Container gardening- can you think of any reason why I could not use a 2 liter soda bottle?

Question

I'm considering trying this- I'm going to cut the top off of a 2 liter soda bottle, poke some drain holes in the bottom, and use it for container veggie gardening, for smaller plants that do not need much room. Anyone else have experience with this or objections? What veggies should I try? Suggest away!

Answer 1

You never want to use a clear glass or plastic container for planting.  The sunlight hitting the thin plastic will make the soil too warm for the root system and promotes the growth of ugly fungus and/or algae, and you'll see the brown, crusting sediment from the water residue.

P.S.--After some further thought, maybe you could line the cut bottles with a decorative foil (not plain ol' aluminum foil) but maybe something from the craft store or a florist. The foil would have to drape over the top edge by a little bit or sit the soda bottle inside a piece of the decorative, water-resistant paper/foil and tie securely near the top with elastic string.  I think that would look nice and still be functional for your project.

Answer 2

Any tropical plant may love the plastic bottle,

http://www.ehow.com/how_2321469_grow-gar...

I hope it helps.

Answer 3

I would say it's not the best container to be using, but it will work. One thing that I need to remind you of is that certain kinds of plastic bottles will leach out chemicals into the soil, and if you are growing edibles, there is a chance that they will enter the leaves and plants and it may enter your body if you eat the vegetables. But honestly, I do not think that they will pose a serious health risk. Yes, the bottom portion of the 2L bottle is rather small. I usually suggest that small veggies be grown in at least a 6­­'' pot. You can do herbs in the bottles, and perhaps radishes (maybe one radish plant in each bottle?) , or swiss chard; in general something that grows fast and you can harvest fast (even lettuce). Another point to consider is that clear containers magnify heat so the dirt in the bottle will be really heated up in the sun; perhaps even heated enough to kill the plant. Maybe if you paint the bottles with a light coloured paint it may help deflect some heat (I suggest white paint) If the soil stays constantly moist, the clear bottle will have algae growing inside between the soil and the bottle. If you do not want to grow veggies in the bottles, annuals will do well in them (marigolds, dusty miller, begonias, etc.)  

Answer 4

The bottle will work. But, with that small of a pot, you're probably limited to herbs.