How to Make the Easiest Self-Watering Planter Ever
We’ve touched upon the importance of water conservation and gardening before, especially in a prolonged self-sufficiency situation. While there are a lot of really good ideas out there with respect to building semi-permanent systems with minimal supplies, what would you do if you didn’t have things on hand like PVC pipe or aquarium tubing? Here’s an option that can give you a chance to grow certain crops and plants with little more than a 2 liter bottle and some ingenuity. Take a look at the steps below and see how easy it is to put this project to work for you.
Required Items
Drill
2 liter soda bottle
Scissors or survival knife
Good soil mix
Nutrients for hydroponics (optional)
Absorbent material that can be used as a string or wick
Keep in mind that you don’t need to use special soil for this project, however if you have some on hand, it can greatly increase the health and growth rate of your plants. However, you can use good soil from the ground as long as it has nutrients that promote good plant growth.
Getting Started
The first step is to peel off the label and thoroughly rinse and dry the inside of the soda bottle. Next, cut it in half around the middle with your scissors or survival knife. Consider tracing a line around the mid-section to make the cut as consistent and level as possible. Next, drill a hole through the center of the cap and re-attach it it was removed beforehand.
Next, take about 16-18 inches of string and double it up. Feed it through the hole in the cap and tie it off as close to the underside as possible. Cut the bend at the bottom of the string so that you now have two pieces dangling from underneath the cap. Make sure that half of the doubled-up string is sticking out from the top of the cap and cut as well.
Keep in mind that the material the wick is made from will have a direct relationship with how much water can be absorbed and distributed through the planter. Choose nice cotton string or fibrous twine, felt, or even thin strips of cotton if you can twist it and feed it through the hole for maximum effect.
Assembling the Planter
The next step is to invert the top half of the planter so that it rests inside of the bottom. Then, mix your soil and hydroponic nutrients (or whatever else you’re using) and fill it about 2/3 the way up in the inverted portion of the bottle. Don’t pack it too tight, and make sure that you hold up the strings so that they will extend throughout the depth of the soil.
Remove the top and fill the bottom portion of the container with water until it is about ¾ full. Make sure that the bottom strings are extending out from the lid and almost or are touching the bottom. All you need to do now is re-assemble the container and plant your seeds. The wick will absorb the water and transport it into the soil, hopefully giving you the plant exactly the amount it needs to grow.
You may need to do some experimentation in order to find the best material to provide optimal water distribution. You should also make sure that you’re not using plants that require more water than this system can provide. However, if worse comes to worse, you can pour some water through the top as a supplement as well. The best thing about this trick is that it can help to conserve water while giving small crops, herbs and starter plants just what they need to get established. You can transplant them as necessary or keep them in the bottle as long as it is big enough to support their growth. Try this out for yourself today and see how this simple trick can make a huge impact on your crop productivity while also helping to make good use of recyclable materials.
