There is a lot of information about growing food in plastic bottles. Using these plastic bottles to grow food for your family is not bad, provided you have knowledge of plastic, you are using. Some kind of plastic is no doubt harmful and transfer toxin to the soil if it exposed to heat and sunlight for a specific time.
There are seven different kinds of plastic used in the market. 4 of them are not harmful. You can use them to grow food at home. Here are these four brands:
Here are plants (vegetables, herbs, fruits) you can grow in plastic bottles.
1: Basil.
Plastic bottles are best to start your herb garden now. You can grow basil outdoor or indoor. Do not use common soil in plastic bottles. Use the best kind of potting soil. Start with seeds or you can even start growing basil from store-bought basil.
Just pick some green basil cuttings, put those cuttings in a bottle filled with water. In a few days, roots will appear. Now its time to transfer those cuttings to a bottle filled with potting soil. Water them and put the bottle at the sunniest place of your home.
2: Parsley.
Parley is one of the most used herbs in our dishes. It has a very refreshing taste. Parsley is the best for small containers like plastic bottles. It is best to start growing it with seeds.
No need for full sunlight for better growth, they grow well in partial sunlight. It makes parsley best to grow in the winter season. They need a little bit more moisture for best growth. Remember, do not overwater parsley plant.
3: Strawberries.
Strawberry plants are one of the best fruit to grow in containers. If you don’t have a sunny spot in your home, don’t worry. Because you can grow strawberries under artificial light as well.
It means you can grow them in winter, summer or anytime of the year. Remember to use a good kind of potting soil in your plastic bottles. When plants start to produce fruits, harvest them immediately after they ripen. Because they will need room to make new fruit. So, more harvest means more fruit.
4: Oregano.
One of the easiest and fastest-growing herbs in oregano. They are best to grow in plastic bottles. Because oregano can overgrow in a raised bed garden etc. You can start growing oregano from seeds as well as from store-bought cuttings. The method is the same as basil.
Pick some green cuttings of oregano, put hem in a bottle full of water. After a few days, roots will appear, now transfer them in a bottle with potting soil.
5: Rosemary.
You can easily grow rosemary in bottles. The best is to regrow them from store-bought rosemary. The method is the same as oregano and basil. Remember that rosemary will need a bit acidic environment for better growth.
Also, put some sand at the bottom of the bottle. A bit acidic and dry soil is necessary. Do not let the soil dry all the time. Water the plants, when you feel the soil is too dry.
6: Pepper:
For growing pepper, you will need a bigger bottle. Grow small pepper in bottles. Because large pepper will require a very big bottle or container of 8-10 gallons. Small pepper only needs a 2-gallon pot or bottle. 2-gallon.
Pepper is a sun-loving plant. 8 hours of sunlight per day is best for these plants. You can start with seeds, but start with the seedling. That will save you a lot of time.
7: Spinach:
Choose a bottle with 8+ inches of hight. Put some good kind of potting soil in it. Sow a few seeds of spinach, water the seeds and pick a shady place for them. Spinach is very easy to grow. If you wanted to grow them inside, they will grow inside.
Months of winter are best for spinach. They are not very sun-loving plants. Direct sunlight can be harmful to these plants. That’s way, nice shady place or indoor is best for them.
8: Sage.
Sage can grow in bottles very well. They can grow indoor as well as outdoor. This herb is sun-loving. So if you decide to grow them inside, pick a window with abundant sunlight.
If you don’t have that kind of window in your home, artificial sunlight will just do fine. Sage can be used in the preparation of sausage, meat, etc. They called flavor powerhouse in bean dishes, sauces, chicken risotto, and pasta.
9: Thyme.
Thyme, basil, oregano, sage, and parsley. You can actually start your herb garden with these easiest growing herbs. A herbs garden in plastic bottles is the best thing. No need to buy some kind of fancy pots to start with.
Thyme can also be grown with store-bought cuttings. Pick some good green thyme cuttings. You can grow them, inside or outdoor. Sunlight is good for them, but you can use artificial light too. Do not overwater them, they don’t like this.
Also Read: 14 Store-Bought Vegetables and Herbs You Can Regrow in your Kitchen Garden
10: Lettuce.
Lettuce is the best to grow in large bottles. You can start with seeds or seedling. Or the best is to start with storebought lettuce. Cut the bottom part of the lettuce of about 2-3 inches. Put that part in a glass of water.
In a few days, roots with appear. When that happens, plant it in a bottle with potting soil in it. They are sun-loving plants. So pick a nice spot with abundant sunlight.
11: Mushroom.
Mushrooms are the best and fastest to grow in plastic bottles. Small mushrooms can grow in just 1 or 2 days. A bigger mushroom can take up to six days.
The size of a bigger mushroom can be the size of a bigger plate. You can grow smaller or bigger mushrooms with seeds and add an extra flavor to your favorite dishes in no time.
12: Spring Onion.
Spring onion is best for plastic bottles. They do not possess any bulb at the end. Start with sowing seeds in the potting mix. They can provide a continuous supply all year if you plant them every 2-3 weeks.
