How to make a self-watering pot
Tired of grubby old saucers under pots holding water for your plants? Or are your potted plants dying because not enough water is getting down to those thirsty roots? This clever, self-watering pot solves both problems, as it allows the roots to reach the water storage beneath the soil. And the timber top means the pot plant doubles as an outdoor side table!
Gather your supplies
Ceramic pot (here it’s about 60cm tall)
Copper pipe off-cut (here 15mm-dia.)
Pebbles or polystyrene
Plant (here a standard fig, Ficus benjamina)
Tabletop timber
Dowel
Timber finish
You’ll also need
Drill; masonry drill bits, one smallish, the other same size as copper pipe; hacksaw; hammer; roof and gutter silicone sealant; waterproofing builder’s bog; paintbrushes; pond sealer paint; potting mix; jigsaw; wood glue
For you to note
For the tabletop, we used old floorboards glued to laminated plywood. You can use other materials, such as an old benchtop.
Here’s how
STEP 1 Drill hole through side of pot with small masonry bit, then enlarge hole with larger bit.
STEP 2 Cut the copper pipe and hammer it through the hole.
STEP 3 Fix pipe inside pot with roof and gutter silicone sealant.
STEP 4 Plug original pot drainage hole with builder’s bog.
STEP 5 Paint inside of pot to about 3cm above pipe with waterproofing pond sealer paint. Allow to dry.
STEP 6 Fill pot to paint level with pebbles or broken up polystyrene. Fill rest of pot with potting mix, add plant and water in.
STEP 7 Cut timber with circular saw about 3cm wider than top of pot, cut hole at centre wider than the trunk of the plant with jigsaw, cut timber in half.
STEP 8 Drill 2 holes through both diameter sides, large enough to accommodate dowel and making sure holes match on each side.
STEP 9 Coat timber top with finish of choice.
STEP 10 Insert wood glue in holes, insert dowel in holes of one side of timber top, then push 2 sides together.
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