Earthbox

• 1). Cut out the middle of your lid in order to make the aeration screen. Use thick scissors to obtain a clean cut. Make sure that you don't cut all the way through your lid. The aeration screen is used to hold down the mulch cover.
  
  
• 2). Make a cut in your screen so it matches the area inside the tub as much as you can. The screen should fit snug in the tub after it as been trimmed.
  
  
• 3). Cut out the hole where your fill tube and soil wick chambers will be placed. Put in a 4-inch PVC drain pipe 1 1/2 inches in from each side of the tub wall. Mark two lines in each of your corners 1 1/2 inches away from each wall. Draw, with a Sharpie, around the PVC pipe. Cut holes for your soil wick 1/4 inch away from the Sharpie-drawn line.
  
  
• 4). Mark each of the four corners with your sharpie but cut out just two holes. Cut a hole in the center bottom part of the screen which will be where you place another PVC part. Mark all of your supports clearly. This will allow you to drill where you are supposed to. Draw a line which connects each of the circles. This will enable you to match up the four evenly-spaced holes for your wire tires. Drill the holes for your wire tires first in the screen at each of the supports marked with your Sharpie. Use the drill to make 1/4 inch holes for the screen. Make sure you stay away from the support circles when doing this.
  
  
• 5). Get a hold of one of your supports and connect it to just outside of your container on a straight surface. Put a line at the center of every wall with the top part of your support. Check to see if all your supports have the necessary holes. Tie all the supports with a wire to your screen with the wire ties (electrical). The 4-inch support does a better job at supporting your screen than the 1-inch support.
  
  
• 6). Drill 1/2-inch holes for your overflow in your container, 1/4 inch beneath the drawn lines on the container which uses your support. Place your homemade screen and fill your tube. Be sure that everything you put in reaches the bottom of your container.
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• 7). Add your soil, plants, and mulch cover to finish your self-watering container garden. Make sure the plants fit through the aeration screen and mulch cover. The purpose of your drilled holes is to create an area for your plants to breathe.