Make a Sub-Irrigated Garden Planter

This garden planter makes growing your own fruits and vegetables incredibly simple. With just a few items from your local hardware store, you can add a splash of green into your landscape in no time!

Tools Needed:

• Power drill
• Power drill screwdriver bit
• Hammer

Supplies Needed:

• 3 6‘x12” and 2 12”x12” pieces of pinewood
• 8’–10’ of garden hose
• 16 1¼” wood screws
• 8 12d wood nails
• 2 garden hose clamps
• 5 bags of potting soil

This is a great idea for a sub-irrigated micro-garden that can grow fresh food just about anywhere in the city. BONUS TIP: By drawing water up from the bottom, the top of the soil stays dry and limits the occurrence of garden pests. TIP: To create a planter that will fit on a fire escape, cut the wood to 3 feet long instead of 6 feet.

Build the planter box:

To save time, have the hardware store cut the wood to size. Feel free to customize the size of your garden planter to fit your space. Using a 1/16”-inch drill bit, drill starter holes ½ inch from the top and bottom of both the left and right sides of your 6-foot-long planks. Then do the same thing in each of the four corners of your 12-by-12-inch pieces. Use your power drill screwdriver bit and the 1¼” wood screws to secure the pieces of wood together.

Set the planter box in place:
Place the planter box in the desired location, then fill it with 6 inches of soil. Use a hammer and a nail (or the smallest drill bit you have) to puncture the garden hose with holes spaced out ½ inch apart. Lay the garden hose atop the soil and position one end of the hose so it runs up the side and hangs over the edge of the planter box.

Cover the garden hose with the remaining soil. Attach the dangling end of the hose to a spigot. You are now ready for action!