Sub Irrigated Planter Boxes Part2

Here is the second part of the multipart series of how to build your own s.i.p. boxes. In this part you will see how we contain the water in the box allowing for an even watering of your plants. In this post you will need the following supplies. A pond liner big enough to line the whole box. I pvc pipe 1/2 inch diameter cut to 6 inches long. Staple gun and staples. The pond liner can be expensive but it will last for a long time. It was built for that. If you found one or a friend have you one and it is not big enough to go all the way up to the top that is fine. You an use a thick plastic sheeting fort he top portion.

So first thing to do is to drill out the hole for the overflow drain. This is what the pvc pipe is for. Measure from inside the box. Along the bottom from the corner measure out 6 inches. Then measure up three inches. That mark is where you need to drill a hole. Your pvc is a 1/2 inch in diameter. Use a spade bit just smaller then a 1/2 inch so that the pipe can snuggly fit in the hole. Drill all the way through and be sure to clear away and smooth out any splinters. This way you won't puncture your pond liner.

Now it is time for the pond liner to be dropped in. This may take a little time so be prepared to work on it for a little bit. You will need to work the liner into the basic shape of your box. When i did it i got the liner to fit into two corners first. I held it down with something heavy that would not puncture the liner. I think i used a rubber workout weight. Then i smoothed and worked the liner into the other corners of the box. Once you have the floor of the box covered in the liner you can start to work it up the walls of the box. You may need to fold over the liner on its self as too flatten it out and make it nice and smooth in the box. Once yo have the liner up place a few holding staples so you can continue to smooth and even the liner.

When you feel you have a good fit with you liner staple it at the top all around the box. I added a second row of staples just to make sure it had some extra strength. You will have to add a lot of staples in the corners because that is where you will most likely fold over the liner to make it fit. After you have stapled the liner use a sharp knife of razor and cut off the excess liner. Be sure to leave about a 1/2 inch lip all around inc as you need too adjust the liner and for extra material for stapling. It should look like this when you are done.

As i said earlier. If you have a small pond liner line the bottom half of the box and use a heavy plastic sheeting for the top half. This will keep the water in and the soil off of the peruser treated wood.

Now for the next step. The installation of the overflow drain. Find the hole you made in the box. Use a small exact knife to make a small hole in the pond liner. I made a small x shape in the liner. You want the pond liner to tightly wrap around the pvc pipe so you get a good tight fit. Place the pvc pipe on the inside of the box and use a rubber mallet or hammer to slowly ease it into the drain hole. The liner may get tugged into the drain hole as well. That is fine. It will just make a even more water tight seal. Hit the pipe in till about 3 inches are perturbing out of the box. Use a silicone bead on the outside and inside to make sure it is water tight. Let the silicone dry overnight. If its not completely water tight don't stress about it. The drain will still work. Here is a pic of the drain from the outside of the box. just so you can see a rough position of it.

Stay tuned for the next part of this series. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Winwood