How to Turn Plastic Bottles into Year-Round Mint Planters
I have been a huge fan of turning my old plastic water and soda bottles into very effective planters to grow mint all year. Mint is easy to grow and one of the most healthful herbs that anyone could grow – even in a plastic bottle that I converted into a planting container. Just about anything that can grow in a container can grow inside a well-prepared plastic bottle.
Let’s use mint as an example. Here is how you could modify your empty plastic bottles and turn them into terrific mint terrariums and growing containers instead to sending them off for recycling.
Choose a Good Plastic Bottle
You need a plastic bottle that will hold enough soil for the mint roots to take hold and nourish the mint plant. I generally avoid bleach bottles and others that contained liquids that might have left trace amounts of substances that might potentially harm the mint plant. My favorite is the 2-liter Coca-Cola bottles that I rinse out and allow to dry before preparing them for my indoor container garden.
Prepare the Bottle
I always prepare my old 2-liter soda bottles for container gardening by cutting off the top third of the bottle. I make the cut it at the top of the space reserved for the label and save that angled top piece, onto which the bottle cap goes. I usually send the bottle cap for recycling, though, and I remove the label from the bottle.
One of the great things about the Coke bottle is that the bottom contains five extended sections that stabilize it when I set down my soda while enjoying it. I use either a razor knife or a razor blade to bore a small hole into the lowest part of each of the five extensions at the bottom of the bottle. I also will add several holes to the top portion that I cut off for later use.
Add Some Potting Soil and Water
After I have the bottle prepared, I add potting soil and use my fist to pack it into the bottle. I add enough packed soil to fill the bottle to within an inch or two of the top edge. Once I have the container filled as high as I like with packed soil, I add enough water to saturate the soil. Then I set the bottle of wet soil aside so that the excess water can drain out of the five holes that I put in the bottom of the bottle. If I do that in the evening, the container is sufficiently drained of excess water and has moist soil.
Plant Seeds and Add Fertilizer
Now that I have the container sufficiently filled with moist topsoil, I add enough seeds to grow one plant. I just push my thumb about an inch into the soil, insert a couple of seeds, and cover them. Then I usually add a stick of nitrogen fertilizer to help the seeds germinate, develop roots, and begin growing the stalk. I keep a close eye on the mint’s progress while keeping the soil moist until I see shoots rising from the soil.
Use the Top Portion to Protect Seedlings
Once the mint plant’s shoots begin to emerge, I use the top portion of the Coke bottle that I cut off and perforated with holes to protect the shoots. I found it necessary to do so because I have a cat who loves to nibble on aromatic plants. He’s devoured more than one cherry tomato plant.
The perforated top portion fits nicely over the label space on the converted container. Friction holds it in place, and I can either leave the bottle cap on top or remove it, so the mint plant gets plenty of oxygen. The moisture rising from the soil will slightly fog the top, which tells me the shoot is well-nourished. Once the plant is big enough, I remove the top and leave it off to allow it to spread and flourish.
Water as Needed for the Best Results
You can water the containers by hand, but I have another method that I like. Because the containers have five holes in the bottom, I like to place them in a container holding about an inch of water. That creates a mud layer at the very bottom, and the moisture from it must go up and out of the top of the container.
The moisture from the mud layer waters the plant naturally and makes it easier for me to monitor the water level for all of my containers at once. I like to use old kitty litter tubs that I can cut down and use to hold two converted 2-liter soda bottles. I just add enough water to keep about an inch of depth, so the mint plants and others can thrive.
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