Do not throw away plastic bottles. They can be very useful in the garden, as you can see from these projects. Use these fun plastic bottle recycling ideas to make a vertical garden for plants and herbs or improvised vases for succulents. Check out how simple it is.
Plastic bottle recycling – How to make indoor vertical garden
For the vertical garden you will need:
– Seedlings – here: ornamental asparagus, philodendron peperomia, grape vine, moneywort, petunia.
– soil for flowers
– Trellis (bamboo or iron)
– Plastic bottles with caps
– Wire
– Geofabric
– Scissors
– Wall vase holder
First, bore through the bottle cap to allow water run out.
Make sure that the bottle fits the wall vase holder.
Pinch the bottle and take a chop with scissors in the place where you want to cut. Cut all the way around the bottle.
Trim the edges with scissors. If you’ll mount the vase to the trellis with a wire, make a hole for it.
Measure a hand’s width.and cut the geofabric.
Fold at length and cut pieces, according to the number of the planters.
As this garden will consist of three planters, cut the fabric into three pieces.
Line the bottom of the containers with the fabric pieces that we’ve cut.
Remove slowly the root ball of the plant from the container where it is planted. Be careful not to hurt the plant. In this example, it is used one petunia divided into three parts. There are two piles with pink flowers and one with darker flowers. Think about the final composition of the vertical garden ad put the darker ones in the center.
Measure the size of the root ball to check if it fits in the vase and plant it inside.
Install the trellis on the wall or door and the vase holders on the lattice.
Place the vases on the holders or tie them with a wire. To finish, water the plants.
The bases of the plastic bottles that are left over can be used as vases for succulents, which are easy-care plants with an amazing texture. Ideal for those who “forget” to water the plants, since are drought-tolerant and don’t not need much water. There are dozens of kinds of succulent plants that demand different conditions. Greens do not love direct sun, yellow – need sun most of the day, the red ones require full sun.
Plastic bottle recycling ideas – small vases for succulents
For potted succulents you will need:
– white gravel
– Plastic bottle bases
– geofabric
– Scissors
– succulents
Use what’s left of the bottle. First, make a vertical cut towards the bottom of the bottle, up to the height you want to give the planter.
Even with the scissors, cut around the base of the bottle at exactly the height where the vertical cut ends. Then trim the edges.
Use the tip of the scissors to pierce the bottom of the plastic bottle.
Cut out pieces of geofabric as in the example for the vertical garden and line the vases.
Remove carefully the root ball of the succulent plant.
Measure if it fits in the vase by carefully removing the excess soil and place it in the plastic pot.
Fill out the side with the soil that was removed from the root ball.
Cover the soil with white gravel. This type of plant should be fertilized regularly, but not excessively. We recommend a teaspoon of compost per month. Waterings should also be restrained. Water once a week and do not place saucers underneath, to keep your plants safe from rot.
