I live in an urban area without much of a yard to speak of. But I wanted to start growing food. The only way I could see to do that was growing it in containers on my deck.

One thing led to another and I went down a deep rabbit hole researching sub-irrigation planters (or wicking pots). They are basically a DIY version of an Earthbox planter, made with 27 gallon totes you get from Lowes or Home Depot.

Depending on the design, the bottom has a false bottom of some kind that is used as a water reservoir. The soil on the top wicks its way to the top and the plant’s roots. There is a lot more to it than that but that’s the basics of how the container works.

There are holes drilled in the side of the planter so a hard rain doesn’t drown the plant. That way the water reservoir can only fill up so far before the water starts draining out.

It was an experiment. I made about 4 of them using a bit of drain pipe, the 27 gallon totes and of course a lot of container soil mix (basically peat moss + compost + perlite). 

Um….as you can see by the photos my lettuce and arugula LOVE it.