sharpstick

i have made two mini earthboxes from two square kitty litter buckets each.
- i cut one about 3 inches from the bottom,
- cut slits along one side of each corner. these will overlap so it
will go all the way to the bottom. i marked where the slits are cut with felt pen to make it more
visible in the picture.
- bored a hole in the corner of one bottom for the fill pipe.
- drilled a drain hole at about 2.5" from the bottom of the whole bucket, just below the level of the inside floor.
- draped a folded piece of terry cloth over two sides so it is
trapped under the water and draped over the top to wick the water up into the soil.
- shoved the short piece into the whole one with the terry cloth trapped.
- put a piece of PVC pipe in through the hole(2" is best but i used a
smaller one. the hose fits better in 2"). i cut the pipe at an angle and added a couple notches near
the bottom so the water can flow through easily. be sure to cover the
pipe with something to keep mosquitoes, lizards, etc. from getting in.
- top with soil.
- put a handful of fertilizer in a hole in the corner and cover with
a plastic cup.
- planted basil in the middle.

Picasa Web Albums - william - earthboxeshome

(i think the guy called it spicy globe basil and said it was all the same plant, but i suspect they are just two varieties of basil.)

there are other plans for homemade earthboxes on the web.

the other one has a dwarf cavendish in it with 3 daughters already.

Chironex

I like the idea and have made similar self-watering planters with pop bottles as another member (sorry can't remember who it was) has shown. While looking into this further on the web, I came across this plan for a self-watering planter. The video is easy to follow, although I am not sure what they refer to as "leca' but I suspect it is gravel. Here is the link: How To Make A Self-Watering Container (DIY & Home: Gardening Basics)
Anything that will keep my bananas watered while I am out of town is welcomed.

__________________
Scot

sharpstick

nice design. what they call leca is porous clay marbles sold at hydroponics stores. i don't see the point of it except to keep the floor fabric from collapsing. i also think if the water gets low it might not wick enough. they're kind of pricey too.
otherwise, that is the basic earthbox design, which can be scaled up or down as much as you want.

proletariatcsp

My neighbor has been struggling to grow tomatoes and peppers this way for two seasons now without success. His are very sophisticated designs and fairly expensive to produce himself. The bottom retains water and only fills to a certain point before overflowing. A tube of soil acts as an internal wick and some screening material keeps the rest of the bed above the water line. Unfortunately, once the plant roots reach the surface of the water they are overcome with wilt. I believe his method could be quite prolific if he used clear-plastic pot trays instead of screen, they would allow drainage and block the roots from extending deeper. Of course, many tiny holes would need to be punctured into the trays.

Chris P

Scuba_Dave

I have some kitty litter pails I may use for planting
I grow tomatoes outside near a stream
Once they get going I don't need to water them
I keep them mulched the 1st 2 months
After that its a jungle
They grow to about 6-8' tall