Are you searching for a simple solution for keeping your plants healthy? By using self-watering planters, you do not have to worry about regular watering. You simply fill the self-watering reservoirs for window boxes and your plants take care of the rest – remaining hydrated weeks at a time, depending on weather conditions.
Thanks to this easy-to-use container irrigation setup, you no longer need a green thumb to maintain your plant life. Read on to learn how to make DIY self-watering planters for residential or commercial use.
What is a Self-Watering Reservoir?
As the name implies, self-watering reservoirs for window boxes and planters allow your plants to absorb water as needed. They are essentially plastic containers with a tube extending from the top.
You can find them in a wide selection of sizes and shapes, to accommodate any planter. This includes our 36x8x3-inch rectangular self-watering reservoir, which fits rectangular planters. For a large square planter, we have a 24x24x3-inch reservoir – along with dozens of other options, including custom reservoirs to fit your planter.
In this educational container gardening video, Claire covers how to make any window box planter self-watering in just minutes. Click to watch or shop planter box reservoirs online.
How Do You Use Self-Watering Planters?
Self-watering planters are incredibly easy to use. They also ensure that your plants do not receive too much or too little water. You just need to choose the right size. Plants will wick moisture from the surrounding 9 inches of soil, depending on the plan and planter size. So, your reservoir should be no more than 18-inches shorter than the length of your planter, again proportional relative to size.
There are just 3 steps to using your reservoir to keep your plants hydrated:
Step 1 – Arranging Your Reservoir
First, you place a thin layer of gravel along the bottom of your planter. This will help provide drainage in the event that you add too much water. Top off the gravel with an inch or two of soil. You then set your reservoir on top of the gravel and soil layers. The included fill tube
Step 2 – Adding Soil and Plants
With your reservoir in place, you can begin adding soil. As you add soil, tamp it down, while avoiding packing too firmly. Make sure that you allow the reservoir tube to extend from the surface of your soil.
Once you add soil, you can add plants as usual. You can hide the tube, but you should ensure that you can still easily pour water into it.
Step 3 – Fill Your Reservoir with Water
The final step is to fill your reservoir with water. Pour water until you can see water in the tube. Through capillary action, your plants will absorb as much water as they need. You no longer have to deal with over or under-watering.
Generally, a full reservoir should keep your plants hydrated for up to 2 weeks. This makes PlanterWell reservoirs great for residential and commercial use. Conserve water and keep plants hydrated as needed while reducing maintenance time and increasing curb appeal with beautiful containers.
You should be able to tell when the reservoir is empty by looking through the watering tube. Shining a light down the tube could help with this process. Much like you check the oil levels of your vehicle you can also use a dowel to measure water levels. You should refill your reservoir in the mornings before the plants begin to receive their sunlight for the day for best results.
Simplify Your Plant Care with Water Reservoirs
Caring for plants is not always easy. You may forget to water them regularly or you may not have the time to keep your plants watered. For this reason, many turn to the best-kept secret in container gardening – self-watering reservoirs!
If you want to simplify the way you care for your plants, then consider using self-watering planters. You can start with a self-watering reservoir DIY project or purchase any of our durable pre-made reservoirs.
You can easily add a self-watering system to any of your existing residential or commercial planters. Browse our selection of planter reservoirs to create your own self-watering garden.
