DIY Self Watering Deck Rail Planters for Low Maintenance Greenery

Transform your outdoor deck into a lush oasis with practically no effort by installing self watering deck rail planters. These clever planter boxes allow you to grow flowers, herbs, and trailing greenery on your deck rails without having to worry about constantly watering and tending to your plants.

Self watering rail planters have a built-in reservoir that keeps plants hydrated for days or even weeks between refills. The watering system provides a constant supply of moisture to plant roots, preventing wilting even in hot sunny conditions. With a properly designed self watering planter, your plants will thrive with minimal maintenance required.

Benefits of Self Watering Deck Rail Planter Boxes

Deck rail planters with self watering capabilities offer numerous advantages over standard planters that require frequent hand watering:

• Automatically provides water to plants as needed to prevent wilting or drying out
• Allows growing flowers, herbs and plants in areas without access to ground soil
• Saves time spent monitoring and hand watering plants
• Ideal solution for frequent travelers who can't regularly check soil moisture
• Provides constant hydration for healthier, more vigorous plant growth

Standard above ground planters often dry out rapidly, especially on hot sunny decks. But self watering rail planters have an internal water reservoir and wick system that keeps plant roots consistently moistened. This "sub-irrigation" approach prevents drought stress and promotes lush, vibrant greenery.

These planters are perfect for deck or porch rails, letting you cultivate ornamental plants, herbs and trailing foliage without needing access to garden beds or ground soil. The planters can be installed easily onto deck railings, balconies or patios. Self watering capabilities then eliminate much of the maintenance required for container plants.

Planning Your Self Watering Deck Rail Planter Project

Careful planning is important when installing self watering rail planters to ensure your system functions properly and meets your gardening needs:

• Determine how many planters you need and the planting capacity
• Select a deck location with adequate sunlight exposure
• Choose durable materials resistant to outdoor elements
• Design an effective water reservoir, pump and irrigation system
• Make a list of tools and hardware required for installation

First, decide how many planters you want to install and the planting capacity needed. Self watering deck rail planter boxes come in many sizes from a couple gallons up to 20 gallons or more. Measure your deck railing length and layout to determine how many will fit.

Make sure to select a deck location that gets sufficient sunlight for the plants you want to grow. At least 4-6 hours of direct sun is ideal for most flowers, herbs and vegetables. For shade plants, choose a spot with bright indirect sunlight or dappled sun.

Use weather resistant materials like plastic, galvanized metal, wood composites or cedar that can withstand outdoor conditions. Avoid weak woods like pine that deteriorate quickly. The planter box, irrigation system and mounting brackets should all be made of long lasting, durable materials.

Design an effective water reservoir, with a pump and float valve if needed to keep water flowing to plant roots as the reservoir level decreases. This self contained watering system is what differentiates self watering planters from standard planter boxes.

Finally, make a list of all the materials, tools, and hardware you'll need for installing your self watering rail planter system. This might include lumber, brackets, screws, liner, tubing, and tools for cutting, drilling, screwing and mounting the planter boxes onto your deck railing.

Building a Self Watering Rail Planter Box

Constructing a self contained planter box with water reservoir and irrigation system requires some DIY skills. But you can easily build functional self watering rail planters following these steps:

• Cut wooden boards treated for outdoor use to the desired size
• Drill drainage holes in the bottom panel of the planter box frame
• Assemble side boards into a box frame using exterior screws
• Line the box with a plastic liner or waterproof inner box insert
• Add water reservoir tubing, pump, float valve and wicking system
• Install sturdy mounting brackets to attach the planter to deck rails

Cut side boards, bottom and optional top/front panels to size from 1x or 2x lumber using an electric miter or circular saw. Cedar, redwood or pressure treated pine are good inexpensive options. Cut adjoining boards with angles to form a box shape.

Drill several drainage holes spaced evenly across the bottom board to allow excess water to drain out. Line the interior with plastic sheeting or a leakproof plastic box liner to contain the water in the reservoir system.

Attach the side boards together at the corners to form a box frame using exterior grade screws. Check angles are square. Optionally cut and attach a front panel for a finished look. The box frame encloses the irrigation system and inner planter.

Install a plastic tubing coil or reservoir at the bottom of the lined planter box to store and distribute water. Add a submersible pump if needed to move water uphill to planter surface. Connect plastic tubing between the reservoir and pump outlet.

A float valve shuts off the pump when water reaches full capacity to avoid overfilling. Place landscape fabric over the water distribution coils to prevent soil from clogging tubes. The fabric wicks moisture into the soil.

Finally, mount sturdy steel or aluminum brackets onto side or rear boards to attach the planter securely to deck railings. Some brackets wrap all the way around rails for a snug friction fit installation.

Once constructed, installing the self watering planter boxes is straightforward. Follow these guidelines for setup and ongoing maintenance:

• Mount completed planter boxes onto deck railing posts
• Fill reservoir and test irrigation system is working
• Plant flowers, herbs or trailing greenery
• Refill reservoir as needed to maintain water supply
• Drain and clean planter boxes at end of season
• Bring planters indoors before winter freeze sets in

Carefully position the planter boxes on your deck railing and mount them securely using the attached brackets. Positioning them on rail posts rather than the middle of spans provides the most support.

Fill the reservoir fully using a hose or watering can, then check the irrigation system is working properly to distribute water. Adjust tubing as needed until water wicks properly to the surface soil.

Plant your choice of flowers, herbs or trailing vines that suit your climate and sunlight conditions. Favorites like petunias, pansies, ivy, ferns, thyme and oregano thrive in rail planters. Follow spacing guidelines on plant tags.

Check reservoirs occasionally to make sure water level is adequate. Refill whenever the level drops more than halfway, using a funnel if needed. The float valve will shut off the pump when full to avoid overfilling.

Before winter, empty the reservoir and soil from the planters to clean out debris. Remove mounting brackets and store the planter boxes in a garage or shed protected from snow and freezing temps.

Maintenance is minimal with a self watering planter. The irrigation system provides a constant supply of water and nutrients to plant roots, keeping your deck railing gardens lush and vibrant all season long!