Self-watering SIP Sub-irrigated Raised Bed Construction (How to Build)
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2024
- This DIY tutorial explains how to build an S.I.P. Raised Bed. But going further, it also teaches the fundamental mechanics of a self-watering system. Although this focuses on a wicking bed, the same principles apply to sub-irrigated tote containers. You'll be able design and build a water-saving grow system that meets your individual requirements.
★★ EPDM LINER 45 Mil (Fish Safe):
This is now my preferred liner: amzn.to/2HRojha
QUICK SPECS:
• Internal Dimensions (select your own length & width): 71.75" L x 30" W x 16.5" (deep)
• Over Flow Drain Hole Height: 3.25" up from bottom
• Recommended Gap Between Drain Pipes: 0.25" (minimum) - 0.75" (maximum)
IDEAL APPLICATIONS:
• Rooftop Gardens
• Impermeable Surfaces (Patios, Driveways, Parking Lots)
• High Drought Areas
• Contaminated Soils (Heavy Metals, Nematodes)
• Urban Environments
A self-watering garden bed translates into easy gardening! But you may wonder: What type of materials should I use? Is treated lumber bad? What kind of lining should I use? How deep should the bed be? How high should the overflow drain be? Should the pipes be wrapped? Do you need a plastic cover? What kind of dirt or soil should I use? What kind of potting mix do you need? Do you need to use fertilizer strips?
Once you have the answers to these questions, all of the guess work is removed. The only thing left is for you to start designing and building! Once you've made the jump to a sub-irrigated garden, you'll quickly appreciate the convenience. This allows you to be away for longer periods. Rain water is collected and saved for later use. When you do need to water, it's so easy. You'll love it, and your plants will love YOU!
★ NEW Tips & Tricks! (Watch this video next):
• Improved: Self-waterin...
► Rainy Periods & Moisture Levels (201):
• SIP Raised Beds (201) ...
► Watering & Aeration Screen (301):
• Watering Self-Watering...
► Winterizing Planters & Totes:
• SIP Raised Beds + How ...
For general S.I.P. info:
albopepper.com/...
For more info in this box check out my website:
albopepper.com/...
For instructions on building the raised SIP grow box (seen at the intro):
albopepper.com/...
Using Gravel in SIP Wicking Beds?
link.albopeppe...
What should you grown in an SIP?
link.albopeppe...
Refreshing SIP Potting Mix (What's wrong with bagged manures / composts?):
link.albopeppe...
NOTE:
I used a couple bags of Miracle Gro potting mix, which I bought in bulk for CHEAP. That stuff works (although it is synthetic). However, you can go purely organic in your mix composition if that is your preference. Use whatever ingredients conform to your gardening philosophy. Just be sure to follow the guidelines discussed in the video.
#Irrigation #RaisedBedGardening #GardenDesign #GoGreen #EasyGardening #WaterConservation #UrbanGardening
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SUPPORT:
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B O O K ➝ amzn.to/447HJpt
W E B ➝ albopepper.com
F B ➝ / albopepper
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T E E S ➝ shop.spreadshi...
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★ NEW Tips & Tricks! (Watch this video next):
ua-cam.com/video/QHY5lQNYA6k/v-deo.html
► Rainy Periods & Moisture Levels (201):
ua-cam.com/video/5orIjYKFRgE/v-deo.html
► Watering & Aeration Screen (301):
ua-cam.com/video/VJ2T6gUv8Gc/v-deo.html
► Fertilizing SIP Beds:
ua-cam.com/video/wNsm1YpXlbg/v-deo.html
► Winterizing Planters & Totes:
ua-cam.com/video/aKrjC5sC5cU/v-deo.html
Self-watering planters have pros & cons. Read more about how they can benefit you the most: albopepper.com/sip_expectations.php
I 'm Hungary I Livin ÓZD
Hi there , what you think above Pipe put material to prevent soil going down to bottom and pipe , do you just strai put soil on top of pipe
How do you size the boxes based on what you are growing?
Good videoResult of hard work. Give your valuable comments to improve our channel thank you. Stay connected and stay blessed
Thanks ! Im new subs
I loved your tutorial so much! After I watched it a few times I made the decision to build it. It was such a great concept. I am a 15 year old kid and after 6 long days out in the back yard and a long discussion with my parents, I managed to complete the project. Thank you so much for the awesome tutorial.
I'm glad this tutorial was able to help you out! I hope you new SIP works out well for you. Keep us posted!
Hey bud how's it going? How has the bed worked for you after a year(:?
Good lad
Watch this video to see the status of my SIP after 9 years: ua-cam.com/video/QHY5lQNYA6k/v-deo.html
8 years later and this is still the best video on youtube for building a SIP.
