7 Clever Ways to Use Plastic Bottles for Growing Plants

Gardening Method 1: Propagating Roses by Cuttings

Many gardening friends report that rose cuttings are difficult, worrying themselves sick, and still ending up with blackened stems, no roots, or root rot. It's so frustrating. I specifically learned a rose cutting method from the old gardener downstairs. It's super simple, with a 100% survival rate, and only needs 1 plastic bottle!

1. Cut a rose branch

Cut off 1 healthy rose branch, making a diagonal cut at 45 degrees, with a length of about 8 cm.

2. Insert the branch into a flower pot, or plant directly in the ground

Insert the branch into the soil at a depth of 2-3 cm, water thoroughly. You can insert it into a flower pot, or if you want to plant it in the ground, just insert it directly where you want it to grow, so you won't need to transplant it.

3. Place a plastic bottle over the rose branch

Cut off the thinner part near the bottle opening, about 1/4 of the bottle body, then place it over the branch. No need to poke holes in the bottle. Just remove the plastic bottle when watering, and keep it on at all other times.

4. After 15 days, the branch sprouts new leaves

Generally after 15 days, the rose will grow new leaves. But during this period, you must keep the soil moist. When the soil dries out, water it promptly, removing the plastic bottle before watering.

It's best to find a large bottle, otherwise it will touch the leaves every time.

5. Continue covering for 10 more days, then remove completely

After the rose grows new leaves, continue covering with the plastic bottle for 10 more days. After 10 days, you can completely remove the plastic bottle! This way, the rose branches propagated by cuttings have a 100% survival rate, with emerald green leaves, and you'll never have to worry about blackened stems again!

Gardening Method 2: Making a Pothos Column

A few plastic bottles can make a pothos column. The method is super simple! The pothos grows more and more vigorously, with leaves so green they shine, climbing 10 m in no time!

1. Cut off the bottle bottom, poke holes in the bottle body

Find a clean plastic bottle, try to find a relatively sturdy one. Remove the cap, first cut off the bottle bottom, then use a red-hot iron chopstick to burn 20 evenly sized holes in the bottle body.

2. Stand the bottle in the pot

Line the bottom of the pot with pine needles, and stand the plastic bottle in the center of the pot.

3. Plant the pothos

Fill the pot with soil, fill the plastic bottle with pine bark or pine needles, making the bottle stand firmly in the pot, then plant the pothos around it and water.

4. Insert the 2nd plastic bottle onto the 1st bottle

Find a 2nd plastic bottle, slightly larger in diameter than the 1st one by 1 size. Still poke holes in the bottle body, cut off the bottle opening and bottom, and insert it onto the 1st bottle's opening.

5. Add pine bark to the 2nd bottle

Fill the 2nd bottle with pine bark, making it stand firmly. You can also add a small amount of cake fertilizer.

6. Wrap with palm fiber

Wrap the mineral water bottle with palm fiber, generally 2 layers is enough, then tie it with rope a few times to secure it.

7. Later, you can continue inserting bottles

Right now this pothos's vines are still relatively short, 2 plastic bottles are enough. After the pothos grows bigger, you can continue inserting bottles to make the pothos column taller.

Gardening Method 3: Making a Textured Flower Pot

Whenever plastic bottle flower pots are mentioned, some gardening friends say they're ugly. That's because you didn't choose the right bottle! If you choose some beverage bottles with a nice texture, 2 cuts can turn them into beautiful flower pots.

1. Find a beverage bottle you like

Like these two bottles below, this color is quite nice, and the bottles are relatively sturdy.

2. Make 1 cut, poke holes in the bottle body

This beverage bottle is suitable for making a flower pot placed horizontally. First cut a rectangular opening in the bottle body, then poke a few small holes on the side that will be the pot bottom for drainage.

3. Cut the edges into a toothed shape

To make the flower pot look nicer, you can cut the edges into a beautiful zigzag pattern, giving it more layering than without cutting.

4. Plant the flowers

Just plant the flowers in it. This color of bottle looks great paired with any flower!

Gardening Method 4: Self-Watering Flower Pot

Sometimes when going on a long trip, there's no time to water the plants, and you always worry the plants will die of drought. Actually, 1 plastic bottle solves everything! Let's see how to make a self-watering flower pot!

