Guide to self-watering plant bottles for your herbs in the greenhouse.

In this picture there is a self-watering plant bottle. Photo: TagTomat

What you will need:

• A plastic bottle of any size, from 0,9 to 3,5 pints.
• A plant or seed, such as herbs, lobelia, strawberry plant or whatever you prefer.
• One or two pieces of cotton or recycled dishcloth as wick.
• A knife.
• Extra soil.

Here's how to do it:

• Find a used plastic bottle (from soda, juice, or the like) and cut the bottle just above the label, just before the bottle neck becomes narrow. Remove the label if necessary.
• Lift the herb out of the pot and pull one or two wicks through the holes in the bottom of the pot.
• Thread the wicks up through the pot and hold them in place with two fingers while placing the herb back in. Pull the wicks downward so that they are flush with the top of the pot.
• Fill water so it reaches the bottom of the pot, and the wicks will ensure that your herbs do not dry out.
• If you use the top of a large bottle as a pot, you can cut a hole in the lid and thread the wicks through. Be careful when cutting the hole.

If you use a 2,6-pint bottle, you can buy a large herb; you can also use the top of the bottle as a pot for your seeds.

Using a bottle as a pot or container for plants is not a new phenomenon. For many years, it has been trendy to use old cut wine bottles. In an everyday life where watering herbs in the greenhouse is not always at the top of the to-do list, we have found this smart concept so that your herbs do not suffer from dehydration on hot summer days in the greenhouse.

Utilize greenhouse space by hanging your plant bottles in the greenhouse

In the picture, two self-watering plant bottles are shown hanging in a plant hanger. Photo: TagTomat

If you're running out of space in the greenhouse, your plant bottles can be hung in a plant hanger. In addition to providing a beautiful aesthetic, by hanging the plant bottles around the greenhouse, you can utilize the entire greenhouse space. It also allows you to plant or sow, for example, lobelia or other hanging plants that can hang and provide a green ceiling in the greenhouse.

If you haven’t already made a self-watering food bucket, we have earlier written a guide on how to make one.

All the articles we have written for the Greenhouse Forum, you can find here.