A Recycled Herb Garden
Create a recycled herb garden with a few used 2-liter bottles, some potting soil, seeds and a bit of sun! This recycled herb garden will provide you with food, save money, help the environment, save garden space and allow you to see underground root development of your herb plants.
To create a recycled herb garden, first figure out where you are going to place it in your balcony garden. You’ll need a sunny spot where you can attach the 2-liter bottles. You can also rig up a collection of 2-liter bottles connected to each other. You can use strong zip ties to tie the bottles to each other (just poke a hole in the plastic), and then hang them from a hook on your balcony's awning. You can also use a zip tie or nail to tie them to a vertical piece of wood or sturdy trellis. Be creative in your placement! Just remember that before you start using nails, make sure your apartment management is okay with it.
To plant your recycled herb garden, get some used 2-liter bottles to use as a recycled pot, wash them out thoroughly and cut off the bottoms. Leave the cap on the bottom of the bottle, and maybe poke some holes with a sharp knife or scissors into the bottom for drainage and root aeration. (If you overwater, you can always just unscrew the lid to allow for temporary drainage.) Fill this recycled plant container with dirt, plant your seeds and hang it outside. Make sure to choose plants that will stay small and not have a large root structure. It is exciting to see the plant roots grow in and fill out the container.
Due to the plastic being exposed to the elements (sun, water, heat, etc.), replace the containers every season, as the plastic will become brittle and may break if touched too roughly.
Your recycled herb garden will be quite attractive, even though it is made out of trash!
RECYCLED HERB GARDEN “SHOPPING” LIST
- Empty 2-liter bottles (about six will make a complete and attractive herb garden)
- Seed packets for several types of herb plants
- Potting soil
- Zip ties or nails
