DIY PVC Pipe Planter

DIY gardening project with plastic PVC pipe

Whether you live in an urban area, in a small apartment or rural area, fresh food and herbs at your fingertips are easier than you think with PVC pipe.  PVC pipe can be used for just about anything including making DIY PVC gardens. 

Plastic PVC pipes are cheap, easy to find, and useful for so much more than just indoor plumbing. With a wide selection of PVC pipes and fittings to choose from, there are dozens and dozens of garden projects that you can make.

Another way to garden in a small space or indoors is with hydroponic gardening.  Our simple hydroponic gardening system is an easy way to grow vegetables and herbs. 

Creative people can come up with a variety of ways to make PVC garden projects like vertical garden planters, tomato and garden cages, garden drip irrigation systems, hydroponic gardening, garden tool organizers and seed planters just to name a few.  Dexorate has 33 DIY PVC Pipe ideas for small home yard solutions.

All you really need to garden in PVC pipe and accomplish most plastic pipe garden projects is PVC pipe, a drill, a tool to cut the thick plastic pipe and possibly PVC cement.  

Our PVC pipe tutorial today is on how to make a PVC pipe planter.  The planter can hold small pots and is perfect for a deck.  However, this PVC planter can be made any size just by adjusting the measurements.

Learn how to make a DIY PVC planter by watching this video or keep reading this post for a photo tutorial with step-by-step instructions.

how to make a DIY PVC planter

This planter is ideal for growing herbs and small plants.  Or for starting plants from seeds that will be transplanted into another location.  Watering is easy.  To add water simply remove one of the pots and pour water into the hole.

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 2" PVC Pipe
• 6 - 2" PVC Tee Sockets
• 4 - 2" PVC Sharp 90 degree Bends
• Chop Saw
• Tape Measure
• Marker
• Drill 
• 2" Hole Saw Bit

INSTRUCTIONS for  MAKING A PVC Planter:

STEP 1: Gather Supplies

To make the exact planter shown in this video or article, gather the supplies listed above.  If you want to construct the planter in a different size, simply revise the list.

STEP 2: Cut Spacers

To begin the PVC planter, spacers are needed between the PVC tees and the 90-degree elbows.  A total of eight 2-inch pieces of PVC for spacers are needed.

To make the spacers, use a tape measure and pencil or another writing instrument and mark the 2" PVC pipe every two inches to make eight spacers.  There are various ways to cut the PVC piping but a chop saw or miter saw is the easiest and the quickest method.  It gives a straight, clean cut through the pipe.

Secure the pipe under the chop saw, aligning the mark under the saw blade.  Activate the saw and slowly lower the blade until it cuts the pipe.  For safety wear safety glasses or goggles.

It’s also typically best to rig up some way to clamp the PVC pipe to the actual saw during the cut to prevent it from twisting and turning.

STEP 3: Insert Spacers

Place the spacers between the elbows and the tees.  Bang pieces tightly together.

If you prefer, PVC  glue which is called PVC cement can be used to hold the pieces together.

STEP 4: Cut PVC Pipe

The next step is to cut the two pieces of PVC pipes for the sides of the planter which will be placed into the PVC elbows.  These can be cut any length.  For this planter, the end pieces are being cut at 20 inches because this is the measurement that accommodates where the planter will be located in my home.

Cut the 2 pieces and insert them into the two end elbows as shown in the following photo.  If you are gluing the planter, do not glue these pieces yet because, in order to insert the middle section, the planter will have to be disassembled and put back together.

With a tape measure, measure the length of the 2" PVC pipes that will be in the middle section.  For this planter, the middle section measures 18 1/4". 

So, I will cut three pieces of PVC piping 18 1/4" with the chop saw.  

To insert the three middle sections, take the planter apart by removing the end pieces.

Then, reassemble the planter making sure everything is tightly secured together.  Or at this point, the planter can be glued together.

STEP 5: Cut Holes for Plant Pots

The plant holes are drilled at the top of the pipe. 

To make the circular holes that will hold the plant pots, first, draw a centerline along the PVC pipe with a marker or writing instrument. 

Place a 2-inch hole saw bit in the drill.  Decide where to place the hole, and drill.  

STEP 6: Excess Shavings

Wipe away and remove the dust and shavings from the planter.

STEP 7: Plants

The PVC pipe planter is ready to use.  Pour some water into the planter through one of the holes.  Then, simply pop the plant pots into the planter holes.

The PVC plant planter is ready to be placed in your favorite location either inside or outside your home and enjoy the vegetables, herbs and flowers produced.

Visit our gardening and foraging page for more DIY gardening projects and ideas. 

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• How to Drill Drainage Hole in Ceramic Planter - If you can use a drill, you can add a drainage hole to any flowerpot or planter.
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• Learn to Mulch using Newspaper to prevent weeds.
• The Gardyn - Gardyn provides an opportunity to turn any space into a thriving hydroponic indoor vertical garden for year-long gardening.