DIY self watering system for outdoor plants

CBF’d watering every day?

This DIY self watering system doesn’t involve an intricate system or complicated plumbing. It’s also cheap (potentially free) if you can source all the bits from around home.

Things you need:

1) A big drum with spouty tap at the bottom. These are free if you buy things that come in big drums with spouty taps (fertilizers etc).

You can also scrounge them from commercial kitchens or anyone else that might buy liquids or oils in bulk.

Failing that you can get them from the hardware store for about $20.

2) Hose & hose clamps. The clamps are less than a dollar at hardware stores – or if you’re in a pinch – just whack a cable tie on instead.

3) Rope (natural fibre, not plastic). A few bucks.

4) Plumbers Tape. Also a few bucks.

Just a note – with this particular design, you add a length of hose from the drum to gives more options with placement because the water will only seep from the rope. Otherwise you need to put the resevoir right at the base of your trees.

The extra length is also helpful to get the resevoir drum up higher (possibly up hill or up on some bricks), to help gravity do it’s thing.

Constructing your DIY slow waterer

Step one: Work out the distance you want between the drum & the plants. It pays to be generous here because you can add extra S bends with the hose if it’s a shorter distance – but you’re screwed if it’s too far away and it wont reach.

Step Two: Attach the hose to the little tap, with the hose clamp over the top of both and tighten.

This is pretty easy and you can do it with a flat screw driver, butter knife, whatevever you can find- it’s not one of those things you need advanced plumbing skills to work out 😎

Step Three: Stuff the rope into the other end of the hose and repeat the clamping. If it’s not water tight, you might might want to add some plumbing tape into the mix here.

A note about rope: Make sure it’s a natural fibre to wick the water – not a crappy plastic rope.

For a start plastic rope wont wick, but it does mean a natural rope WILL perish/rot in a year or two but makes good mulchy soil food. I used hemp fibre rope for this one.

Hot tip: Take your not-bong-hose into the hardware store to make sure the rope fits snugly.

Step Four: Weave the rope around your plants or wherever you want to direct the water.

Fill the drum with water, open the tap and off you go. For a little extra something you can add some fertilizer to the water 🤷‍♀️

Over the next few hours the water will slowly work it’s way down the rope, seeping into the soil.

I’ve found that not turning the tap all the way on help extend the watering life. This particular one created about 50 hours of slow seepage – which was a bloody lifesaver in the drought.

Extra Tips

– Add some liquid fertlizer for an extra boost.

– Consider tethering the drum to a fence or solid tree. This will stop it blowing away when it’s empty. 

– If you’re leaving it for a long time – or you’re dealing with a harsh climate/heatwave, bury the wick in the soil- otherwise either scratch it in or kick some mulch over the top to stop evaporation. 

I’d love to know how you go – or any rad little variations you add yourself.

Let me know in the comments 🙏