Designing Custom Containers · grow pot and the bottom of the container. When water is poured into the container, the wick at the bottom of the grow pot takes the water up to the

Ambius Spec Sheet & CAD Library For expert advice, contact your local

Ambius Design Consultant or phone 1300 AMBIUS

Designing Custom Containers Ambius Designer Guide



There’s nothing like designing a custom fixture, and at Ambius we want to work with you to bring your ideas to life! There are a few things you need to consider when designing a container if your plants are going to stay healthy. You’ll find what you need to know in this guide, but if you have any questions feel free to give one of our design experts a call on 1300 AMBIUS.

Contents

Design Guide for Stand Alone Containers Design Guide for Garden Beds & Unsealed Containers



Design Guide for Stand Alone Containers Use this guide for custom troughs, cabinet-top units, floor-standing containers and desktop containers.



What are the required components of a plant container?

Sub-irrigation Hole Mulch Plate

Grow Pot Container

Wick

Side view

Supplied by Ambius

Supplied by Ambius



What needs to be considered when designing a custom container?

Sub-irrigation is a method of irrigation where water is delivered below the grow pot and absorbed upwards via the wick. This method of irrigation gives you healthier plants, for longer.

Ambius plants are watered using a sub-irrigation system.

Design tip #1

Your container must be waterproof. The container you design must be completely watertight or use a watertight liner to prevent water leaking onto the floor or into cabinets.

Side view




The selection of plant will depend on your aesthetic requirements and the available light within the area the plants will live. Your Ambius Design Consultant is your expert plant partner and there to help you make the right choice.

There are different grow pot sizes depending on the plant type and size.

Design tip #2

Contact your Ambius Design Consultant for advice on plant selection and grow pot sizing.

200mm circumference

265mm circumference

310mm circumference

185mm depth

230mm depth

265mm depth

200mm Grow Pot

250mm Grow Pot

300mm Grow Pot



Our sub-irrigation system requires space to “do its thing”.


Design tip #3

Make sure your containers are large enough to fit your grow pot (or grow pots)! (This may be an obvious tip but…) ensure your containers are large enough to house the desired number of plants and grow pots. They need to have space around all sides and at the bottom (more details on the next page).

Space

Side view




Design tip #4

Allow at least 30mm between the base of the grow pot and the bottom of the container. When water is poured into the container, the wick at the bottom of the grow pot takes the water up to the roots of the plant by osmosis. Therefore there must be a sufficient gap (at least 30mm) between the base of the grow pot and the bottom of the container. Without this gap the plants will sit in the water pool and become over-watered. Refer to page 5 for grow pot dimensions.

At least 30mm

Side view




A mulch plate is essential for sub-irrigation. It features holes on which the grow pot sits so it stays above the water line and provides a platform for the container topping, such as pebbles or bark.

Every container requires a mulch plate.

Design tip #5

There are two types of holes required in a mulch plate: one for the grow pot/s and one for watering. The sub-irrigation hole should be 20mm and placed at the end of the container. This allows watering directly into the reservoir and for water levels to be checked. See the next page for more details on the grow pot holes. Top view

Grow pot hole

Sub-irrigation hole

Topping




Design tip #6

Grow pot holes need to be slightly smaller than the grow pot lip to provide a platform on which to sit. Below are the hole sizes required for each of the grow pots.

190mm hole (circumference)



200mm Grow Pot

250mm Grow Pot

300mm Grow Pot

It’s important that these holes are created the right size. If you don’t already

have one, request a physical sample of our grow pots to ensure they will fit prior

to designing a custom container.




Design tip #7

Check your design with your Ambius Design Consultant. We have a wealth of expertise in container design and plant health, so make sure you check with your Ambius Design Consultant whether your custom container is fit to be home to a living plant. We understand you can be under immense time pressures so we’ll get back to you with our feedback or recommendations as soon as possible.



Custom Container Checklist

Is your container waterproof or have a waterproof liner?

Have you confirmed your plant selection and grow pot size with your Ambius Design Consultant?

Is your container large enough to fit your grow pot/s?

Have you allowed 30mm between the base of the grow pot and the bottom of the container?

Is the grow pot hole in your mulch plate the right size?

Have you included a sub-irrigation hole sized 20mm?

Have you checked your final design with your Ambius Design Consultant?



Design Guide for Garden Beds & Unsealed Containers Use this guide for: 1. Large areas where it would be impractical to fit a single sub-irrigation system; or 2. Custom containers that are unsealed or cannot be water-tight.



How do we sub-irrigate large areas or unsealed containers?

Our Cone Liner is a mini sub-irrigation system for individual plants. It allows us to place plants in large areas where a standard sub-irrigation and mulch plate is impractical, such as garden beds, or in containers that aren’t water-tight. The Cone Liner is placed inside ‘unsealed’ containers or the garden bed and topping is placed over the top so it cannot be seen. It is then serviced by Ambius in much the same way as the standard sub-irrigation system.

The Ambius Cone Liner sub-irrigation system.

Top view

Side view

Sub-irrigation Hole

Grow Pot

Wick

Cone Liner



The Cone Liner and grow pot are placed inside the unsealed container (or garden bed) and the topping is filled in around it. The Cone Liner and grow pot are invisible but still can be serviced by Ambius staff.



What sizes are available for the Cone Liner?

Talk to your Ambius Design Consultant about plant selection and grow pot sizing. The selection of plant will depend on your aesthetic requirements and the available light within the area the plants will live. Your Ambius Design Consultant is your expert plant partner and there to help you make the right choice.

The Cone Liner is available to suit 250mm and 300mm grow pots.



We don’t expect you to be an instant expert in container design - that’s what you have us for! If you have any questions, at any stage during your design, please feel free to call us on 1300 AMBIUS to speak with one of our Ambius Design Consultants.

Documents

Designing Custom Containers · grow pot and the bottom of the container. When water is poured into the container, the wick at the bottom of the grow pot takes the water up to the