Thanks! I have even more tips in this new update: ua-cam.com/video/QHY5lQNYA6k/v-deo.html
Amazing video! This is the kind of content UA-cam should be elevating
Thank you for a great video!!! I followed your plan to the letter and built a raised 4’ x 8’ bed. It works perfectly. Even in arid New Mexico my soul is always moist and my plants are happy. I travel a lot so I made one modification. I added a 50 gallon water barrel an plumbed in a float for self filling. My water level always stays at 3.25’. Greatest garden ever!!!!
Awesome Curtiss!!! I'm so glad to hear that. Good idea on feeding the float valve with a 50 gallon barrel! :-D
Brilliant! I'm terrible at engineering things and this looks like the ultimate lettuce bed I've been dreaming about for years! I'm going to put a floor in it and raise it up to about 34" so I won't have to stoop as I age (65 now) Thank you :)
@SuLebo215...No offense intended. Don't ever say you're "terrible" at anything, because our subconscious hears everything and works against us proving us right. Second, try a "Green rolling scoot-n-do garden seat." Bob Vila gave them a mention. Read all reviews before purchasing anything. The model of it could inspire you to make your own to fit your needs. Also, when making raised beds make them narrow so you can reach all your plants without discomfort. Also resistance exercises with resistance bands are great for staying strong without having to lift weights and plenty of protein like red meat, to stay strong, and keeps brain in good shape (not soy because it weakens bones and causes osteoporosis). Good luck and take care.🪶🤍
I've viewed hundreds of DIY videos, and I must compliment you. Not only is your design excellent, but your instructional content, videography and editing are very well done. Thank you for your efforts. I just subscribed and I'm eager to watch your other posts. Cheers!
+Jeff Bergerson - Thank-you Jeff! I appreciate it very much. :D
Also this is the best set up I have seen an I will use your design. I am planing on lifting some boxes off the ground so have you any suggestions on building the bottom and bases ?
Jeff Bergerson yeah his dad is great tooo check out his interviews
with his pops they got REAL passion for their art in what they do
Took the words st8t out of my mouth
👋👋👋👋👋👋👋
EXCELLENT VIDEO
Al. This is an incredibly detailed video and I want to thank you for your descriptions and content. I just completed a 6x3 bed 20" high like this... and the design I created was great because of you. I will caution folks who think this this looks great and might be easy to... think again lol. Although I chose to raise my bed by 4" over what Al describes here, mixing 27 cubic feet of soil is no small task. Wheelbarrow, tarp etc...it is bust ass work to get this mix right. Next time I will get the help of my able bodied son!. Happy growing and thanks again!
I've been watching a lot of SIP videos, this is by far the best of all, thank you!
Thanks Mark! I really appreciate it. :)
I've seen lots of videos and read many articles and books devoted to wicking beds. You have totally dispelled a lot of mistakes I would have made by following the others particularly the wrapping of the pipes around instead of keeping them straight thank you very much. I also like the way but you gave clear concise instructions on how you did it and what you used
What a great tutorial, super insightful! Love the "ways to fail". Also like that you said the depth of the bed to give a good reference and the "why" behind it.
Thanks for the awesome video! I used this design as the basis for 3 4'x10' boxes and it worked great--my neighbors here in dry Denver were amazed at how massive everything grew. A couple little things I learned along the way that you might consider adding: 1) I covered the ends of both the drain and fill pipes with a bit of fabric to keep insects, dirt and other stuff from clogging it up. 2) I really wish I had done a better job of clearing out the ground where I built the boxes. I leveled it as much as possible, but there was still some bindweed lingering. It ended up growing through the space between the box and the liner and coming out in between the layers and at the top. Next time I might try putting a layer or two of cardboard underneath the whole thing--another tip I got from your videos!
Bind weed is terrible! Comes thru cement!
I've been gardening in raised beds for over ten years. I wish I had known about this when I started. It's time to redo my beds and I'm going to build them your way. THANKS!
..."the problem is...that they did it wrong..." lol! Thank you for knowing what you're doing! Love your step by step instructions! Can't wait to make this!!
We built 2 of these we produced so many vegetables last year we gave several bushels away to our family
This is a great video. Well thought out, anticipates most of the pitfalls a novice would find themselves falling into, very optimistic if you follow his rules. Thanks for such a great, free resource!!
