The Auto-Watering
Planter
The MintBox self-watering planter is a custom-built gardening bed with an embedded sub-irrigation system. This system waters plants automatically for up to two months between refills, providing an easy way for novice gardeners to grow fresh fruits and vegetables indoors. This planter is made to order and can be customized to fulfil the needs of your organization.
How it started
We started working on the self-watering planter when we partnered with Hudson Guild Fulton Senior Center just a few blocks away from our school. After meeting some of the seniors, we realized that many of them loved gardening, but put down the hobby due to the space restrictions of the city. Although the community center already had a garden, most of the seniors could not attend to the garden every day to nurture its plants. Working alongside some of the center's most ambitious seniors, so designed a custom self-watering planter to fit their needs. The sub-irrigation system waters the plants automatically, enabling plants to be left unattended for extended periods of time, and the planter's relatively small size allows it to fit in spaces throughout the Hudson Guild.
How it works
The self-watering planter has three semi-corrugated pipes running below the soil. These pipes hold water, which is accessible through an access pipe in the corner of the planter. When the soil gets dry, the water automatically flows out of the tiny holes in the pipes and moistens the soil. The roots of the plants will then absorb the water. When the water runs out, the planter can be refilled. We hope that the self-watering planter will make gardening more accessible to seniors and other people who have difficulty watering their plants. We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy the benefits of gardening, regardless of their circumstances.
May 2023
Designing the planter in Fusion 360 (CAD)
CADding the planter in Onshape and Fusion 360, visualizing the wooden frame, sub-irrigation system, and the access/drainage pipes before building it.
June 2023
Constructing the Auto-Water Planter
After buying the materials at Home Depot, the team went to our school's maker workshop to build the planter. Ronnie is constructing one corner of the frame.
July 2023
Filling up and prepping our first planter
Setting up the first self-watering planter at Hudson Guild. Dexter is filling up the sub-irrigation system with water through the access pipe.
August 2023
The radishes at Hudson Guild sprouted!
After just a few weeks of progress, the radishes are almost ready to be harvested. The planter is currently being transported to somewhere with more sun.