Self-watering pot using a plastic bottle:
- Cut bottle in two, (this can be done with a Stanley knife or even better, if you have a soldering iron burn around the bottle). If you want smooth edges you can push on to the bottom of a hot pot.
- Drill hole in the bottle lid and cut a thin strip of old T-shirt material that will fit through the hole in the lid. Thread the material through the lid so it sits in the middle of the lid.
- Drill three or four holes in the bottom half of the bottle which will hold the water, drill these above where the water will be, this will help the air flow.
- Fill to the top with potting mix if you are planting seeds or half way if you are going to transplant a plant.
- Half fill the bottle with water and sit your newly planted pot in and you have a self-watering pot. You could even paint the top half before potting the plant for an extra funky look.
Eco-friendly potting using a toilet roll:
These are perfect for starting seeds off in and once the seed germinates you can pop the whole thing in the garden and the cardboard will decompose.
These are perfect for plants that don’t really like their roots disturbed when transplanting like corn, cucumbers or melons (although now is not the right time to sow these summer goodies) but you can sow beans, peas or any winter veggies.
It’s a simple as making some cuts in one end and folding them under each other then filling with damp seedling mix and popping your seeds in.
I like to mist my seedlings with a little spray bottle filled with water. This way it keeps the mix damp without drenching the seed.