I like your methodical approach to your design. Having that air pocket between the soil and water seems like a very good idea. I’m kinda against not adding composting and manure in the box. I’m inclined to go against this because number one I like to go cheap and number two I have this killer compost I want to use. My last comment is: using treated lumber your upright posts are cut at an angle to shed water they are also more aesthetic, but the surfaces cut on treated lumber are as prone to rot as regular lumber. Actually more so because you’re dealing with open grain wood . to prevent this you could either paint the ends of the wood or char them with a blowtorch. Charring a wood post before buring it is a common practice
Thanks for your feedback! This page talks about the concerns related to certain types of compost / manure: albopepper.com/refreshing-sip-potting-mix-adding-fertilizer-year-2.php#manure
You make some good points about the treated lumber. I've just rebuilt the entire system & plan on doing a new video about it. In my new version, I've opted to keep the upright posts at a 90 degree angle to reduce surface area and minimize degradation. I don't place my planters directly on soil anymore either. That's a very problematic approach that definitely reduces lifespan of the wood. More to come on all of that...
If you're concerned about the cut ends, I believe they make a canned product similar to the chemical used in pressure treating, for that exact purpose (cut ends).
I’ve watched SO MANY of these wicking bed videos and this is the first one that made me feel confident that I won’t be wasting my time doing extra steps or building something inefficient or faulty. I can’t wait to get started on this project!
NICE. i love your methodical approach, and talking through why you did things certain ways.
Outstanding video. I built one for my girlfriend following your instructions. All went well until I filled the bed. I should have realized that the inside of the bed where the drain hole was needed to be sealed with a waterproof sealant. I filled the bed and as the water got to the lower level of the pipe the water seeped out and down to the boards in the bottom. Thank you for the knowledge you have brought to us.
Agreed, I was wondering same thing! There might be a water-tight irrigation connector port that could be used. I’ve made a bunch of self-watering containers on a smaller scale.
In addition, all those drainage tubes help decrease the cost of filling with soil. Good tutorial.
That's an excellent point! Thanks for watching. :)
Great tutorial and insightful information on SIP. This year I was going to build an elevated garden planter anyway, due to my last year’s battle loss to voles. But thanks to your videos, I added SIP to my planter design. I actually finished it this weekend (the planter) and will start purchasing the potting mix, perlite, peat moss, and fertilizers this weekend. Thanks for sharing your passion for gardening.
This video is fantastic and I highly recommend SIP beds for consistent watering and to keep weeds/grass away from your raised beds.
I built my first 4x4 SIP bed in the Spring of 2018. I live in South TX and it’s hot in the summer. The SIP beds have taken the guess work out of watering. I fill them almost daily during the hottest time of summer, but it’s the first year I have not had any heat stress.
Second, I have Bermuda grass in my backyard. I have been plagued by this invasive, awful grass getting into my raised beds. The pond liner has kept the Bermuda completely out all year.
I have 8 beds now. Awesome video! Thank you.
Thank you so very much for your very well done video. I am definitely going to try it !
Thanks for the comment on the Bermuda grass. I'm building this bed, also have this grass and was concerned. Sounds like it should work for me!
I just finished building 3 of the raised bed wicking boxes. I must say it was a very labor intensive and a bit pricey project. I told my wife the first tomato we harvest will have cost around $1000 for all three boxes! I used most of your model ( I installed bulkhead drains and made the boxes 32"x72" inside) and used Mr. Leon's potting mix, fertilizers, and a few plants. My fill tubes show 2-1/2", 3-1/8", and 3-1/8" inches of water after the initial fill. I think I can utilize an elbow and a swivel pipe to raise the water level in the one box to match the others. I imagine I did not get the sand base level enough. I will see how it goes. We are excited to try growing some vegetables and flowers. You were correct about the quality of the treated 2x6's. They are very heavy and difficult to square up. I used 90 degree jigs and wood clamps to get the frames as square as I could. I even bought forklift forearm straps to move the completed boxes! Also I used a wood sealer on the cut ends and in every screw hole to keep the wood from checking. We look forward to harvest time later in the summer and hopefully we can plant a fall crop as well! Thank you for your excellent step by step tutorial! God bless you!
Hopefully you have a great season! Keep us posted. 😃
Looking to build 2 or 3 of these raised beds myself.
Thanks for taking the time to make a great and easy to understand video. You saved me allot of searching and time wasting I would have had without watching this. Love the idea of a self-watering container. Fits well into my busy lifestyle.
Thumbs up from me!
Thank-you very much for your kind words Johan! I'm glad this video was able to help. :-D
I made two of these and they have worked perfectly. Thanks a million!
Great Video. You cleared out some of the points that others were doing in their SIP which is to cover the irrigation tubes with garden fabric or plastic. The other important point you covered was the depth of the raised bed. Thank you. I am going to set one up this week.
I had a hard time ascertaining exactly how these wicking beds worked til I watched YOUR vid. Thanks for explaining things so thoroughly.
