Anyone have any experience with the self watering buckets? The particular type I refer to uses the stacked 5 gallon buckets with a 3" net pot and pvc pipe. I'm trying to prepare for next year in building these but wanted some opinions first since this is all new to me. Thanks!
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water Self Watering Buckets
- Thread starter SCPepperPapa
- Start date
Sub Irrigated Planter, not Self-Watering. (SIP)
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I don't like the double bucket method. I find it to be wasteful and overcomplicated.
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I like this one much better, and have use many of them over the last few years, to great effect. I even had one plumbed to a rainwater collection system a couple years back. https://albopepper.com/30-gallon-tote.php
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The only thing I did differently, is that I omitted a fill tube. Top water, or plumbed, as mentioned. When you add ferts and nutrients, you still want your water coming from up high.
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I don't like the double bucket method. I find it to be wasteful and overcomplicated.
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I like this one much better, and have use many of them over the last few years, to great effect. I even had one plumbed to a rainwater collection system a couple years back. https://albopepper.com/30-gallon-tote.php
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The only thing I did differently, is that I omitted a fill tube. Top water, or plumbed, as mentioned. When you add ferts and nutrients, you still want your water coming from up high.
I'm curious as to why you feel like the double bucket method is overcomplicated? It seems a much simpler design than what you posted in the link.solid7 said:
Because you don't have to cottage cheese the buckets, no cutting and fitting a net pot, and you don't have the waste of 2 buckets.
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Trust me, I've built both. The one I posted is so much simpler to make... Especially when you consider that you get more growing space for the work you do put in. You can easily put 2-3 plants in one container, vs the 1 plant you can put in the wasteful double bucket.
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Trust me, I've built both. The one I posted is so much simpler to make... Especially when you consider that you get more growing space for the work you do put in. You can easily put 2-3 plants in one container, vs the 1 plant you can put in the wasteful double bucket.
SCPepperPapa said:
The net pot/PVC pipe ring a bell but "stacked" not so much? Do you mean the "insert" for the net pot is fitted to?
You asked about my construction vs that method. Look at all those holes. Look at the cutting required to fit the pot. PITA.
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Here's what I did:
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Corrugated drain pipe with drainage slots. The stuff is so easy to work with, you can actually cut it with scissors. You can even buy the end caps to make it less work. (as I've done here) Do this X3 per container, and drill a hole in cap per container.
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Then, you only have one more hole to drill:
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I don't know about you, but I don't particularly like cutting and drilling in thin plastic. So from a construction standpoint, this is so much more easy and practical. Plus, there's the capacity and lower center of gravity (these containers literally cannot tip over).
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I had this fella in one for almost 4 seasons, before I lost it to a hurricane (this was taken just after the storm that claimed it):
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Here's what I did:
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Corrugated drain pipe with drainage slots. The stuff is so easy to work with, you can actually cut it with scissors. You can even buy the end caps to make it less work. (as I've done here) Do this X3 per container, and drill a hole in cap per container.
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Then, you only have one more hole to drill:
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I don't know about you, but I don't particularly like cutting and drilling in thin plastic. So from a construction standpoint, this is so much more easy and practical. Plus, there's the capacity and lower center of gravity (these containers literally cannot tip over).
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I had this fella in one for almost 4 seasons, before I lost it to a hurricane (this was taken just after the storm that claimed it):
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I understand where you’re coming from but I’ll have to respectfully disagree about difficulty of construction. I can build 10solid7 said:You asked about my construction vs that method. Look at all those holes. Look at the cutting required to fit the pot. PITA.
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Here's what I did:
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Corrugated drain pipe with drainage slots. The stuff is so easy to work with, you can actually cut it with scissors. You can even buy the end caps to make it less work. (as I've done here) Do this X3 per container, and drill a hole in cap per container.
.
.
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Then, you only have one more hole to drill:
.
.
.
I don't know about you, but I don't particularly like cutting and drilling in thin plastic. So from a construction standpoint, this is so much more easy and practical. Plus, there's the capacity and lower center of gravity (these containers literally cannot tip over).
.
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I had this fella in one for almost 4 seasons, before I lost it to a hurricane (this was taken just after the storm that claimed it):
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Buckets in less than 30 mins time. It’s only 3 holes, all of which I have bits for. That being said, I don’t know which design works better. Maybe they both work the same or maybe one is superior. I’m not sure.
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SCPepperPapa said:
Have you actually built either one? I'm guessing not, because you don't seem to have your hole count right.
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If we omit the swiss cheese holes at the bottom of the top bucket - you absolutely don't need them, because the wick is also the drain - you still have a minimum of 6 holes to drill.
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1) The net pot. (I used a hole saw, run in reverse - because when that grabs the bucket, it can break a wrist)
2) 3 small holes to zip tie the net pot to the bucket
3) 1 large hole (~1") for the fill tube
4) 1/2" hole for the drain.
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So you've got 6 holes to drill, vs my 3. 4, if you add a fill spout, which I did not, because we get plenty of rain. If you don't have a large hole saw, you'll be cutting that with some other tool, vs a pair of scissors for the corrugated pipe. The time wasn't the issue, because anyone who knows how to use tools, or uses them for a living, should be able to build either method, in mere minutes (assuming they have said tools). My method is a bit friendlier for people who don't have tools. And again, the bucket method is very wasteful. To do these right, you need to use food grade buckets. I have a source for free ones, but for people that have to pay for them, they have to buy 2 for every 1 container. I get somewhere between 3 and 5 times the growing volume, for a little more than the same cost. (I use UV stable plastic containers)
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You asked, and I answered. Since I have actually built and used both, I already know the answer. (and I double dog respectfully disagree on the ease of construction) But I suppose it's for you to learn yourself.
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I only felt it worthwhile to respond to this for the benefit of others who might be considering the same project.
I made 6 of the bucket systems this year and they were quite easy/quick to put together and they are working very well. I refill them probably once a week at this point if we are not getting much rain.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhGFfdNlG3jmvQYblthdueZ3mJS3
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhGFfdNlG3jmvQYblthdueZ3mJS3
Thanks for the input!LSUtigers said:
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