Although I’ve seen amazing results with my SIP raised bed, is it possible to make it even better? You’ll see what happened to my self-watering planter after 9 growing seasons. And I’ll show the new tips and tricks for this new and improved system!
00:00 – Why Did I Need to Rebuild My Self-Watering Planter?
01:07 – Breaking Down My Old SIP Bed
01:53 – Where Did These Roots Come From???
02:31 – What Caused My Wicking Bed to Fail?
03:03 – Looking Inside The Drain Pipes After 9 Years
03:37 – Laying the Best Foundation For a Self-watering Planter
04:10 – Selecting the Best Wood for an SIP Raised Bed
04:36 – Upgrading the Overflow Tube for an Improved Seal
05:21 – How to Avoid Mosquitoes in a Wooden Wicking Planter
05:34 – How to Assemble a Self-watering SIP Box
06:00 – The Best Type of Liner for Sub-irrigated Planter
06:26 – Extra Tips for Applying the Plastic Lining
07:19 – How to Install the Drain Pipe Reservoir
08:12 – Adding Potting Mix & Topping Off the Planter
08:41 – Drain Plugs? How to Empty the SIP Reservoir
09:29 – Lessons Learned After 9 Years
10:28 – How to Learn More About Self-watering SIP Raised Beds
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PRODUCT LINKS:
(# CommissionsEarned)
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Bulkhead Fittings:
► https://amzn.to/3Xjwo4U
Hose-to-Pipe Fittings (extension piece):
► https://amzn.to/3z0rxf3
1-3/8″ Spade Drill Bit:
► https://amzn.to/45jgPMF
45 Mil EPDM Liner:
► https://amzn.to/3x7uNom
NOTE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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BREAKING DOWN THE OLD SIP RAISED BED:
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I’m glad to report that even after 9 years, my self-watering planter has still been performing well. All of the inner pieces that make up the SIP were still in good working condition. I could have continued to use it for years if only the wood had remained intact. If you take steps to ensure the longevity of your wooden planter, then you should be able to enjoy a functional self-watering system that will last for years!
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NEW TIPS & TRICKS FOR SUCCESS:
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For this new upgraded SIP, I was able to include several new features that can help the system to work even better. And this will also help the raised bed to hold up for a much longer time. The first step is to set up a better base for the planter. This also makes it impossible for rodents to undermine the SIP. I also show the best kind of lumber to use if your SIP is wooden. I show how to keep the potting soil in check. And even how to avoid concerns over mosquitoes.
#Albopepper #DIY #SelfWatering #WickingBed #Irrigation #RaisedBedGardening #GardenDesign #WaterConservation #UrbanGardening
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20 Comments
This playlist explains lots of concepts about SIPs:
https://youtu.be/CXyV-XsQWNE?si=zFaBsuU7Qnr7lxod
PRODUCT LINKS (# CommissionsEarned)
Bulkhead Fittings:
► https://amzn.to/3Xjwo4U
Hose-to-Pipe Fittings (extension piece):
► https://amzn.to/3z0rxf3
1-3/8" Spade Drill Bit:
► https://amzn.to/45jgPMF
45 Mil EPDM Liner:
► https://amzn.to/3x7uNom
NOTE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How deep does the soil need to be for proper wicking?
9 years of experience compressed into ten minutes and so clearly explained. Fantastic, thank you for sharing.
What kind of plastic is the blue upper plastic strip?
Almost done building one of these with just a couple of modifications to combine the fill and overflow tubes. I put my bulkhead fittings nearly flush with the bottom of the planter, have a tee on the outside. One end of the tee goes in to a 45 degree fitting and then a short length of pipe which serves as the overflow outlet. The other side of the tee goes to an elbo which comes up and is my fill tube. This way I only have one hole in my reservoir that does double duty. And its easy to adjust my max capacity if i ever need to tune it.
Hi can I do this same setup no matter the climate?
Hello, what is the dimension of the raised garden bed?? 2ft tall x 8 ft length x 3ft wide??? thank you
I wonder if you could use old solar panels for a planter? I have several dead ones and they are hard to get rid of.
@albopepper What is the top blue liner you’re using?
A thing of beauty
What material do you use for the wicks?
May be a dumb question…😊
If the irrigation pipes are open on the end, how does the water that's put in the first one fill the others? Does it just fill, and seep out to the others?
Good video and well explained. It was nice to see the results after 9 years. The design has also greatly improved. Wrapping the liner over top and adding caps is a good idea. However, ground contact pressure treated lumber is only good for 10 years. So you got your monies worth. Also, to prevent decay you need to allow for air flow on the interior of the walls and underneath. Raising the box out of the ground is good but the cement patio stones will wick water to the lumber. Keep them coming. Thanks for posting.
I didn't see you put and geo fabric on top to keep the dirt from clogging the pipes? Did I miss something? TIA
Hi Al, 3 yrs ago I built 2 SIP's based on your plans. They have done very well. I'm going into my 4th season but will modifying one of them so I'll need to redo to the wicking mix and growing mix. What ratios of peat moss/vermiculite/perlite/potting mix did you use for each?
How about a float rod to go in the filling tube to indicate the water level in the reservoir?
Thanks for the instruction and vid btw, planning on using this method on a new bed this weekend (with more to come)!
How do you know when to water and how much water to add?
I have a 6 by 8 area indoor garden and would like to do this. How does water flow into the other corrugated tubes if the fill is only in one?
Hey, It's been 9 months since this, your last upload….how much longer are you gonna make us wait??
I was a big fan of your led light videos….can you make some more, or just make any video.
Thanks.
We have used a backer board designed for showers instead of wood for most of the raised beds I have & they last forever. I also used redwood or as you did, treated wood for the outer corner & supports. Backer board is a bit more expensive in some cases but wow the difference. If you tile the outside or inside with used tiles from a Restore (Habitat for Humanity) I have had really great results with over 15 years with no issues, plus the bonus of it being very pretty if you want it on a patio walkway for design reasons. I live in an area of extreme cold with lots of wet time so this has worked really well for me, hope it helps others if looking for a different alternative.
Careful when ripping treated beams. All cut surfaces must be treated with penetrating oil and they will never be as resistent as a uncut surface.