What plants can be grown in plastic bottles? 8 best!

Growing plants in plastic bottles is a new trend that has taken social media sites by storm. But what are the best plants to grow in plastic bottles?

Generally, any plant that doesn't require a lot of space to grow well will do. However, there are some plants that need a certain level of water to grow well, but maintaining a certain level of soil moisture inside plastic bottles can be very difficult or even impossible.

Because of this, there are some plants that cannot be grown in plastic bottles.

In this article I will tell you the 10 best, in my opinion, plants that can be grown well in plastic bottles.

So let's get started!

Basil

Basil is very easy to grow, it does not require much space to grow, and the plant is very easy to care for and easy to water. So it's just perfect for growing in plastic bottles.

Basil needs 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight, and you should mix potting soil with some organic fertilizer before planting the seeds.

After 5-10 days, the seeds will germinate and in about two weeks you should be able to see your first small basil plant poking out of the soil.

So, basil is an excellent choice for growing in plastic bottles, and this plant is very suitable for beginners. So don't be afraid and try growing your own basil at home.

Ease of control

One of the advantages of this technology is the ability to visually monitor the development of seeds. There will be no need to mess around with soil and dirt. If necessary, seedlings ready for planting can be easily selected without disturbing other seeds. If all the sprouts are deeply rooted in the paper, it is not necessary to pull them out. It will be possible to plant the bed in the ground directly with paper.

Parsley

Growing parsley can be a little tricky and I wouldn't recommend a beginner trying to grow this plant as it can be quite frustrating.

Parsley seeds have a very low germination rate and their germination rate is also quite low compared to other herbs.

But if you want to grow them, you can easily grow them in plastic bottles. It doesn’t really matter to the plant whether it is grown in a regular container or a bottle.

There are quite a few different varieties of parsley, such as flat leaf parsley or Hamburg parsley, but if you want to grow parsley in plastic bottles, Curley leaf parsley is the best choice.

It is smaller than other varieties and does not require as much space as other varieties.

Flaws

Despite the large number of advantages, using 5-liter bottles for growing seedlings also has its disadvantages:

1. Limited planting area. Although such containers have good capacity, adult seedlings do not have enough free soil to develop a full-fledged root system in width.
2. Difficulties in growing tomatoes. Unlike other vegetable crops, tomato bushes are large in size, so the seedlings will be cramped even in 5-liter bottles.
3. Stress when going outside. When seeds are planted closely, intertwining of the roots of the seedlings is inevitable. Therefore, their damage when separating the sprouts will still occur, as a result of which they experience greater stress when transplanted into open soil.
4. Lack of nutrition. Due to the fact that there are several seedlings in one container, the consumption of earth resources and fertilizers is much higher, which leads to nutrient deficiency. For this reason, the seedlings will be weaker and may not produce a good harvest in the future.
5. Increased risk of mass plant death. If one seedling is affected by a fungal disease or infection, other seedlings that are in the same pot with it will automatically become infected.

Thus, the described method of growing seedlings has both pros and cons. The success of its application depends not only on the variety, but also on the specific vegetable crop. If seedlings in 5-liter bottles without picking have a small growth and root system, the absence of replanting will be beneficial. In other options, problems may arise that will only worsen the yield.

A SUPER SIMPLE WAY TO GROW TOMATO SEEDLINGS WITHOUT PICKING!!!

Oregano (Oregano)

Oregano is very easy to grow and does not require much care to grow well. So even a beginner in gardening can grow this plant.

Oregano grows best in 10 to 14 inch containers. But you can grow them in smaller containers if you prefer. So you can grow them in plastic bottles even if it is not optimal for the plant.

It's also beautiful when it blooms. So you can use some varieties as ornamental plants if you wish.

How to sow seeds in bottles and get sprouts quickly

• calibrate and disinfect the seeds you will plant with a manganese solution;
• cut plastic bags into strips 10 cm wide along the entire length of the bag;
• also cut the toilet paper into strips;
• Place toilet paper on polyethylene and place prepared tomato seeds on top;
• first spray the paper with water from a spray bottle, and place the seeds in the middle, with a distance of 4 centimeters between them;
• roll the strip into a tight roll so that the diameter of the roll matches the diameter of the bottle with the neck cut off;
• if the diameter of the roll is smaller, then you can additionally wind a layer of polyethylene;
• put the roll in a bottle and pour three centimeters of water;
• place the container with the seeds in a sunny place;
• The seedlings will appear in a few days.

