Personally, my problems are limited space, and poor soil (as in sand and boulders, with maybe 10% soil in there somewhere). Also, SLUGS, lots and lots of SLUGS.. I HATE slugs... but I digress.
Anyway, there are many solutions to these problems, and you, as do I, will likely employ a few of them. This list includes, but is certainly not limited to; raised beds, greenhouses, hydroponics, pots/containers and self watering containers, with the aid of hot boxes, grow lamps, and a few other things that may or may not apply to us all.
This article will concentrate on only self watering containers, specifically Earth Boxes.
I like Earth Boxes, they're handy, portable, light on maintenance, and cheap. Oh, did I say cheap? I'm sorry, I meant NOT cheap. The MSRP on a four pack of commercial Earth Boxes is in the area of $180. I don't know about you, but I don't have that kind of budget. The things are nice, but not THAT nice. I DO have a few of them, I found them at a yard sale, $5 for three sets. Now THATS more like it. But my entire garden (as small as it is with my limitations) is in homemade Earth Box,, er, umm, I mean BUCKETS. And each unit cost me all of MAYBE $1.50
thats right, $1.50, the only expenses I have in them are some ¾'' PVC tube, some 3'' PVC tube, and zip-ties. Though I could have used yarn or string, or even strips of grocery bags. I don't count the cost of tools, as I use them all over the place, and on many projects.
Where to get them.
Ok, so, now you're asking, “where do you get 5 gallon pails for FREE?” you can get them at lowes sure, if you want to spend $3.50 each for them. But why spend good money when you can find them for free, or maybe, at worst 50 cents a piece?
The easiest, if not the quickest way to find them, might be to try Freecycle. You'd be amazed what people give away. The important thing though, is to remember to ask for FOOD safe buckets. No paint, Spackle, stain/varnish, whatever buckets; Either never used, or used for foodstuffs only.
If thats not fast enough for you, and it can be quite slow, you need to do a little hunting. Key word there is a LITTLE hunting, because they're not that hard to find. Good sources include; restaurants, especially big ones, commercial canneries, ice cream plants, bakeries, and my favorite; Donut shops. But don't limit yourself to this selection only, you can find them in the strangest places.
In some cases you may have the option of getting different sizes as well. Take them. I can't count the ways I use my 1 and 3 ½ gallon buckets. In most cases however, you will have to clean them. When I got my buckets from a donut shop, they literally just threw them out. So I had to stop by daily for a while so they would save them for me. Usually I cleaned them right there on-site. (they had a nice big cleaning bay for their racks, but most places may not have this.) but if you have to, clean them at home.
A pressure washer is handy, but a garden hose with a jet nozzle works just as well. For our purposes they don't have to be sanitary, just clean.
WARNING; cleaning them is important, most times they will contain products that are high in sugar, and they WILL attract ants, bees, and other critters. So don't put this off, get it done, and you will thank yourself for it later.
OK, so you now have a pile of 5 gallon buckets, and if you're like me a TON of 1 gallon, and 3 ½ gallon buckets as well. So whats next? Simple, get your tools and other parts together.
For tools you will need; a tape measure, a drill, corded preferably, a small (¼ to ½ or so) wood drill bit, (these are the spade type, they look flat, with a sharp point in the middle, but for the small holes any bit will do), a 1'' spade bit, and a 3'' hole saw. you will also need an angle grinder (or in a pinch a circular saw will do) with a metal cutting disk. This disk will burn through the plastic rather than cut it. Don't skimp here, a normal wood cutting blade will break the plastic, sending chips flying in all directions, including at YOU, and they HURT. And a permanent marker.
the other parts you will need are just about the only thing that will cost you. You will need 3'' PVC drain pipe; if you want to, go ahead and get the perforated septic pipe, it'll save you some time and effort later. And ¾'' PVC water pipe. A 10 foot length of the 3'' will last about 20 buckets, giving you a 6'' reservoir. And the ¾ will go about 3-5 per length, depending on how long they are, and how tall you want your watering tubes. Get the cheapest you can find, this isn't actual plumbing, and there are really no stresses involved; as you can see, I got this one on clearance, damaged goods. You will also want nylon zip-ties, or string, but you can get creative here.
Now we get to the fun part; Construction..
First thing is first, cut up your buckets. For each earth bucket, you will need two buckets. One for the shell, and another to make the reservoir. I used the 3 ½ gallon buckets for the reservoir, but if its all you can get, 5 gallons will do just as well. In either event, you will need to measure 6 ½ inches from the bottom, and here you mark your cut line. Or, if you're setting up a jig, make the blade 6 ½ inches from the surface. Then simply cut the bottom off. You will need to cut a few slices out of the side of this part. This allows the walls to flex, so it fits properly in the shell. The reason for going 6 ½ is to account for the extra material on the bottom (or top) of the reservoir bucket, otherwise you're reservoir will only be about 5 ½ inches.
Now you need holes. The holes allow air to get to the roots, and also excess water from rainfall, etc. to drain down and escape. The big hole also allows the creation of a column of soil to wick the water up to the plants.
Use your 3'' hole saw in the middle, then use the 1'' wood bit on the edge, as close to it as you dare get. This is where your fill tube will go. When you're done all that, randomly drill small holes over the rest of the bottom, enough to do the job, but not enough to wear yourself out in the process. Make sure that two of them are right up against the 3'' hole, within a ½ inch or so and on opposite sides, this is where you will attach the soil column (or wick tube as you prefer).
Next measure 6'' from the bottom of the shell and drill a small hole here, this will be your overfill drain; it will allow excess water to escape, and ensure that the roots have air, and don't drown. I drill mine right under the handle, so I always know where to look when filling.
Next you need to cut your PVC tubes to the appropriate lengths.
The 3'' pipe will be your wick tube, and needs to be cut in 6'' lengths. This ones 5 ½, but thats because I messed up earlier :-). If you didn't go with the perforated stuff, you will then need to drill a few holes in the side of it. 6-8 holes should do. Ensure that there is a set near the end though, so you can attach it to the top of the reservoir.
The ¾'' will be your fill tube, this sends water directly into the reservoir, which is proven to provide the plants with the best source of water, they only draw what they need, and don't get inundated regularly with surface waterings. I cut mine about 3 and a third feet long, this means that I should have easy access to it no matter how vigorously the plant grows. This is important though; Make the cuts at an angle. The higher the angle the better; it keeps the tube from creating a blockage where it meets the bottom of the bucket so watering is fast, easy and not frustrating.
now that you have done all the hard work, its time to put all the parts together. Connect the wick tube to the reservoir using two ties. Then insert this assembly into the shell, try to line up the overfill hole with one of the slits you cut for easier evacuation. Then insert your fill tube into the 1'' hole. It will be tight, but the angle on the end will help you to push it in. Put a thin layer of dried, or fresh grass on the bottom (to prevent the soil from spilling into the reservoir), and shovel in your soil. And alakazam, presto-chango.... you're done.. now wasn't that easy?
Plant your goodies, filler up and enjoy the fruits of your labor. For a LOT less than $180.
Admitedly, it takes two to three buckets to equal an Earth Box, but you cant beat the price.
