As much as we all try not to use plastic bottles, there are always some knocking around. These self-watering plant pots are a great way of upcycling your old plastic bottles to help you save water.
You will need
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Plastic bottle- Scissors or knife
- String, cord or a piece capillary matting
- compost
- Plant
Step one – prepare the bottle
If your bottle has contained anything other than water you will need to give it a quick wash out. Remove the label (this is not essential, but it does look better).
Step two
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Cut across your bottle one third of the way down. It’s important to make sure that the bottom half is longer than the top.
Step three – make your ‘wick’
Take the lid and make a hole in it (if you’re using string you might want several holes). Insert the ‘wick’ through the hole. For this one I’ve used some old piping cord which is a really useful thickness, but you can use ordinary string or even capillary matting. If you’re using matting you probably won’t need to keep the lid as the matting will stop your compost spilling out.
Step four – insert the wick
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Insert half the wick into the top of the bottle and replace the lid. You’ll have half the wick inside the top of the bottle and half outside.
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Step five
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Fill the lower part of the bottle with water. Turn the top half upside down and insert into/onto (depends on the shape of the bottle) the lower half. Making sure that the ‘wick’ is immersed in the water.
Step Six
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Fill the top half (the pot) with potting compost and plant your seedlings. The wick will continually draw up the water from the reservoir into the compost and will keep your plant moist even on the hottest day.
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If you have more bottles knocking around you could also create a cloche for your plant by simply cutting off the bottom and placing the top over the plant.