Spring onion is one of the fastest-growing vegetables in containers. They only take six to eight weeks to grow fully.
13: Radish.
Choose bigger plastic bottles to grow radish. There are different varieties of reddish to grow. Select variety who produce small radish. Sow seeds of radish in good potting mix. A bigger plastic bottle (6 inches deep) is necessary for good growth of fruit. They are sun-loving plants, but you can grow them inside over the window.
14: Asian Green.
They require a lot of nutrients in the soil because they grow very fast. They are great plants to grow in plastic bottles. Choose a little bit bigger bottle as they spread very fast. They are not very sun-loving plants.
So you can grow them inside your house with an artificial source of lightening. Or you can put these bottles near a window as they require only 4 hours of morning sunlight.
15: Peas.
Peas have lots of varieties to choose from. The best variety for bottles is one, who have bushier or dwarf plants. Choose a little bit bigger bottle for peas. They will require a good amount of nutrients.
Peas are sun-loving plants, so pick a spot with full sunlight. They are also moisture-loving plants, so do not let the soil of them dry. Keep watering them on a regular basis.
16: Kale.
Kale is best to grow in bottles. Kale can be a crop of both seasons summer and winter. If you wanted to grow in the winter season, pick a spot with full sunlight. If you are trying to grow in the summer season, pick a nice shady place for them.
The taste of summer and winter crops is a little bit different. Summer crop has a strong taste as compare to winter crop.
17: Chard.
Chard is ideal for growing in bottles. If you are living in a hot climate area, chard is best for you. Because they are very strong against high heat. But if you wanted to grow them in winter, they can grow in winter as well.
Each plant of chard required 6 inches of space for the best growth. Start growing chard with seeds. They can be harvest in 50-60 days. A single leaf of chard can grow up to 10 inches.
18: Mustard Green.
Mustard green is a very sun-loving plant. But they like the sunlight of winter, not summer. Start growing them with seeds. You can also start with the seedling. Growing with seeds is easier.
If you want a continues supply of mustard green, sow the seeds every three weeks. Mustard green can be used in curries and sandwiches. Bigger leaves are best for curries and smaller leaves are good for sandwiches and salad.
19: Garlic.
Garlic is best to grow in bigger plastic bottles because they have a bulb at the end. You can start with store-bought garlic. Break a bulb of garlic, pick bigger cloves. Plant these cloves in potting soil.
Plant them 2-3 inches deep and 6 inches apart. Garlic is a winter crop. Need Constant supply of moisture. Do not let the soil dry. You can also use the leaves of garlic in different dishes as a flavor.
20: Spring Orion.
They are also called salad onion. They don’t require deep soil to grow, so they are best to grow in plastic bottles. They are sun-loving. Start with seeds to grow salad onion. Sow the seeds about half-inch deep in potting soil.
If you want continuous supply, sow seeds every couple of weeks. You can harvest them in just 7-8 weeks.
21: Dwarf Apples.
A normal apple tree can not grow in bottles. But dwarf apple can. You will need a bigger plastic bottle with a lot of potting soil in it. Do not grow more than one plant in a bottle. You will need to add nutrients in your container every year.
Apples are not very sun-loving plants. If you are living a hot climate, apple maybe not for you. If you are a beginner, start with a self-fertile variety of apple.
22: Pomegranate.
Like dwarf apple, dwarf pomegranate varieties are also available. Growing pomegranate is easiest. They are best to grow in bigger bottles. They have a shallow root system which makes them perfect for bottles. Pomegranate is a healthy juiciest fruit ever.
Plus the plant looks so beautiful. It will definitely add a layer of beauty to your garden. Choose bigger bottles to grow these plants, add a lot of potting soil in it. And continue adding nutrients in the soil.
23: Figs.
For all the fruits, you will need a bigger plastic bottle to start with. Figs are sun-loving and require full sunlight for good growth. Water them each and every day in hot summer days. Plant fig plant in spring and you can harvest first fruit in fall. Nitrogen fertilizer every month is necessary for their optimal growth.
24: Raspberries and Blueberries.
They require acidic soil for better growth. They are bushy plants, which make them best to grow in bigger plastic bottles.
25: Microgreens.
Microgreens are the best and fastest to grow in bottles. You can grow microgreen even in small bottles. If you are a beginner, start with microgreens. Microgreens are very healthy and favorable.
Microgreens have 5 times more nutrients than fully grown veggies. You can grow microgreens outdoor or indoor in just 10 days to 2 weeks.
For growing microgreens, you will need coconut coir as your growing medium, because it works well as compare to potting soil. Here are some easy to grow microgreens you can start with:
- Sunflower microgreens.
- Pea shoot microgreens.
- Radish microgreens.
- Broccoli microgreens.
- Cress Microgreens.
- Flax Microgreens.
(Read More)
- Top 6 Microgreens You Must Grow In Your Kitchen Garden
- Store-Bought Vegetables and Herbs You Can Regrow in your Kitchen Garden
- Everything You Need To Know About Growing Tomatoes In Grow Bags
- 20 Easy Seeds To Grow In A Cup: Seeds to Sow & Grow with Kids
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