It is called self watering because you create a reservoir in the buckets for the plant to water itself. This prevents overwatering. When a tomato plant is in full production it will suck a gallon reservoir dry on a hot sunny day so I make a habit of dragging the hose around and keeping the buckets full the first thing in the morning.
Bear with me, a little history.
Supposedly (so I have been told) the method was 'invented' by a couple of American teenagers who were with their parents on a missionary trip to some South American city's slums. The people were not getting much to eat and for sure not fresh vegetables. But there were 5-gallon buckets everywhere. When the boys put plants in the buckets the city dwellers didn't know how to take care of the plants and either let them die from no water or watered them so much they died. The teenagers came up with this simple procedure to allow the plants to get the water they needed without overwatering. In truth this was probably used first to grow pot but it makes a good story.
I will post pictures when I get a chance but here is what you do. You need two five gallon buckets, a short piece of 1" PVC pipe, a netbasket, potting soil, and a plant. Buckets are $2.98 at Lowes, pipe is cheap. netbaskets I bought off Amazon a few years ago, about $10 for twenty or so. Miracle Grow seems to work best for soil. Below is a picture of a netbasket.
Take one bucket and cut a hole in the bottom. My netbaskets are 3.75" so I cut about a 4" hole right in the center of the bucket. The netbasket is inserted and the lip on the basket holds it in place. I drill a few small holes and tie it in with small wire ties.
Drill another 1" hole in the bottom of the bucket right at the edge. This is for the pipe that allows you to put water in the reservoir.
Put this bucket inside the second one, measure and drill a 1/2" hole in the side of the outer bucket right at the bottom of the inner one being sure not to go thru the inner bucket. Put your 1" pipe in the inner bucket so it extends thru the hole and into the outer bucket. Cut the pipe off at an angle and place it back in the bucket.
Your first bucket garden is finished.
When the plant is put in the bucket the roots will go down to the netbasket and pull the water it needs. But, since no water is standing in the inner basket the roots don't rot.
With the cherry tomatoes I plant for the grandkids I put a couple inches of dirt in the bottom of the bucket leaving it unpacked around the edges but packed tight in the center. This allows the moisture to wick up to the roots. Then I put the plant in so there will be a couple inches sticking out the top and finish filling the bucket with soil. You fill the reservoir thru the pipe sticking up out of the dirt. When the water starts pouring out of the hole in the side of the outer bucket you know it is full. I water at the top for about a week then the roots find the water underneath and the plants take off.
Until the tomatoes start producing fruit I only have to fill the buckets every other day or so. When they are producing they drain the water in a day. Pepper plants will drain it in a couple days at the longest. I made the mistake of putting Miracle Grow around the tomatoes last year then dumping a couple tablespoons in the water. All I had was vines and suckers for a couple weeks. Broke down my cheap wire baskets and I had to rig support for the plants.
Second method is using a plastic gutter instead of the outer bucket. Put the gutter on level ground with two by fours on edge around it for support. Place your buckets on the 2x4s with the netbasket sitting in the gutter. Some of the videos I have watched the people have put a float in the gutter that turns the water on keeping the level constant. The people who do that have entire gardens in buckets on small patios.
There are literally thousands of YouTube videos on this and the local Lowes and HomeDepot stores cannot keep buckets this time of the year. I am making a few more tomorrow and as one picture is worth a thousand words I will post a picture of one of my buckets when finished.
RSKY
