How do I make a self-contained garden in a 5-gallon pail?
Make it Self WateringCut a mesh screen to the same radius as your bucket, and cut four, 1-inch holes into the screen. Cut a PVC pipe into three, 3-inch sections. Cut another PVC pipe to be 6 inches taller than your bucket. Apply permanent glue to one end of the 3-inch PVC sections and press them into the bottom of the bucket. Drill a small drainage hole just below the sections. Lay the screen onto the PVC sections, lining it up so the holes do not touch the pipe. Push the long PVC pipe down through one of the holes in the screen. Pour water through the long pipe until it comes out of the drainage hole.PlantingPour a bag of potting soil into a wheelbarrow. Discard one-third of it. Mix in an equal volume of compost. Fill the 5-gallon bucket with the soil mixture. The soil will wick up water through the holes in the screen. Plant your seeds or plants in the soil, and then water until the soil settles. Set the planter in a sunny spot.