Thank for watching! I'm glad it was able to provide a good explanation. xD
Wonderful idea of combining the raised bed and sub-irrigation. Well designed sub-irrigation saves you a lot of time and work with irrigation and also prevents any problems with under and over watering. Now I am just thinking about using some free recycled material for construction, like the PET bottles.
Last summer, my daughter gave me some plants to grow. I had to come up with a self-watering bed fast, so I bought two kiddie swimming pools (the blue round plastic type) and grow bags. I put the grow bags in the swimming pools, drilled a hole in each pool to prevent over-filling. My plants did very well and all I did was top off the swimming pools each day. So now I have Birdie's raised beds to set up this year and I'm going to do this with one exception. Instead of drilling a hole into the side of the raised bed, I'm going to run the overflow pipe under the bed. It will look like a "U" with short horizontal end pieces.
I like it a lot. I can't help but think incorporating something to make the watering automatic would be great. I use a PVC sewer pipe rain gutter system with grow bags over it to do something similar without the box. It uses 1/4 inch poly tubing in a float valve to maintain a constant water level. A bucket or tube in a corner could hold a float valve that would insure that the water level was an inch or so below your drain automatically, allowing the reminder to be filled with rain water when it occurs. I'd like to see the planting surface high enough to allow no-bend maintenance of the bed.
i just found your channel and this video just changed all of my plans for my future garden!!!! thank you!!!!
Welcome to my channel! Thanks so much for watching. I hope this info helps you out! :-)
I’ve watched a load of these videos as I’m planning to build something more permanent and move away from loads of containers and pots. And this is by far the best video I’ve watched....and I’ve watched A LOT! Extremely well thought out and explained and delivered perfectly.
I can only imagine the 1k dislikes came from the creators of all the other videos I’ve watched, because you blew them out the water in every aspect. Thank you for making this and finalising my plans. Subbed 👍
Thanks man! I greatly appreciate it. :-D
Great video. I followed this design in 2020. I had great results with minimal maintenance
Here we use covers to keep the heavy rains from washing all of the amendments from the mix and so we only have to fertilize once at the beginning of the season. If the covers are tucked into the interior edges, it still allows the beneficial rain water into the reservoir down the sides without disturbing the fertilizer strips, washing out the lime, and essentially changing an otherwise, semi-closed system. This also helps with things such as excess nutrient runoff, weeds, rodents, insects etc, and conserves yet even more water.
Nice job either way. 1-1/4 thin wall pvc for the fill tube lets you stick the hose in it and basically turn it on full blast. We use Kerick float valves in an enclosure to make them automatic and the fill tube is just in case we have a valve malfunction.
An excellent tip! Thanks for sharing the good info Mr Boat. :-D
Interesting, I would have thought the plants would eventually punch through the corrugated pipe. I'm going to build one of these, glad I came across the video.
Awesome video, you the man.
I have a suggestion. I would recommend that you spray the outside of your pressure treated wood with a Thomson water seal once every 2 or so years to prevent warping, cracking , and chipping of the wood. This happens when the wood gets swelled with water, then dries too quickly and unevenly. The oil sealer allows the wood to still breath with moisture but it does it nice and slow and evenly. Same for concrete and brick walls.
Just wanted to let you know so all your beautiful work ages like a fine wine.
Keep up the great work. I'm a big fan.
You did a great job explaining everything and answering questions we might have!
I would like to build one or two of these. I do not generally reply to videos but I wanted to be sure to thank you for this one. I subscribed to you because I really appreciated how you try to help all the people asking you questions.
Good info here. 👍 One thing you mentioned is possibility of the soil entering the corrugated tube through the vent holes. This rarely happens to any significant degree. We have hundreds of thousands of MILES of this stuff buried in my surrounding farm ground with great success. My hometown has produced drainage tile since around 1900. Early stuff was clay tile fired in a kiln. Our factory switched to plastics a few decades ago.
My preference for the drain overflow is 1/2 inch PEX tubing. Just drill a 5/8 inch hole & insert the preferred length. It's cheap and stiff, so no bending up.
Thanks for the tips! I've used 1/2 PVC schedule 40 for the overflow and that worked well too. On future builds, I might try a bulkhead fitting. I'm not worried about soil entering the slits on the corrugated pipes. This video shows how empty they remained after years of usage: ua-cam.com/video/q-JitnHKCY8/v-deo.html But obviously you need to ensure that the ends are sealed off in some way.
@Albopepper Yep, nearly all the farm fields in my area are tiled with the corrugated pipe. Only difference is that they are laid with a slight grade to ensure that the water flows downhill.
