Vertical Container Gardens

 

 

Our indoor gardens are often challenged by limited space and sun but it is still pleasant to live surrounded by plants we love.

Since 2015 to accommodate our expanding strawberry garden, we grew vertically on our windows as well as horizontally on tables by the windows.

We made pots out of recycled PET (  polyethylene terephthalate ) bottles to hang.

 

There are several reasons why we love these plastic bottles –

 

Weight – Lightest among any other pots

Free of charge and yet harmful to our environment if we just throw. Go Recycle!

Cut-able – can be customized for individual plants’ needs

Versatile – suitable for soil-based or Kratky Hydroponic

 

SOIL BASED Bottles

 

METHOD 1  – Cap side for drip off

 

 

A narrower dripping point through the cap side, as we do not want the water to splash on our floors whenever we irrigate our hanging gardens.

 

 

 

The base of bottles for plants’ inserts and strings.

 

 

TIP – Before inserting plants, hang the bottle and see how it settled before cutting the plant’s hole.

 

Cut the size of hole as desired for the plant.

This type of cap’s drip off the bottle (method 1) is suitable for one plant per bottle due to the narrower end.

 

 

METHOD 2 – Plants Inserts from the sides

 

This bottle is suitable for 2 – 3 small plants, thus very suitable for often harvested herbs like this cuban oregano.

 

 

A soldering iron to cut holes on the plastic bottles made everything so much neater.

In Singapore, this gadget can be bought from hardware stores from $4.90 to $12.90.

 

 

SAFETY TIP – Support the hot iron end off any surface as it will damage any surface.

 

 

We cut holes on the bottle before plants are inserted.

1. Cap sides for string and knotted to reduce wear and tear

Base for drainage

Sides where plants would be inserted (made more holes than necessary)

 

Tip – Add string after soil is filled! 

 

 

Lecca balls or any soil amendments (pebbles etc) can be filled first to prevent soil loss through the drainage holes.

 

 

 

Tip – Soil is filled with the aid of a funnel

 

 

TIP – Once the soil is filled, hang the bottles and see how they settled before cutting sides holes bigger to insert plants.

 

 

TIP – Insert Plants when they are young or smaller to adapt (method 2) 

 

 

They can be used to plant spring onion as well.

 

 

 

These bottles are great for small space gardens.

 

 

Two disadvantages of this method are the weight as they are quite heavy and time-consuming to fill.

 

 

 

HYDROPONIC “POTS” HANGERS

 

 

This is how we turned ordinary plastic bottles into hydro (liquid base) hanging gardens.

Step 1 – Cut holes to string ropes through for hanging

Kratky Hydroponic –  Cut 2 holes at the opposite side of the bottle near the cap.

We chose the wider end for inserting hydroponic bottles.

 

 

Step 2 – Knots at each hole to prevent wear and tear by rubbing, also keep bottle steady in the wind.

 

 

Topknot for a hook to latch-on.

 

 

 

Step 3 – Cut hole (s)  to insert hydroponic pot or plants (soil-based)

For Kratky bottles (non circulating hydroponic) – Measure against the hanging pot to estimate the size of opening to cut.

I preferred to cut smaller and then widen when the plant is inside a hanging bottle.

 

STEP 4 – Estimate the height of the inserting hole to cut

 

 

 

Step 5 – Drain water to prevent mosquitoes breeding!

 

 

Cut holes at the bottom/base of the hanging pot to drain rainwater

 

 

MOSQUITOES SAFER METHOD WITH SEALED ACCESS

 

 

Any opening to the reservoir is totally sealed with a fitting net cup and collar.

Available in our SHOP for local container sizes when we recycled and garden in a safer way.

 

TIP – Shield liquid base or roots end from light (heat) to prevent unsightly algae.

 

 

 

Even those darn toilet rolls can be used as algae shield! 🙂

 

 

 

Re-Use Plastic bags and blackout Enevelops as pots’ cover!

 

 

 

 

Advantage of Hydro pots is the weight, as they are lighter than soil-based pots

 

 

 

Learn how to grow in liquid-based workshops and tweaked our natural environment for cool seasoned plants!

 

 

In late September 2018, these PET bottles pots became “fashion” accessories after the S-hooks ZehZeh’s craze in Singapore!

Just for laughs –

 

 

The best thing about this no-tech vertical garden, besides being cheap to maintain and built, is that it allows both soil-based and hydroponic to grow together.

 

 

For a greener future, let’s work together to re-use PET bottles instead of throwing them away.

 

Check out how we grew strawberries in DIY PET bottles since 2015 –

 

 

A BIG thank you to our neighbors and friends who contributed these bottles whenever they visited!

 

 

Before using these bottles for the garden, we rinsed and air dries them overnight.

 

 

 

WORKSHOPS are available

How to start vertical vegetable container gardens in hydro and soil (for beginners)

How to prep soil mixes suitable for different types of plants, etc

 

 

How we strive to recycle everything else at home for our gardens!