You can recycle bottles into an attractive mini garden. You can make the mini garden as a condition for fulfilling tasks, or as a craft in your spare time. Creating a mini garden is a creative, fun, and easy activity to do. Your work will also become a beautiful decoration, and can satisfy your gardening desires in winter.
Step
Step 1. Select the bottle you want to use as a garden
Make sure you choose a bottle with enough space for the plant to grow. After selecting a bottle, wash and dry it. The bigger the hole in the bottle, the easier it will be for you to care for the plants inside.
Step 2. Turn the bottle to the right to create a garden base
Step 3. Wet the sand, then place the gravel and sand on the bottom of the bottle
You can use a spoon to slide them both through the holes in the top of the bottle. After that, shake the bottle to shift the position of the gravel and sand. Gravel and sand will serve as drainage. Since the bottles don't have drainage holes, excess moisture can cause mold to grow in the garden.
- Adding a thin layer of activated charcoal to the drainage will reduce the unpleasant odor that occurs due to decomposition in the bottle.
- To prevent soil from leaking into the drainage layer, you can add a thin layer of sphagnum moss.
Step 4. Cover the sand and gravel with high-quality moistened soil
If the soil moves to the rim of the bottle and obstructs your view, wipe the affected area with a cotton swab.
Step 5. Plant the plants you want
Choose small indoor plants for your mini garden. Put the plant seeds into the bottle with the help of chopsticks or tweezers. Spread plant seeds to make your mini garden more attractive.
- Since the inside of the bottle will become damp, tropical plants that require high humidity are perfect for growing in a bottle.
- Do not mix plants with different needs, especially if they have opposite water requirements. For example, if you grow a waterthirsty plant next to a cactus, you will have a hard time caring for both.
- You can also grow water plants in bottles, as in the previous step.
Step 6. Wait for the plant to develop, and take care of it as necessary
Like an ordinary garden, bottled plants need enough water and humidity. Make sure you open a garden bottle, or put a perforation hole in the bottle cap. Use a sprayer to keep the bottle moist. Water the plant only if you don't see condensation on the bottle. To prevent the growth of mold or mildew, you are advised to reduce the frequency of watering.
Tips
You can seal any bottles or jars you are using to prevent evaporation. If you are making a bottle garden as a school project, test the reaction of the plants when the bottle is opened and closed
Warning
- Do not place the bottle in the hot sun. A garden in a bottle will absorb heat quickly, and burn the plants inside. If you're not careful, your hands can even get burned. On the other hand, don't let your garden lack light.
- Be careful when choosing the bottles or jars you use to make your garden, especially the source. The bottles you get from the street can be toxic or dangerous. Be careful when handling waste. Make sure you clean the recycled bottles thoroughly, and clean all objects that come into contact with the bottles/jars. Don't forget to wash your hands after gardening.