The seeds will sprout very quickly thanks to the greenhouse effect. So you can plant tomato, eggplant, petunia, zustoma, and marigold seeds for germination.

Thyme

Thyme is another easy-to-grow herb that can be grown in plastic bottles.

Thyme has a great side effect of smelling really nice once grown. So there's another reason to plant thyme in a plastic bottle garden.

Thyme loves sun and doesn't need much water to grow healthy.

Thyme is difficult to grow from seeds, but you can easily grow it from cuttings or simply replant a plant you bought.

Prepare the soil before sowing seeds

You can use soil instead of toilet paper, in which case the work looks like this:

• Cut off the top of the bottle . The height is arbitrary, but it is important that the soil is at least 5 cm below the edge.
• Pour boiling water over the soil for seedlings . Before planting the seeds, the soil is disinfected; the easiest way is to use boiling water. If you purchased a ready-made version for seedlings, then you do not need to scald it.
• Plant the seeds . Sprinkle the soil with water and spread the seeds in 3 cm increments. This is most conveniently done with tweezers or a stick. No need to go deep.
• Cover with a layer of compost . Use the sifted version, cover the crops with a layer of about 1 cm. There is no need to water, there is moisture in the soil on which the planting material lies.
• Cover with polyethylene . Place in a warm place and keep there until shoots emerge. After the sprouts appear, the polyethylene is removed and the containers are moved to the windowsill. Water the seedlings as needed.
• Dive after the appearance of two or more true leaves . If you are growing tomatoes in a five-liter bottle, then plant one plant per container.

Dwarf tomato breeds grow especially well in bottles

Green onions

Green onions are very easy to grow in plastic bottles.

They should be placed in full sun or at least 4 hours of direct sunlight per day.

They need to be well and regularly watered to ensure they grow healthy. So these plants really need care.

Be careful not to plant too many onions in one pot. One or two bulbs per plastic bottle should be enough!

You also need to be careful about the variety you choose to grow. There are many different varieties of onions, and depending on which one you choose, your onions will taste slightly different.

Idea 2. Drip irrigation from plastic bottles

You can use it both in a greenhouse and in open ground. Using an awl, make holes 2 cm above the bottom and dig the bottles into the beds. A more complex option is to make a structure from bottles with tubes and plugs (as shown in the diagram below) or combine bottles with droppers.

Consider the soil structure. The looser the soil in the area, the smaller the holes need to be made, otherwise the water will quickly drain away. It is more difficult to carry out such irrigation on clay soils, because holes may become clogged. It is better to use it in small beds and in no case replace it with full watering.

gloriamarket.ru

Dill

Dill is another easy to grow herb that also grows well in a plastic bottle.

It also doesn't require much care to grow well. Just water the plant regularly and it will grow well!

In order for dill to grow well, it usually requires a container that is at least 12 inches deep, but a slightly smaller container will also not harm the plant.

Dill grows best in full sun and can withstand warmer temperatures.

Helpful advice

Cover the plantings with a plastic bag to create a warm, humid environment - this will speed up seed germination. When the first shoots appear, the packages must be removed.

In this simple way, without large financial investments and without putting in much work, you can grow seeds of different crops. Planting seedlings in the beds is also not difficult: you just need to squeeze the bottle so that the soil with the plants comes out into a container filled with water. Carefully wash the roots and plant them.

100% seedling survival rate and high yield are guaranteed.

Strawberry

Fresh strawberries grown in greenhouses
Strawberries are not easy to grow, but they are not that difficult to grow either.

They can be grown in fairly small containers as they have really shallow roots. So an 8″ deep container will do just fine.

So you can easily plant them in plastic bottles. However, you will need to find a way to support the strawberries as they develop. There is not enough space on the surface of a plastic bottle.

But other than that it shouldn't be a problem. However, strawberries need a lot of water. So they are a bit labor intensive.

