Thursday, April 21, 2011

If you drink a lot of bottled water and are a gardener, then this   project is perfect for your seed starting! It is simple and helps keep
If you drink a lot of bottled water and are a gardener, then this
project is perfect for your seed starting! It is simple and helps keep
all those used water bottles out of the dump. What better way to start
off your garden than with recycling?

All the items you require are:

Empty Water bottle with Cap
Lighter
Knife

Step one:

Empty and clean the water bottle. Try to get it as clean inside and
outside as you can. The cleaner, the better.

Step two:

Remove the label. Don't worry about the glue or if you can't get all of
the label off. Just do your best.

Step three:

Use the knife to cut off the top. Be sure to use a very sharp knife or
razor blade. Cut away from yourself while making your cut around the
first ring of the bottle so that the opening on the bottom of the bottle
is wide enough to fit the inverted top of the bottle.

Step four:

Drill several holes in the cap. I use the point of the same knife to
carefully poke holes in the cap. I then twist the knife around on the
inside and outside of the cap to widen the holes. A hexagonal pattern
with a hole in the center gives a nice flow and allows for seven holes
to be easily drilled into the cap. Don't poke too many or you'll just
have a muddy mess later.

Step five:

Push the inverted top into the bottom of the bottle. Try to get the cap
as centered as possible. If it doesn't fit, trim the sides of the
inverted top carefully. The edges of the bottle may be very sharp, so
take extra care pushing the top down. I use the tip of the knife so I
don't have to put my hand into the bottle.

Step six:

In a well ventilated area, take the lighter and carefully melt the edges
of the bottle to eliminate the sharp spots. The plastic should roll down
and under the new lip of the planter, preventing the inverted top from
coming out easily and protecting you from being cut while using the
planter. Don't let the lighter linger too long in one spot or you'll
catch the plastic on fire. Melted or burning plastic is dangerous and
can cause nasty burns. It also produces toxic fumes.

Your planter is now finished. Fill it with dirt and your chosen seeds or
plants and enjoy your recycled planter. They sit up well on any flat
surface and the bonus water reservoir helps prevent over and under
watering by allowing you to see how much water is available for your
plant to draw from. The dirt will wick up the water as it dries, keeping
the soil as moist as your plant needs.

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