I used the PEX 'cuz I had a leftover length. I just snip off a 4 or 5 inch piece to use as drain tube.
I followed your instruction and built a self watering garden--IT WAS
OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!Best yield I have had in 6 years of growing my own
vegetables. I will be building a 2nd box soon just to grow onion,
lettuce and smaller tomato plants. I am not sure how often you answer
questions or if this is the right method to ask question. But, I would
like to know in my current box, what do I need to do to the soil to
start it this season? I followed your instructions for building a box
and the soil mixture to use. Not sure what, if anything, I should add
to begin the season.
Hi Ace! Thank-you so much for sharing your results and encouraging words. :-D At the start of a new season, I lightly rake the top of the potting mix to fluff it up and to break up any remaining roots. If the mix has settled, I top off the box with fresh components. At this point, I assume all nutrients have been depleted. Ideally, you could get a soil test. I do not do that.
I simply add all new nutrients by way of fertilizers which may include worm castings. Synthetic OR organics could be used - even a combination of both. If you are using pure synthetic, then you may need to add calcium and magnesium in the form of dolomitic lime. With organics like Espoma, you'll likely see that they already have calcium and magnesium in them. Last year, I followed the instructions according to an older bag of Garden-tone. I treat my SIPs like large containers. For containers, it called for 2 cups per 1 cubic foot (only include the top 12" in your calculations). This rate would apply to an organic that is close to 4-4-4.
It worked great last year. Mid season, you might need to supplement though if it looks like the plants have run out of steam. If you want to reset soil nutrients for the following season, you could throw in some heavy feeding crops at the end of the Summer or early Fall. I did this with Kale plants. They grew all Fall and survived in zone 6 into the Spring. I didn't fertilize. I just allowed them to suck up as many remaining nutrients as they could. Hopefully this will minimize excessive nutrient build up over time. Hope that helps! ;-D
Hi Al, I'm wondering a little similarly to Ace. Apart from nutrient depletion, how long before the soil that is perpetually wet turns sour, and there's then a need to dig out the box and refresh it all.
Hi Mike! For the SIP box shown here: albopepper.com/grow-box.php It is from 2011 and still has the original potting mix in it. It settles a little each season so I top it off with new mix that I blend into the old. But still, the structure has held up so far!
I do not garden like this...great idea!! Awesome tutorial!!
Thanks for being really thorough with this build! Subscribed!
Gene Torres Thanks Gene! I'm happy to report that the system is working really well.
That's awesome. Built my first raised bed this year but its not as intricate. Will keep this in mind for the future!
Thank you for the great video. I used it step-by-step to build an 8x10 sub-irrigated bed over the weekend.
Make sure you use some of that garden screening material to cover the drain, else you just built a nice snake breeding farm.
Not where I live. Where are you located? I usually just have to worry about slugs and snails.
No snakes in the Northeast that I know of
A moose could never stuff itself in that here in Canada.
Hi AL.
Greetings.. here we go ..
Hey I'm using your 5 gal. Bucked using those 4.5 inch shims. I used em last year using ONLY Master Blend water-soluble fertilizer.. My peppers were STUNNING.
Thanks for sharing that wonderfully SIMPLE. SIP
Happy Growing,Al..
Mike DAG
That's awesome to hear! I'm glad it all worked out. Thanks for sharing your results! 😀
Great video! I think I may build something like this next season, coupled with a float valve to auto-water from rain barrels. Thanks for sharing.
Ian MacDonald Thanks Ian! Yeah a system like this would be easy to adapt to a float valve set up. A float valve system would mean ZERO dry periods. Moisture would be very consistent. So be sure your mix has good pore spacing and follow my specs. :D
Ian, did you ever create this system? If so, would you be interested in creating a video on it?
Very professionally created help video with clear and easy to follow steps to build a very functional and long lasting SIP box. Excellent!
Thank you so much for this info! I followed your instructions exactly (although I widened my box a little bit more) the results are absolutely amazing! I told my family that this works too well! (24” zucchini leaves!!) 1 question: can I reuse my potting/pine bark/perlite mix for next year?
Thank you for the video. This looks like a really great design and also very attractive. I have seen other very well constructed S.I.P. beds but they were not really what I want in term of appearance. Your attention to detail and helpful advice is much appreciated. Best of luck with your gardening.
Also, is sub-irrigation wicking really self watering? I always expect a device that triggers filling the sub chamber when water is too low. But if I’m filling a tube with water till drain water runs, then, I’m watering. Not truly self watering. But I understand the meaning. There are self watering methods of similar design using everything from sump pumps to toilet ball concepts. Very interesting. I’ve used several of your videos for some concept designs. Thanks!