What kind of soil is needed to grow plants in plastic bottles?

The type of soil you need to grow plants in plastic bottles or any container really depends on the type of plant you want to grow.

Some plants prefer sandy soil, but most plants will grow healthy in well-drained potting soil.

However, it is very important to fertilize the soil regularly.

Every potted plant, no matter where it is, even if it is a plastic bottle, needs to be fertilized regularly! Because the amount of nutrients in the soil will decrease unless you add more. And if you don't add enough nutrients to the plant, it will starve and either grow poorly or even die.

The type and amount of fertilizer needed is also very plant specific.

Advantages

When growing seedlings, 5 liter bottles are the best option for planting them without picking. This method of growing vegetables has a whole range of advantages:

1. Space saving. 5-liter bottles allow you to grow more seedlings in one container, so you don’t have to use many pots that take up more space on the windowsill.
2. Favorable environment for germination. The main advantage of 5-liter bottles is their capacity, which provides space for the deep development of the root system of seedlings.
3. No dive. Since the sprouts will not interfere with each other, replanting is not carried out. Accordingly, there is no risk of damage to the roots when moving seedlings to other containers.
4. Hygiene and cleanliness. Thanks to their great depth, 5-liter bottles can hold a large amount of soil while still leaving a good supply. Therefore, at the time of watering, the soil will not be splashed outside the container with seedlings.
5. Financial savings. Due to the absence of picking, there is no need to purchase new pots and soil for replanting seedlings when they grow up.

Based on the above advantages, using 5-liter bottles for growing seedlings is a convenient method that allows you to protect seedlings from stress, increasing their survival rate.

Final words

There are many great and creative ideas for growing plants in plastic bottles. You can string them, cut the bottles in half or cut them right down the middle and much more.

Only your creativity is the limit on how you can design and create your own plastic bottle container garden.

I hope this article helps you find some inspiration on what plants you can grow in plastic bottles and maybe even encourage you to start your own container garden.

This is interesting

Idea 6. Plastic bottles for plant protection

Bottles can be used to make excellent protection against rodents. To do this, take two bottles, cut off the bottom and tops, and cut the base lengthwise. Wrap plastic around the trunks and secure the structure with tape and rope. For stability, dig in the bottom part a little.

Cut the bottle into several fragments and bury them near the plants. Now slugs and mole crickets are not a threat to the crop!

Plastic bottles can be used to make traps. Cut off the bottom of the bottle and pour beer into it - an excellent bait for slugs is ready. Or make a fly trap. To do this, cut the bottle by a third, as shown in the diagram below, turn the top over and place it in the base, after first removing the cap. Secure the pieces with a stapler, tape, or superglue along the edges. Pour sugar syrup, fermented juice, meat broth, etc. through the neck.

Preparatory stage

With any method of sowing seeds, they require preliminary preparation. Raised according to the rules, they will not cause trouble. The seed material of hybrid tomatoes does not require additional processing: producers took care of their disinfection and fortification.

Seeds, collected by hand or purchased from ordinary sellers, must be properly prepared:

• For seedlings, choose dense, large seeds. You can check their quality as follows: place in salted water (1 teaspoon of salt per 1 liter of water). Hollow specimens after 5-7 minutes. float to the surface;
• The seeds remaining at the bottom of the container must be disinfected. A weak solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide (soak for 15-20 minutes) will help kill harmful bacteria;
• For a more active and simultaneous appearance of young sprouts, gardeners recommend germinating the seeds first by placing them in a damp cloth for 1-2 days. All this time it is necessary to maintain a stable temperature and prevent the seeds from drying out.

Tara

Plastic five-liter bottles are used as containers. Initially, they must be scalded with as hot water as possible (when using boiling water, they become deformed). Tomato seedlings in plastic containers are grown in two ways:

• one bottle (2- or 3-liter) is vertically cut into two parts. This way we get two containers for seedlings;
• they make glasses from bottles, which can be obtained from containers with a capacity of 1-1.5 liters by cutting off its upper part. This method is especially convenient when growing tomatoes using the diaper method, when the seeds are rolled into polyethylene in the shape of a snail.