How to Build a Pumpkin Grow Box

Pumpkins enjoy warm weather and rich, moist soil, so living in an area with poor soil and cool summer temperatures makes it difficult to grow pumpkins. One solution is to raise pumpkins in grow boxes. Container gardening allows you to move the pumpkin plants if you decide they are in the wrong location. Grow boxes offer the advantage of being self-watering and weed-free. The roots of the pumpkin plants enjoy the enriched soil placed in the grow box. The grow boxes are reusable each year and require little maintenance to produce a successful pumpkin crop.

Five 1-gallon plant pots
32-gallon plastic storage bin with lid
2-inch PVC pipe
PVC pipe cutter
Heavy-duty kitchen scissors
Electric drill with 1/4-inch drill bit
Measuring tape
Permanent marker
Knife
Duct tape
Heavy-duty wire
Pliers
Potting soil
Compost
Water

Instructions

- 1
  Arrange five 1-gallon plant pots in the bottom of a 32-gallon plastic bin. Place one plant pot in each corner and one in the center. The plant pots need to be placed right side up in the bin to form a water reservoir as well as a support structure to keep the floor of the grow box from collapsing.
- 2
  Cut a length of 2-inch PVC pipe a few inches taller than the bin with a PVC pipe cutter. Cut around the edge of the plastic lid with a pair of heavy-duty kitchen scissors. Remove about 1 1/2 to 2 inches so the lid fits down inside of the bin and touches the top of the plant pots.
- 3
  Punch holes in the lid every 2 inches for drainage with an electric drill and a 1/4-inch drill bit. Drill three holes in each side of the bin about 6 inches from the bottom. Place two holes in the long sides of the bin 1 inch apart and 4 inches from the top. Drill holes equally spaced in the lower 6 inches of the PVC pipe. This will let water filter into the water reservoir of the grow box.
- 4
  Draw one circle the same size as the center plant pot in the center of the lid with a permanent marker. Draw another circle in the corner of the lid the same diameter as the PVC pipe. Cut these holes out with a sharp knife. Tape the center plant pot to the underside of the lid with duct tape, matching the cut-out circle with the top of the plant pot. This is the wicking chamber that allows the soil to contact the water in the bottom of the grow box. Replace the lid in the grow box with the taped plant pot downward.
- 5
  Slide the PVC pipe into the hole cut for it in the lid, with the drain holes pointed downward. Tape the area where the pipe meets the lid. Thread a heavy-duty wire into the holes near the top of the bin. Twist the ends of the wire together with a pair of pliers on the inside of the bin to secure the wire. This is to prevent the grow box from bulging out when full of soil.
- 6
  Move the grow box into its home with plenty of room for the pumpkin vines to grow. Mix together equal parts of potting soil and well-rotted compost. Fill the grow box with the soil mixture and fill the water reservoir by pouring water into the top of the PVC pipe.

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