How to: Sub-Irrigation Planters

There are tons of places on the internet that will show you how to make a soda bottle planter, but this one comes straight from the master of Sub-Irrigation Technology, Robert Hyland, creator of http://www.insideurbangreen.com/.

His home garden contained dozens of different plants in different kinds of sub-irrigation planters. But much of Bob's work focuses on reusing plastic objects, especially soda bottles! When one considers the damage that soda does to our bodies and our wallets, and the damage that plastic bottles do to the environment, using these plastic bottles to help bring new plant life into the world becomes perhaps the most inspiring aspect of sub-irrigation planting.

So here is Bob's method for making a soda bottle planter.

1. Peel off most of the label. If you heat up the bottle with a hair blow dryer for 10 seconds the label should peel right off.

2. Use Goof Off on a rag to rub down teh bottle to take off the glue that is left.

3. Poke holes into the top of the plastic bottle in 2 staggered rows. If you heat your poking instrument (a soldering knife works best, or a long thin metal stick like a fondue stick).

4. Draw a straight line with a permanent marker around your bottle. You can use a 12oz. can as a guide for how high up the bottle your line should be, and it will keep your line straight!

5. Cut your bottle! But make sure your line remains straight!

6. Cut off the top of the bottle. This is to keep the roots from clogging the bottle and it gives an overall cleaner appearance to the bottle--less trash, more treasure!

7. Next, cut off one inch of plastic off of the bottom of the bottle. This is to make up for the inch of bottle you just cut off. Make sure you cut straight!

8. Get your soil and planting or seed and plant them in the top part of the bottle. The little holes are for the roots to poke out of so that they can soak up the delicious water you will be putting in the base of the bottle.

9. Put the top of your bottle inside the bottom of the bottle. Make sure you add water to the bottom part!

10. You're done! Enjoy your beautiful new sub-irrigation planter!