular EarthBoxes or correctly made D.I.Y. sub-irrigated planters (SIPs). Portable Micro Gardens (PMGs) like these are veritable tomato factories...and peppers, cukes, squash, spinach, lettuce or even corn factories. Whatever you want to grow will grow better in a SIP.
This widely available planter was rescued from acting as a trash receptacle and upgraded to a sub-irrigated planter (SIP) using a very simple method. Read more about how it is easily made from recycled plastics. .
Brooklyn Garden Center - It does not really matter whether you use widely popular EarthBoxes or correctly made DIY sub-irrigated planters (SIPs). Portable Micro Gardens (PMGs) like these are veritable tomato factories...and peppers, cukes, squash, spinach, lettuce or even corn factories. Whatever you want to grow will grow better in a SIP.
These plants are growing in DIY tote box SIPs concealed inside a not so elegant wood planter box. The plants in the foreground are direct planted and not sub-irrigated.
Brooklyn Garden Center - It does not really matter whether you use widely popular EarthBoxes or correctly made D.I.Y. sub-irrigated planters (SIPs). Portable Micro Gardens (PMGs) like these are veritable tomato factories...and peppers, cukes, squash, spinach, lettuce or even corn factories. Whatever you want to grow will grow better in a SIP.
Even rather mundane wooden window boxes can become highly productive and efficient portable micro gardens (PMGs) using the sub-irrigated planter (SIP) method. Simply line the box with sheet plastic to make it watertight, install some inverted nursery flats to create a water and air reservoir. Add a recycled water bottle (PET) fill tube and one or more overflow drain holes and you're good to grow.
The job is done! These are freshly planted starter plants. It doesn't take long for them to grow in these highly productive and efficient SIPs. Later photos follow.
Brooklyn Garden Center - It does not really matter whether you use widely popular EarthBoxes or correctly made D.I.Y. sub-irrigated planters (SIPs). Portable Micro Gardens (PMGs) like these are veritable tomato factories...and peppers, cukes, squash, spinach, lettuce or even corn factories. Whatever you want to grow will grow better in a SIP.
Brooklyn Garden Center - It does not really matter whether you use widely popular EarthBoxes or correctly made DIY sub-irrigated planters (SIPs). Portable Micro Gardens (PMGs) like these are veritable tomato factories...and peppers, cukes, squash, spinach, lettuce or even corn factories. Whatever you want to grow will grow better in a SIP.
These plants are growing in DIY tote box SIPs concealed inside a wood planter box.
OBSOLETE METHOD - This will work but the methods using perforated, corrugated drain pipe or recycled inverted nursery flats or plastic food containers are simpler to make and just as productive.
This is an updated version of the sub-irrigated tote box planter using a cut-out from the cover as the soil platform Read more here...
See other versions here..
Slippery Slope Rooftop Micro Farm, Brooklyn - A length of perforated, corrugated drain pipe cut in half horizontally forms the water and air reservoir. This method converts "death trap" window boxes (they dry out too quickly) into functional and productive sub-irrigated planters (SIPs).
The pie is hearty and healthy at this Brooklyn pie shop and so are the plants in the boxes under the windows. The plants are growing in sub-irrigated "intensive care units" that provide an optimized amount of water and oxygen on a consistent basis. It is nearly impossible to do this using traditional top watering.
See the photos that show how easy it is to make these sub-irrigated planters (SIPs).
This micro-farm is on the roof of a brewery in Brooklyn. The planters are repurposed beer kegs. The planters have drain holes and are watered from the top with a hose.
The grower learned about portable micro gardens (PMGs) using sub-irrigated planter systems (SIPs) and decided to test it before the 2011 growing season.
We converted 10 of the planters to SIPs at the end of the 2010 growing season. As you can see in the photo set, the biggest part of the job was to plug all of the drain holes with corks and caulking compound. Installing the water and oxygen reservoirs was the easiest part of the job.
The plan is to convert the remainder of the keg planters to SIPs in the Spring of 2011. They will also add an auto-irrigation (refill) system next growing season.
Slippery Slope Rooftop Micro Farm, Brooklyn - Back in 2009, I helped sow the seeds in these planters on a Brooklyn rooftop. This is not a typical built-in planter box. These flowers are growing in portable sub-irrigated planters (SIPs) of the do-it-yourself tote box type.
I was absolutely amazed with the results back in 2009 when this garden was installed. The owner developed a truly outstanding planting plan for this spectacular garden. It was as creative as anything I have seen on the web. There are over 70 SIPs in this rooftop garden growing perennials, flowers and fresh vegetables.
The garden deserves an award of some kind, it is that good. Stay tuned. It will bloom again in the summer of 2011.
This is a little more than two months after installation. The plants are loving living in these planters and it shows.
A planter box I built, had this idea for growing light bulbs and had the Buddha Kitty near by. Thought it would be interesting if Buddha Kitty meditated while the light bulbs grew.
Water and oxygen reservoirs made from flexible corrugated drain pipe. Fill tubes made from recycled water bottles.
This is a little more than two months after installation. The plants are loving living in these planters and it shows.
This is a little more than two months after installation. The plants are loving living in these planters and it shows.
Drain holes were added for top watering when the planters were first made. They now need to be plugged for conversion to become sub-irrigated planters (SIPs). The planters must become watertight.
Water and oxygen reservoirs made from flexible corrugated drain pipe. Fill tubes made from recycled water bottles.
Drain holes were added for top watering when the planters were first made. They now need to be plugged for conversion to become sub-irrigated planters (SIPs). The planters must be watertight.