Not quite wood, but still working

So we decided we wanted a garden this year.  Now I know you are wondering what a garden has to do with a woodworking shop.  Remember, the tools cut more than wood.  Read on.

To do so, we had to address the concerns that kept us from having one in previous years.  All of our outside water faucets are softened water and we know that doesn't do plants any favors.  The other thing we needed to deal with were the four-legged friends we have living in the neighborhood.

We came to the conclusion that a container garden on our deck was a logical answer to our friends but made the watering part a hassle.  That's when we found the book "The Vegetable Gardener's Container Bible" by Edward C. Smith.  In it we found directions for making self-watering containers.  Below is how we adapted the information in the book to fit our needs and accomplish what we wanted.  You will have to go all the way to the end to see if it worked.

We went to Home Depot and bought the containers with the tops and some 4" PVC pipe.  The PVC got cut up into 5" segments.  There are six pipes in each container.  We cut a hole in the side of the container to add water and so that excess water ran out instead of water-logging the dirt.

Two of the pipes in each container have 12 holes drilled in them.  They get filled with dirt so the water wicks up into the main container. 

According to the book, the reservoir should hold 3 to 4 days of water.

We cut the sides off the top of the container so it fit inside and rested on top of the PVC. We also cut holes in the top, above the PVC segments that had dirt in them.  This keeps the dirt out of the water while allowing the water to wick up into the main container.

We lined the inside of the container with landscaping material to help keep the water reservoir free from dirt.  We cut holes in the material where the openings in the cover were so the water-wicking action wasn't hindered.










This year we made 11 containers.  We have planted watermelon, cantaloupe, 4 kinds of peppers, 3 kinds of beans, peas, 2 kinds of tomato, 3 kinds of lettuce, carrots, and radishes.






Shortly after planting we went on vacation for 10 days.  While it was cool while we were gone, there was no rain.  With a reservoir lasting only 1/3 of that time, we expected to come home to a dead garden.  Below is what we came home to.  I should note that the tomatoes and peppers were not started from seed. 

I think it works. Now I have to make the trellises for the beans and peas.