Self Watering Mini Garden

Building on the idea of the self watering plant pots (there are several instructables) I've built a bigger version, using IKEA boxes.

Step 1: Get All the Tools / Materials

Get some boxes. I used "Samla" boxes from IKEA because they are cheap, available in different sizes and you don't have to buy the lid (which we don't need).

You will also need some string, scissors, and your trusty Swiss Army knife. (Since you are on the instructables website I think it is save to assume you have one)

Step 2: Prepare the Boxes

Drill some holes in the bottom in one (!) of the two boxes and thread the string through. I tied some knots to make sure they don't fall out of the bottom while I assemble everything.

Step 3: Fill the Box With Earth

Now about 1/3 of the box with earth an pull the strings up a bit. (so they are not just at the bottom of the box)

Now fill the rest of the box with earth.

Step 4: Plant Your Stuff

Now it's time to plant whatever you want to plant in your box. I started with some peppermint and some basil which I had grown in some self watering pots made out of PET-bottles.

Put the box with earth in the other box (which we haven't touched until now).
Don't forget to water everything and fill the lower box with water. But don't overdo it! The upper box should not touch the water. (Using the Samla boxes I can put approx. 1 liter of water into the lower box.)

Step 5: Wait...

Now wait and enjoy your little garden. This is a picture of mine after about a month. Everything has grown beautifully!

Please note that the basil was a lot bigger the day before I took this picture. But I had used a lot of in my pasta sauce. :-)

Some tips from experience:
- Drill some holes in the lower box just underneath the point where the top box ends. This way you don't have to worry about overfilling the lower box (accidentally of if there are heavy showers)
- The one liter reservoir lasts for about 2 days of intense sunshine. (but that's here in Switzerland This may vary in other climates)