Planter Upgrade

Took a while but I finally finished the upgrades to my 20+ year old cedar planter. I planted this container with a pair of micro-dwarf tomatoes and jalapeno peppers. I predict the tomatoes will eventually dominate the container. We'll see. I am hopeful the peppers will grow tall enough to stay above them.  

I built a tub to hold water in the bottom of the planter using old coroplast election signs and half a tube of sealant. I wasn't sure about having the paint from the signs in contact with the water so I lined that with a few layers of plastic (garbage bags). And I installed an overflow port at one end using a bulkhead I had lying around from a previous project.

Above the top of this tub I placed a couple of unused lids from some storage boxes. I drilled a few small holes for drainage and made larger holes for small plastic containers that can extend down below the deck and into the water. I drilled several holes into the sides of those little containers. Now when the planter is filled with potting soil and the reservoir is filled with water, moisture will be wicked up into the potting soil and the plants will send their roots down to find it. 

To fill the reservoir I made this crude fill tube from the cover from an old school binder, held into shape by a few plastic cable ties. I also lined the inside of the planter with plastic to protect the wood. Although I'm not sure that was really necessary. This planter has survived a couple decades of use now and has yet to rot out. I plan to trim out the top edge of the planter to hide the plastic, someday.