Plant

Make Your Own (DIY!!) Self Watering Pots

Words: Rachel Gleeson - owner of Ivy Alley www.ivyalley.com.au

Are you unsure of how often to water your houseplants? Finding it difficult to stick to a regular watering programme? These are common problems that often lead to our houseplants looking sad and unhealthy.

When a pot plants soil dries out between watering, it shrinks a little and causes a gap to form between the potting mix and the side of the pot. when rewatering the water often runs down the side of the pot before it has had a chance to hydrate the soil and your plant remains thirsty!

The easiest way to overcome this problem is by giving your plant access to a permanent reservoir of water. You can do this by using a self-watering pot.

You may have noticed that the range of self-watering pots available on the market is very limited and rather anaesthetically pleasing.!

Solution... Make your own!

What you will need...

HARDWARE STORE

• Builders BOG (if your pot currently has a hole in base)

• Copper pipe offcut

• 2 masonry drill bits.. one small & one same width of the pipe

• Silicone sealant (clear ‘gutter and roof’)

• Pond sealer

TOOLS

• Drill • Hack saw (for cutting pipe) • Paint brush • Hammer

METHOD

- Choose a concrete, terracotta or ceramic pot. If it has a hole in the bottom mix builders bog and apply generously to plug it up.

- Drill a hole through side of pot approximately 1/5 of the way up (first drill hole with the smaller drill bit and once done use the larger to make it wider).

- Cut a piece of copper (about 5 or 6 times the thickness of the pot) and gently tap it through the hole with the hammer so it protrudes out both sides.

- Apply silicone sealant around pipe. Let dry.

- Paint the inside of the pot with pond sealer to just above pipe. Flip and also paint base (that sits on the ground normally). Repeat when dry.

- Fill the pot to painted level with polystyrene pieces or gravel. Fill remainder with potting mix and plant.

- When watering, place a jug/ container under protruding pipe. Once it starts dripping into it you know that the reservoir is full!

Your plant will now have a more consistent supply of water and you will only need to top up every 2-3 weeks.