Thank you for such detailed information. Feeling really glad that I came across this video when I am building similar raised beds.
Great video, love your system and will try it this year. Thank you for your time in putting this together.
Thanks for watching Gary. I appreciate your support! :-)
i did Sub-irrigated Raised garden this year with just topsoil and just a little of miracle gro plant food. i am very amazed with the results. yes you can normal topsoil thank for the idea miracle gro plant food
Thanks for sharing your personal experience!
Holycrapthatwasaninstructionalvideo! Just like I would've done it. The only thing I would have done is seal the slits, (tape/water tolerant silicone) created when making the overflowtubes and drainagepipes, covering with fabric.
Pardon errors, I try to utilise commas.
FloppyJedi Thanks for the feedback! I think if someone builds their bed off of the model shown here, it provides a great starting point. Then tweaks can be made, such as the ones you mentioned or anything else that a person wants to include in their setup.
I see you as the grateful grower
:-D Thanks for watching John!
After watching - I can do this. Thank you!
Clear and complete explanation. Excellent. Thank you!
I really like the concept and design of your box. It is, in MOST aspects, an oversized earthbox. As I watched the video, I was concerned about the area where the overflow is located. Would it be advisable to caulk/seal around the liner to prevent the wood from becoming overly saturated with water? I was waiting for this to be addressed, but it was not. That is my only concern. Other than that, it looks wonderful. Very nice presentation. I subscribed.
Randall VanScyoc Thanks Randall! Yes, it is in most regards an oversized EarthBox. I didn't caulk inside the openings on my box. But doing so is certainly a great idea. Someone else had suggested this a while back and I've added the suggestion to the write up on my actual website: albopepper.com/SIP-raised-bed.php . I appreciate the good feedback! :D
Use a rubber grommet...cheap and effective
I just built 3 SIP's. Used 2x12's, stacked 2 boards on top, so they're 55" x 33", 24" tall. They look great, now I just need the dirt. Looking for miracle grow, raised bed potting mix. If only I could find it in bulk! Thanks for the videos, great job with your posts!
Tim
I was thinking of just this idea, and you show the best way to construct a S.I.P. raised bed I have ever seen.
My question is, can I integrate some worms into this bed?
+Mary Smith My beds are similar and I added worms from my yard into them last year. I recently dug in and found many more living happily in the soil. They are great for aeration of the soil and create worm castings.
Fantastic video. You have made my aspirations possible. Thank you so much.
Great info..thank you for the tips..can't wait to build some and try them out..thank you for posting this video
Today I built 2 totes using your system. One 30 gallon (for corn) and one 18 gallon for (a Serrano and other companion plants). Thank you for your videos.
+karpetech - Awesome! I'm glad the videos were helpful. I love this time of year. Spring is in the air!!! xD
i think it is better if you did not poke a hole in the tube screen where you insert your overflow tube, the reason is that the screen will prevent debris which might clogged your overflow tube... my 2cents!
I am excited about using your technique of gardening. We are in the third week of the Coronavirus quarantine here in Texas, and this is going to keep me busy. I look forward to the reward and plan to expand every year. I subscribe and thank you for such a professional video. I have been recommending it to all of my friends!
egg shells work too
That's a great instructional video. I will definitely use it to help me build my SIP. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your expertise.
Is that 4" corrugated piping? I'm beginning to build 6 boxes here in Texas and I'm worried I'll be doing all this work and the heat will nullify my efforts. Hoping it all turns out ok by following your video to the T!
Yes, it's 4" corrugated, perforated. You can also check my site for additional tips: albopepper.com/SIP-raised-bed.php
lol NOW i have a use for all this extra drainage tubing the prev owners had shoved under the porch! (saw someone else's video filling the base with ROCKS and i was like "no... that can't be right. that'd be expensive as HELL. this looks MUCH better.)
Thanks! I agree. All that gravel is also more labor intensive. And it reduces water holding capacity. But you risk puncturing the liner.
Great information regarding especially the things to avoid doing. I was wondering, wouldn't it be best to focus the mulch on the top instead of mixing it in? It isn't needed so much for water retention concerns, I would imagine, but it sucks nitrogen and increases fertilizing needs if mixed in. Mulch on top still deters weeds. But let me know if I am missing something or if it works as well to only apply mulch on top. Thanks.
+Andi Amador - Hi Andi! Thanks for watching the video. Nursery mixes will commonly use bark as the primary component of their container mixes. I prefer to include pine bark mulch because it adds a little extra back bone, extending the serviceable life of my SIP mix. The box at the beginning of my video actually has the original potting mix that I first put in it 4 yrs ago. My goal is to see how long the mix can be used. I think that perlite, vermiculite and pine bark mulch help a lot in this regard.
