Photo: Rachel Glass
My mom and I
have really been expanding our gardening knowledge lately. Though there is a
lot more to learn, we have been sharing that gardening knowledge with kids and
families in our community.
When we were
asked to teach children at a special event sponsored by the AUA (Advocates for
Urban Agriculture) and Hull House, we decided to teach a workshop on making
SIPs. A SIP is a Sub Irrigated Planter. Sub meaning bottom, irrigated meaning
watered, and planter meaning… well you know. So a SIP is a planter watered from
the bottom.
“First the water
at the bottom of the SIP is wicked or sucked up by the fabric. Then, the water
comes in contact with the roots and the plant drinks the water,” I explained.
Photo: Rachel Glass
After teaching
the Becker girls (above) how to make SIPs I took a quick break. When I came
back to the room from my break, I found out one of the girls had taught an
adult how to make a SIP all by herself!
My mom and I
invented the seed match game so people could learn what seeds go to which
plants.
The Becker girls
extraordinarily (unlike some other kids I’ve taught) seemed to want to learn
more about gardening. I knew that because when I introduced them to the seed
game they enthusiastically started to match the seeds with the pictures of
plants.
After the kids
constructed their SIPs, we gave them chocolate mint seedlings to plant in their
new homemade planters.
Not long after
teaching kids how to make 2-liter SIPs, we taught more children to make SIPs.
In this case we taught our Girl Scout troop.
Please download and share!
Little Green Girl
SIP Instructions updated: 3.17.2012
SIP Instructions updated: 3.17.2012
10 comments:
Excellent work, Little Green Girl, sharing the SIP gospel. We are really proud of you!
Plus, that seed game looks like a lot of fun.
That is really neat! I'm definitely going to give this a try. Thanks! :)
That looks like an interesting idea. My question is this: what are the advantages of an SIP over a regular old pot?
Very smart, LGG. Noe I have to buy some soda in a 2-litre bottle to try it myself!
Dutch: traditional drain-hole pots dry out quickly. All SIPs--whether these two-liter pop bottles, an earthbox, or our two-bucket method--have a reservoir for oxygen and water to keep the roots happy.
Our knowledgeable friend Bob Hyland says SIPs
"out produce traditional drain hole, top watered beds, drain hole pots or planters by as much as 50% or more while using in the range of 90% less water."
You can read more at his blog...
http://www.insideurbangreen.org/2011/01/a-flickr-photo-set-slide-show-portable-micro-gardens-using-the-sub-irrigation-planter-sip-method.html
Thanks for sharing, I made one and planted eggplant. :)
i'd love to make some of these little planters but am curious to know how to get my hands on 'wicking fabric'?
Becky, You can get the Pellon Thermolam at Joanne Fabrics or Minnesota Fabric in the states. Happy gardening!
Could I grow herbs in these?
will you share your seed matching printable?
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