Global Buckets

     This is an awesome little project.  I like it a lot.  It’s simple, it works, and it’s cheap.  What more could you ask for?
     I’ve worked with the concept behind these planters in my time as the greenhouse manager for Houston Community College.  We conducted research on a planter design from a company in Canada that functioned just like these pots.  Water in a reservoir at the bottom of the pot is pulled into the soil through capillary (wicking) action.
     The way that these planters function leaves almost no room for overwatering and makes underwatering nearly as hard.  As long as the reservoir is kept full capillary action will keep the soil moist, but not too moist.  Clear air line tubing, used for aquarium air pumps, could easily be attached to the outer bucket.  Then the water level in the reservoir could easily be monitored.
     Using black plastic as a cover is great.  Limiting the surface area of soil exposed to the elements will significantly cut back on water lost to evaporation.  Most of the water will be lost through the transpiration of whatever you plant in the buckets.
     And growing organically would be no problem in these buckets.  It’s as easy as choosing an organic fertilizer to put in the soil at the startup or even using a water soluble organic fertilizer that could be added with the water when filling up the reservoir.  You could even turn this into a hydroponic planter by using a soilless medium (i.e. perlite or vermiculite) and hydroponic nutrients.
     What about cost?  A pair of 5 gallon buckets will cost you $5.08 at Home Depot (not including tax).  A bag of soil doesn’t cost much more, and you probably have string and a black trash bag laying around at home for the cover.  Dixie cups are all over the place, so no problem finding one of those.  The biggest expense would be getting a drill and hole saws if you don’t already have them.  In all, a very inexpensive project if you’re only making a one to several buckets.  There are more videos on youtube regarding the actual construction of a global bucket.
     Even though aquaponics is my passion, I love this idea for soil planting.  First and foremost, the price tag is very cheap.  And it’s a very simple project in regards to construction.  Once this planter is set up it’ll take very little maintenance to keep your plant/s growing and it won’t take a lot of space.  Whether or not you have a green thumb, even if you don’t have much space for gardening this is a great way to grow a few plants.  I’d really like to try one out, and if I do I’ll let you guys know how it goes.  This idea gets two thumbs up from me.