MATERIALS:
One recycled plastic 2-liter bottles (soda bottles are perfect), cotton string, scissors or an exact-o-knife, soil, seeds
TIME FRAME:
30 – 60 minutes
PROCEDURE:
- Carefully poke three holes in the top of your 2-liter plastic bottle
- Using an exact-o-knife or scissors, carefully cut your bottle in half
- Flip the top half of your bottle upside down (this is now your “pot”) and sit it into the bottom half (the well) of your bottle
- Cut your string into two pieces, each about 8 inches long
- Place your string into the “pot” so it is just peeking out of the old mouth of your bottle
- Carefully add your potting soil to the pot, working around your string so it stays as close to the middle of the pot as possible
- Add a couple if inches of water to the well of your container
- Sow some seeds into the soil in your pot
- Carefully place your new self-watering container in a sunny location and check your well daily
REFLECTION:
What are the benefits of a self-watering container? Are there other containers that could be turned into self-watering containers? Which plants do you think would do best in such a container?
CONNECTIONS:
Self-watering containers (also known as Self-Irrigating Planters-SIPs) play an important role for anyone who might want to grow their own vegetables, but who has little or no yard in which to do so. If you have a patch of sun to place your SIP in, you can easily grow a few vegetables of your own!
TIPS:
If you’re growing vegetables for the first time, start with veggies that are easy to grow. Cutting lettuce, spinach, kale, mint, basil, beets, and carrots are all easy to grow and can do very well in containers as long as you follow the planting guidelines on your seed packet.
xoxo,
M
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Hi,
May I asked what is the purpose of the 3 holes?
Thank you.
Air flow 🙂
I am interested in using this concept for my son’s school project. I am uncertain if you leave the cap on the bottle. I think the dirt will fall through the hole into the bottom section if you take it off.
I also cannot read the small print that accompanies the picture.
Rudulph, if your fabric pieces are each cut ~1 inch wide, they will block much of the soil from coming out the bottom. Also, if you click on the picture itself, it will open in another window and be larger and hopefully easier for you to read 🙂 Please let me know if you have any other questions and good luck!