You are correct, that the wood will initially require additional nitrogen to compensate for nitrogen draft. However, this is a temporary situation as the Nitrogen is slowly released back into the soil in subsequent years. I use bark because it has higher lignin content than the sapwood (such as with wood chips) and so it doesn't break down as quickly. Pine is likely to acidify your soil though, so you'll want to watch your pH. I always add dolomitic lime to help out.
As you mentioned, you can add a little mulch on top. This helps with not just weed suppression, but also moisture balance at the soil surface. It can also protect the plant roots from wind or water erosion. Hope that answers your question! Thanks, -AL
Love you from India
Can you provide a detailed "Buy" list for this box? (Assume buying everything).
Watch and take notes?
Finally some solid info this would work well with my climbing strawberry plants and my potato boxes too
It's Mario! ;) thanks for the video; i was a bit overwhelmed when the wife asked me to put raised beds in and this is/was perfect
It'sa me! lol Thanks for watching! :)
@@Albopepper Thanks for not taking that personal i was not wanting to sound like a jerk lol
Do not buy heart center lumber. The heart center will cause twisting and or bowing. Heart center has the center pith in it. Know what your buying.
Well done. Great information backed up by real practice.
Thanks for watching!
14:39 all the drain pipes are connected? I don't understand how the drainage system works
Hi Michael. Please watch this video update for a deeper explanation: ua-cam.com/video/VJ2T6gUv8Gc/v-deo.html
Just ran into your UA-cam channel and I love it. I have been gardening in feeder Troughs for years now and am going to experiment with making them self wicking Trough it would be a time saver.
That sound like a great idea! 😃
Hello Al.
I don't really remember what I was searching for when I found your "
Self-watering SIP Sub-irrigated Raised Bed Construction (How to Build)
video. I've been retired now for several years and I've been bucket gardening and raised planter gardening for a good number of years with mixed results. I should say I'm an engineering type who most recently owned a hardware store and I enjoy inventing and building stuff.
I combined your planter box design with a rain barrel with a self feeding float valve, so as long as the rain barrel has water, the planter has exactly the same amount of water all day, every day.
I've had the basic equipment for making rain barrels for years now but thanks to the marrage of your drought resistant planter box and the barrel I finally got my butt in gear.
I only got plants in the ground on 6/5 but we had a great salad tonight with romaine lettuce, arugula, kale and radishes from our garden. Thanks for your help. Here is a snap of the initial setup.
i.ibb.co/qBLLtMK/20230605-155800.jpg
That pic was taken right after I planted, everything is going crazy now, we (Detroit Michigan area) finally have had some rain for the lawn, but the planter has been happy as long as the barrel has water. And of course I watch the barrel water in a drought like we recently had. I haven't done it but I was thinking of adding another automatic fill valve to keep a minimum water amount in the barrel from city water.
Also note; I'm really surprised at how little water the planter needs. Mine measures about 4 ft by 8ft. The water level in the tubes below is about 2 1/2".
Again thank you. If you have an interest I have many notes and pics of the whole project which as you so generously shared with me and many others I'd be happy to share with you.
I’ve used this system with great success using buckets and built planters but not on this scale but I like the size. It’s like the Kratky method with soil. In my systems it took a few times before success, however, mine are easier to correct smaller scales. I’m curious if you have encountered similar setbacks on your large scale attempts. 1. The drain hole is mega important. Wrong one way, it drains to much too fast. Wrong the other and it holds too much. How did you calculate the flow rate egress vs wicking uptake? Was it formulaic? 2. How do you manage nutrient flushing for overfeeds or deficiencies? 3. Soil PH and PPM ratios. Are you testing from the drain tube for corrections? 4. How are you controlling mold and pest issues in the corrugated tubes? Thanks and very intriguing build!
my favorite part of gardening is picking the fruits vegies / herbs and putting in potting mix because its so fluffy ^.^
How do you keep those lovely hands of yours so neat for a gardener? Mine are all knobbly and gnarly! Lol. Excellent presentation. TFS.
LOL thanks for watching! It must be the gloves I wear!
Good one bro! I've totally replaced perlite with chunky lava rock/cinders and rice hulls. It works great.
+RealProFarmOlympian - Another perlite alternative worth mentioning is Growstones (bit.ly/1Iszysp). They are pricey but they hold up well and are made from recycled glass. A very sustainable option.
@@Albopepper How about using charcoal/biochar rather than perlite?
Thanks!!
Awesome tutorial! What is the mix you used for the bottom? Would Pro-Mix work?
