Sub Irrigation Planters! Part 1

Yep, after visiting Washington and seeing the sites, and especially, tons of art! I am spending my time building SIPs, or Sub Irrigation Planters!
I have to do this now because the summer’s hitting and it’s really impossible to keep plants alive in summer here without some kind of automatic irrigation.

So here’s the plan, Part 1 replace the window boxes on the balcony. Part 2 the window boxes in front of my studio windows, Part 3 build a roof garden on top of the house on the deck.

Part 1

I made two boxes which fit exactly between the walls. Painted them a dark weathered grey and lined them with pond liner. They are just wide enough for two perforated drainage tubes and space for the wicking mixture. On the top right you can see the overflow tube, this ensures an air pocket. Very important to stop the roots from getting waterlogged.

Trying it out with one of my old window boxes to give it the plant effect .

The boxes are watered on the other side via these bottles, which are screwed inside the drainage pipes. The boxes are now filled with the wicking mix, peat moss and vermiculite.

And then keep on filling with a mix of peat moss, vermiculite and potting mix. And the old earth from my window boxes. And some azomite for minerals, and ecological fertilizer.

Trial placement of the plants, I replanted the good ones I had and added new ones.

Add more potting mixture, add lots of water to fill those reservoirs and saturate the rather dry mix, and it’s finished!

And: Enjoy. Relax on the lounge couch with the Luxury Fekete Kutya.

I love it so much! I just have to have another look a couple of times a day!