Urban Gardening Made Easy with Sub Irrigated Planters

What is a Sub Irrigated Planter (SIP) and How Do They Work?

According to Al Gracian “Gardening with sub-irrigation is the process of watering plants from below the soil line. Through capillary action, the water then slowly rises upwards.”
Wikipedia defines capillary action as “the process of liquid flowing in a narrow space without the assistance of external forces like gravity”.
Sub irrigated planters consist of a watertight container with a water reservoir, air chamber and peat-based potting mix. You can also utilize a filling tube for easy watering and an overflow drain to ensure the planter doesn’t become water-logged.
These planters can be used indoors or outdoors. Users can buy retail models or build one themselves!

Sub Irrigated Planter Benefits

Sub irrigated planters can be used in conjunction with a rain barrel collection system to self-water and provide even more storage after each rain event. This is totally free water that plants love.
Having a built-in water storage reservoir helps these planters resist times of drought.
A water-level gauge can be installed to help you see how much water the planter needs. This assists with water consumption because you’re only using the amount of water that the plants need.
Planters can be used over top of impervious areas (hard surfaces) that would otherwise be rendered useless for growing crops. This helps the urban gardeners reclaim their land as the planter can be placed just about anywhere.

Crops that Grow Well in a SIP

Annual plants perform very well in a sub irrigated planter. These plants grow for a short time but require a large amount of moisture to thrive.
Examples Include: Peppers, tomatoes, ground cherries, watermelon, corn, zucchini, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, kale, spinach, lettuce, arugula, radishes, carrots, parsnips, basil, parsley, dill and many other annual plants!