1. Thread the cotton string through the bottle cap

Cut the plastic bottle into 2 parts, poke a hole in the bottle cap, let the cotton string pass through, and plant succulents in the part with the bottle cap. Fill the other part of the bottle with water, and put the other end of the cotton string in it to absorb water.

2. Insert the bottle cap part into the bottle bottom

Insert the part of the bottle with the succulents into the other part, so the water in the bottle bottom slowly seeps through the cotton string into the soil, keeping the soil slightly moist. The succulents will definitely grow well!

Gardening Method 5: Automatic Watering Miracle Tool

Besides self-watering flower pots, plastic bottles can also make automatic watering miracle tools! Even if you go on the longest trip, you won't have to worry about your plants dying of drought at home. It's very reassuring!

1. Poke small holes in the bottle bottom and cap

Fill the plastic bottle with water, 8 parts full is enough. Tighten the bottle cap so it doesn't leak, then poke small holes in the bottle cap and bottom using a needle. Don't make the holes too big, just big enough for water to flow out.

2. Insert upside down into the flower pot

Place the bottle with the opening facing down into the flower pot, then insert a wooden stick into the pot soil to support the plastic bottle. This way, the water will slowly flow into the soil!

Gardening Method 6: Succulent Watering Miracle Tool

Some succulents grow fuzz, and when watering, you can't let the leaves get wet, otherwise they easily rot. If only there were a pointed and thin watering tool! As long as you have a plastic bottle, I guarantee you can make one!

1. Fold paper into a cone shape

Find a piece of paper and fold it into a cone shape.

2. Apply tape

Apply tape to the cone-shaped paper, especially the pointed tip, making it stick firmly to make it harder.

3. Soften the bottle cap with fire

Use a lighter to soften the bottle cap. Be careful not to set it on fire, then insert the cone-shaped paper into the bottle cap, stretching the cap longer. After adjusting to the desired length and angle, set it aside to cool completely.

4. Pull out the cone-shaped paper

After cooling, pull out the paper, then cut off a bit of the pointed tip of the bottle cap, just enough for water to pass through.

5. The watering miracle tool is done

Fill the bottle with clean water, tighten the bottle cap, then go water the succulents. No need to worry about water getting on the leaves!

Gardening Method 7: Air Layering Propagation

Source: Changchang's Garden

Gardening friends who always fail at cuttings can try the air layering method, especially for plants that don't easily root from cuttings, like figs, grapes, woody hydrangeas, etc. Using air layering will greatly increase the rooting survival rate!

1. Prepare tools

Prepare a mineral water bottle, knife, scissors, tape, peat soil or sphagnum moss, etc.

2. Draw the girdling lines with a pen

Choose a healthy branch, with a diameter of 0.5 cm or more being better. Use a black pen to draw the position for a ring of girdling, with the two lines about 1 cm apart.

3. Girdle the branch

Use a knife to peel off the bark until the white part of the branch is exposed. Be gentle and go slowly.

4. Cut open the plastic bottle

Cut open the plastic bottle. Here you need the bottom part, about 12 cm tall, then make 1 cut from the side, and cut a round hole in the bottom for the branch to pass through.

5. Put the bottle over the branch

Put the bottle over the girdled branch, then use tape to seal the side cut.

6. Pour peat soil into the bottle

You can roll a paper tube to pour peat soil into the bottle, and mix in some sphagnum moss, which is more beneficial for rooting. Cover the soil up to 2 cm above the girdling cut.

7. Wrap with wire

Use wire to bind the plastic bottle, securing the plastic bottle and soil together.

8. Water

Pour water into the plastic bottle, watering thoroughly.

9. Tie a plastic bag over the bottle opening

Find a plastic bag and tie it over the bottle opening. This can keep it warm and reduce water loss. During the rooting process, keep the soil moist.

10. Roots grow after 1 month

After about 1 month, through the plastic bottle, you can see that many roots have grown inside the bottle. At this point, you can remove the plastic bottle and cut off the branch.

11. Transplant into a pot

After cutting off the branch, you can pot it. After potting, you can cut off some leaves to help the plant adapt to the pot faster.

Plastic bottles have so many clever uses,

Don't just throw them away casually in the future,

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