Thursday, March 22, 2012

How to Make a 5 gallon bucket into a garden

  • 5- gallon plastic bucket and lid (food grade). Bakeries, delis, and restaurants will often give them away.
  • 7.5-inch section of 4-inch diameter perforated drain tile
  • 6-inch section of ½ inch (inside diameter) plastic tubing
  • 1 ½ inch wood or decking screw
  • electrical tape
  • empty 1-gallon milk jug
  • Tool List:

    Saber saw, drill, 5/16 inch and 3/4 inch drill bits, utility knife, hacksaw

    1. Using a saber saw or band saw cut the lid so that it fits inside the bucket. (The lid will separate the medium from the water reservoir).
    1. Drill 15 holes, 5/16” in diameter, in lid. (Plant roots will grow through the medium and pass through these holes into the reservoir.)self-watering container
    2. With a hacksaw, cut 3 pieces of 4-inch diameter black perforated drain tile 2 ½ inches long. (These are placed in the bottom of the bucket to support the lid-separator).
       src=bucket, feet and separator
    3. Drill one ¾ inch hole with a drill bit 2 inches above the bottom of the 5-gallon bucket.
    4. Cut a 6-inch piece of ½ inch (inside diameter) clear plastic tubing; wrap one end with electrical tape, to create a snug fit, and insert it into the hole. The tubing will sit directly below the separator.

      tubing hole should be place just below the separator
    5. Drive screw through the tubing (inside the bucket), 1 inch from the end.
    6. Cut an “X” with a knife or razor into the shoulder of a 1-gallon milk jug. Insert the end of the tubing into the milk jug and raise the bucket 8 inches by setting it up on a cinder block or bricks.
    7. Decorate and beautify your bucket with decoupage or spray paint (Krylon Fusion™ for Painting Plastic)
    resource : http://www.growit.umd.edu/Youth%20Gardening/ContainerGardening/SelfWateringContainers.cfm

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