The Household / Gardening projects
DIY Gardening · Notebook Instructions · Printable
Two-Bucket Self-Watering Planter
A nested-bucket planter with a lower water reservoir, a fill funnel and an overflow window.
Materials and tools
- 2 five-gallon buckets that nest together (handwritten bucket size appears to be 5 gal)
- Plastic funnel
- Drill
- ¼-inch drill bit
- Saw
- Moist potting mix and plant
Notebook directions
- Place one bucket inside the other.
- On the outside bucket, mark an oblong opening approximately 1 inch high and 2 inches long. Position the top of the opening level with the bottom of the inside bucket. Cut out the opening with a saw. The opening serves as an overflow, water-level gauge and fill opening.
- Cut a hole in the bottom of the inside bucket sized to fit the funnel spout, extending toward the bottom of the reservoir. If necessary, shorten the funnel so it reaches approximately ½ inch farther than the space between the bucket bottoms, as described in the notebook.
- Drill approximately a dozen random drainage/wicking openings through the bottom of the inside bucket.
- Put the inner bucket back in the outer bucket. Insert the funnel. Add moist potting mix, filling the funnel with mix but without packing it tightly.
- Fill the reservoir and plant.
Notebook notes
The original handwritten title is “How To Make Planters.” The funnel filled with moist potting mix provides a contact path toward the lower reservoir; the outer opening helps indicate the water level and prevents overfilling. The creator confirms they actually built and used these planters. She no longer remembers what they grew in them, except that the plants were green! The number of planters made is not recorded.
Practical caution: Wear eye protection while cutting or drilling plastic and smooth sharp edges. Use clean, food-safe buckets when growing edible plants; avoid containers that previously held hazardous chemicals. Monitor moisture and avoid leaving the reservoir stagnant.