This post will show you how to built an indoor sub irrigated planter using the same type of totes used for building DWC reservoirs. The sub irrigated planter (SIP) is a DWC-soil hybrid. It is perfect for high temp or outdoor applications. It is essentially a mini aquifer that allows plants to wick water up as they need it. The main advantage of a sub irrigated planter is that the bottom of the planter holds a large reservoir of nutrient-rich water, decreasing the amount of times you need to water the planter.
SIP Pros:
- Less frequent watering
- No waste (minimal runoff)
- No risk of root-rot
SIP Cons:
- Slightly slower growth vs DWC
- Requires brining soil in your house
- Slightly higher risk of pests as they have a substrate to take root in

Unlike in DWC the roots are not submerged 24/7, so you don’t need to aerate the water with a pump and airstones. The roots ‘SIP’ water from the submerged bed (excuse the pun). When using perforated pipe that is closely spaced together there is no need to use a fabric wicking material as some guides ill advise. As long as the gap between the perforated pipe does not exceed 0.5″ the soil that gets in there will only act as a wick and will not get root rot.
There are a few underlying principles all SIP’s require
- The reservoir must but water tight with no leaks below the drain port (drill slowly so as not to break the plastic)
- The drain port must drain the tank when the pipes are 75% submerged
- Buy pre-perforated pipe (not solid pipe)
- Use high porosity soil with good drainage
- No animal manure, organic nutrients are ok
- Pipes should be close together (almost touching) and fill the entire bottom
- Beds should be 16″ – 18″ deep total
Materials Needed:
- 17 Gallon or 27 Gallon Tote
- 4″ Perforated Pipe (my bed used 24′)
- 1/2″ ID PVC Pipe (electrical conduit pipe may be cheaper and works the same, note that 1/2″ is the inner diameter the outer diameter is closer to 7/8″)
- Oil Funnel (or cut up water bottle)
- ProMix HP Soil (One 3.8cu bail does approx 3x 27 gallon totes or 5x 17 gallon totes)
- 3/4″ rubber grommets
- DUCT Tape
- 6mm poly
Tools Needed:
- Drill
- Hacksaw or Sawzall
- Hot Glue Gun
- 7/8″ drill bit or step drill bit
- de-burring tool

Start by cutting the perforated pipe to length. A hackzall with a long 6″ blade makes this an easy task.

For a 27 gallon tote you will want 23″ lengths of pipe.

The drain pipe hole should be drilled exactly 3.5″ from the bottom of the tote (measuring to the middle of the hole)

DO NOT PRESS TOO HARD or you will bust through the plastic. This renders the tote useless for this application as it will slowly leak in your grow room. I did about 10 totes and broke through two of them (it was cold outside which did not help). Go real slow and you won’t have an issue.

Install the rubber grommet and then insert the pipe.

Using a bit of soapy water will help the pipe slide in more easily. Again do not press too hard. You may need to enlarge the hole with a de-burring tool if the fit is too tight.

Cut a 1″ diameter hole in one of the three pipe lengths to allow the drain pipe to fit inside. The pipe length is approx. 7″.
Cap the ends of the pipe with the 6mm poly and duct tape. This will prevent soil from getting in. If you have a very tight fit you can omit this step, but for the extra amount of time it takes it is a cheap insurance policy to keep soil and perlite out of the pipes.

Next step is the watering spout. Technically you could just add your nutrient solution directly to the tote but this will increase transpiration and humidity in your room. I prefer keeping the top of my soil dry and adding nutrient solution directly into the bottom reservoir via a watering spout.
You will need a 6″ length of pipe for 17 gallon totes and a 9.25″ length of pipe for 27 gallon totes.


Add your soil next. I used a 50/50 combination of ProMix HP and ProMix Biostimulant.



I will be planting pre-rooted clones so I put in these posts prior to watering the soil to create a mess free way get the roots down to the bottom without digging. Simply remove the posts after watering and you have a clean hole that can be filled in after transplanting.

My DWC mixing tank worked great for mixing up the nutrient solution.

You can also plant rooted seedlings directly into the soil.

I used rooted clones I already had from my aeroponics cloner.



Pro tip: having a moving dolly to cart these around on will save you from breaking your back if you need to move the SIPs between different rooms.
