How to Make a Self-Watering Planter From Recycled Materials

Introduction

Making your own self-watering planter from recycled materials is an easy and environmentally friendly way to grow plants and herbs. A self-watering planter provides a constant, balanced water supply to plant roots via capillary action, eliminating the need to regularly water by hand. This can be especially useful for drought resistant plants or travel. With a few basic materials and tools, you can build your own watering planter in no time.

What You Will Need

To make your own self-watering planter, you will need:

A large plastic bottle or container to act as a water reservoir. 2-liter soda bottles or gallon milk jugs work well.
A smaller plastic container or cup to act as the planter. Yogurt tubs, takeout containers and food storage tubs work great.
A utility knife or scissors.
Sand, perlite or vermiculite. An aggregate material that allows water flow.
Potting soil.
Plants, herbs or seeds to plant. Herbs like basil, thyme and oregano are good choices.
Decorative materials (optional). Paint, stickers, stencils etc to decorate.

How to Make the Self-Watering Planter

Step 1: Clean and Prepare Materials

First, thoroughly clean both your larger reservoir container and smaller planter container with soap and warm water. Make sure to clean out any food debris.

Let the containers fully dry before moving to the next step.

Step 2: Cut Reservoir Holes

Using a utility knife or scissors, carefully cut a large circular hole in the center of the bottom of your planter cup or container.

This hole should be just smaller than the width of your water reservoir container.

The reservoir will poke through here to water the soil and roots.

Step 3: Add Wick and Soil

Place a strip of cotton fabric or a piece of yarn through the hole in the planter, letting it extend several inches into the reservoir. This will act as a wick to pull up water.

Then fill your planter container about 1/3 full with the sand or aggregate material. This will help disperse water evenly.

Fill the remaining 2/3 with potting soil. Pack it down lightly.

Step 4: Insert Reservoir and Plant

Place your water reservoir into the hole so it fits snugly and the wick hangs into it.

Plant your herbs, vegetables or flowers into the soil, packing more around the roots if needed.

Step 5: Decorate and Add Water

Now for the fun part! You can leave your planter as is or decorate it with paint, stickers, silk leaves etc.

Finally, fill the reservoir with water. As the soil becomes dry, the wick will draw water up into the planter from below.

Refill the reservoir as needed every few days or weeks.

Tips for Success

Choose drought resistant plants like succulents, herbs or cacti. They require less water.
Add water slowly to avoid overflow or soil washout. Leave at least 1-2 inches of space at the top.
For indoor plants, use filtered or distilled water to prevent mineral buildup.
Make sure your wick fits snugly through the hole to best absorb and transport water.
Add rocks, pebbles or marbles to the reservoir bottom to keep the wick propped up.

Ideas for Customization

There are many creative ways to make your self-watering planter unique:

Paint or decoupage the outside with scrapbook paper, photos, magazine cutouts or stencils.
Attach a chalkboard to one side for labelling plants or writing messages.
Glue on glass gems, sea shells or colored glass as decoration.
Use food tins or jars instead of plastic containers. Attach magnets to use on the fridge.
Make a tiered tower with stacked planters.
Use holiday themed containers like Easter eggs or ornaments for seasonal plants.

With a little creativity, you can make these practical planters as pretty as they are functional. The possibilities are endless!

Conclusion

Creating your own self-watering planters is an easy weekend project using recycled containers. With just a few basic materials and following these simple steps, you can make planters suited to your space and style. Self-watering planters provide a consistent water source and are great for plants that need less frequent watering. Customize them to make a unique living decoration or gift.