Edit: just found this in AlboPepper's response to Grant Topij 6 months ago. See below.
Grant Topij. 6 months ago
I made one today but I used perforated pipe with sock that should be ok right? What exact mixture do you recommend for the first layer of substrate over the pipe? Just potting soil with xtra vermiculite?
AlboPepper - Drought Proof Urban Gardening. 6 months ago
Potting mix with vermiculite would be fine, assuming the potting mix is mostly peat / coir based. (Nothing with a coarse bark texture.) Or you could even get a bale of peat moss and mix in some perlite and vermiculite, saving the retail potting mixes for the top portion.
Thank you! Best information I read / watched on SIP. We installed it today thanks to your video. Can't wait to see if this "miracle system" works.
L LS Glad I could help! My peppers & ground cherries are really starting to take off. I'm excited to share an update soon. Even despite a lot of rain, the plants have managed to do well. No signs of root rot! :D
You are a genius! Loving this sub irrigate self watering raise beds!
I've been thinking about building one of these. Thanks for the video!
Watched yours and a few others and put one together with a bunch of scrap wood I had, plus some new materials. So, yours looks much better than mine. LOL
Hey, as long as it gets the job done, right? :-D
Thank you for your video--very thorough and I appreciate the tips on what are the most important components and the pitfalls to avoid. I also liked the suggestion for using pine bark to extend your money for the filler mix. Very well done video.
Very solid design, but it can't be stressed enough how critical it is that the reservoir is solid. Once you get everything else filled in on it, repairing a leak pretty much means starting over.
Agreed. That's why it's best to use a quality liner, not just 6 mil plastic. And make a few of folds as possible.
Don’t you mean 0.6mm or do people just assume the point when talking about pond liners etc ?
@@tamarpiersburdekin3903 No, I meant 6 mil. You can learn more about the terminology here: www.globalplasticsheeting.com/thickness-of-plastic-sheeting
Came here for sub-irrigated garden beds, left impressed by your mustache
I found if the fill pipe is stright like yours, that the water would make a hole there that would fill up above the drain level before it soaked or drained to the bottom. I think it would be better if an elbo were on the bottom of the fill pipe, maybe 2-3 foot long, so the water easly runs to the bottom and fiil from there.
Thanks for the video. Built one this past summer following your instructions and it worked great, lots of tomatoes and zucchini. Unfortunately towards the end of the summer the rabbits found it and managed to dig holes through the black plastic and it lost the ability to hold the water inside. I plan on building two more in the spring, plan on putting hardware cloth around the perimeter to protect the black plastic so the rabbits can’t get through. Thanks again for the detailed video.
+Tom Cryan - Doh! I'm glad it worked out well for you Tom. I'm sure the rabbits are glad too... :/ That's a good idea to do the hardware cloth! Thanks for your feedback.
Hi, I enjoyed watching your video it is extremely informative. I was wondering if I could hook my house down pipes up to an sip bed and have the over flow linked to a second sip bed? I live in an old house that isn't connected to storm water drains, so I would have to put in water tanks but that would minimise my growing area.
Thanks.
You could use a rain barrel setup, using a recycled 55 gallon drum. Just be sure to use an opaque one, to cut down on algae growth. A typical 55-gallon drum measures approximately 23.3 x 34.9 inches, so it would only take up roughly 2' x 2'. This could then be piped to supply your sip bed. When setting it up, you will also need to consider that a 55 gallon drum will weigh about 440 lbs when full, to allow for proper support, whether it's on a deck, soft soil, etc.
Hi Marissa, thanks for watching! I would not advise to directly connect an SIP to a downspout. A single rain even would completely overwhelm the system. The root zone would be too saturated. Plus this would wash out nutrients, pumping them into the water run-off. Think how erratic our weather is becoming. Using a rain barrel as a buffer between the SIP and your downspout makes good sense. And it allows the water to be delivered in dry spells when it ISN'T raining. After all, in a rain event your plants are already getting rain. At those times, they don't need the reservoir to be pumped full of water as well.
fantastic video mate.. well done and thanks for sharing man.
So, I’m trying to do this with a horse troff. I would like to post my success or failures
General JR - How did this/is this going? I'm in the process of trying THIS bed out, but I'm also really interested creative hacks using whatever you have as a planter. Never seen a horse trough used. I think that'd make a great container.
I know this is going to sound silly, but that's a really nice box.
+ZEZERBING - hehe ;-) Thanks! Just wait, you're gonna be really impressed when you see some of the creations made by fellow gardeners who've used this tutorial as a starting point!
Very nice and practical video. Very well explained.
Thank-you for watching and sharing your positive feedback! :-)
Epic Mario Bros moustache. Well done.