Easy Self Watering Plant Container

All it takes is a water bottle and swiss army knife to make this wonderful self watering container. It operates just like an Earthbox. Its very easy to put together and is very low maintenance. It'll make growing plants so easy you'll want to grow an entire garden.

This is a very easy build, and many ways to modify on to it which i will show after. So as for the supplies you'll need.

1. Water Bottle
I suggest getting one that is shaped like an hour glass, they tend to hold up better and provide and excellent base to build upon.

2. Swiss army knife
I used the tiny army knife in this instructable, but I found the larger red army knife better because of its reamer. It makes the hole punching part much easier.

as for the mods, you'll need:

chopsticks
black heavy trash bag

Dump the water out, drink it, or save it so that you start out with an empty bottle. Also, it's not really necessary, but remove the label (makes it look nicer).

Now that your bottle is looking nice and ready, cut the bottle about half way. I cut mine at the top of where the bottle dips, there was a very distinct edge. If your finding it hard to cut a straight line, tape a marker down and spin the bottle where you plan on cutting it. Then you'll have a nice guide line to cut on.

This is where the reamer tool on the knife comes in handy a lot, I had to use the scissors because i lost my good pocket knife just before making this. Poke holes in the cap and about an inch down the top. I punched my holes like the five side of a dice on the cap, then 8 holes just under the cap, and four more below that. You want the holes small enough so that soil doesn't fall through, but large enough to drain water.

Fill the top portion of the bottle with your choice of potting mix, leaving about an inch. Place your seed on top the soil and finish filling with soil. Once you done that water the soil to get it nice and damp, let the water drain out.

Now fill the bottom of your bottle with water. You want it to where it just touches the cap. And there you have it, your plant is good to grow, just check on it ever now and then to make sure it got plenty of water and the soil is nice and damp.

These plants have been growing for about three weeks, i have not done anything to them since i put them in this container. It has worked very well for me and I hope it does the same for you!

I experimented with one and taped it to the base, it is the only plant to have grown through the cap and established roots in the water. Maybe its just coincidence, I'm not sure.

This mod is to help further contain the water inside, as well as ward off algae from growing inside the reservoir.

Rip off a piece of the bag about a 18" by 18"

Place it over the planter.

Remove access, and cut the top so the plants can grow through

This mod is for those people trying to grow vines or help support a small plant.

Simply stick the chopstick into the potting mix, and secure the plant to it via a small string.

Also if one chopstick isn't tall enough, find a straw that fits around the chopstick and use those to build an even taller structure. Just keep in mind not to make your structure to top heavy or it will be prone to falling.