Growing plants in plastic bottles is a new trend, that has conquered the social media sites in a storm. But what plants are best for growing them in plastic bottles?
Generally, every plant, that doesn´t require a lot of space in order to grow well will work. However, there are some plants, that need a specific water level in order to grow well but keeping the soil at a certain moisture level inside of plastic bottles can be very hard or even impossible.
Because of that, there are some plants, that can´t really be grown inside of plastic bottles.
In this article I will tell you the 10 best plants, in my opinion, that can be grown well in plastic bottles.
So let´s get started!
Basil
Basil is very easy to grow, it doesn´t require a lot of space in order to grow, and the plant is very easy to care for and easy to water. So it is just perfect for growing in plastic bottles.
Basil needs 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight and you should mix the Potting Soil with some organic fertilizer before you plant the seeds.
After 5 to 10 days the seeds will germinate and you will be able to see your first little basil plant poking out of the soil after about two weeks.
So Basil is an excellent choice for growing in plastic bottles and it is a very beginner-friendly plant. So don´t be afraid and try to grow your very own basil plant at home.
If you want to know more about growing basil in pots, then check my guide on growing basil in containers out here!
Parsley
Growing parsley can be a little bit more tricky and I wouldn´t recommend a beginner to try and grow this plant as it can be quite frustrating.
Parsley seeds have a very slow germination rate and the possibility for them to germinate is also, compared to other herbs, quite low.
But if you want to grow them, you can easily grow them in plastic bottles. It does not really matter for the plant if it is grown in a regular container or in a bottle.
There are quite a few different varieties of parsley, like the flat-leaf parsley or the Hamburg parsley but if you want to grow parsley in plastic bottles then the Curley leaf parsley would probably be best.
It is smaller than the other varieties and it doesn´t need as much space as the other varieties.
If you want to know how to grow and care for parsley, then you can check out my guide on growing parsley in containers here.
Oregano
Oregano is also very easy to grow and it doesn´t need a lot of care in order to grow well. So it is also possible to grow this plant as a beginner in gardening.
Oregano grows best in containers, that have a size of 10 to 14 inches. But you can grow them in smaller containers if you want to. So you can grow them in plastic bottles even though it is not optimal for the plant.
It is also kind of pretty when it blooms. So you could use some varieties as ornamental plants if you want to.
If you want to know more about growing oregano in containers, then check out my guide here.
Spinach
Growing spinach is also very easy and it doesn´t need a lot of care as well.
If you want to grow spinach in a bottle then you should make sure, that the bottle is at least 6 inches deep but 8 inches would be better.
Other than that spinach can grow very easily in plastic bottles and it only requires you to regularly water it.
Thyme
Thyme is another easy to grow herb, that can be grown in plastic bottles.
Thyme has the great side effect of smelling really nice once it is grown. So there is another reason for you to plant thyme for your plastic bottle garden.
Thyme loves full sun and they don´t need a lot of water to grow healthy.
Thyme can be challenging to grow from seeds but you can easily grow them from cuttings or you can just transplant a plant, that you bought.
Green Onions
Green onions are very easy to grow in plastic bottles as well.
They should be placed in full sun or at least have 4 hours of direct sunlight a day.
You need to water them well and regularly in order to make them grow healthy. So these plants do need quite some care.
Be careful not to plant too many onions in one pot. One or two onions per plastic bottle should be enough!
You should also be careful about the variety, that you want to grow. There are a lot of different varieties and depending on the kind you choose your onions will taste slightly different.
Dill
Dill is yet another easy to grow herb, that can also thrive in a plastic bottle.
It also doesn’t need a lot of care to grow well. You just have to water the plant regularly and it will grow well!
Dill normally needs at least a 12-inch deep container in order to grow well but a slightly smaller container won’t hurt the plant either.
Dill grows best in full sunlight and it can sustain higher temperatures.
Strawberries
Strawberries are not easy to grow but they also aren´t really hard to grow.
They can be grown is quite small containers as they have really shallow roots. So a container of 8 inches deep will already do the trick.
So you can easily plant them in plastic bottles. However, you need to find a way to support the strawberry fruit once it develops. The surface of the plastic bottle will not have enough space.
But other than that it should not be a problem. Strawberries do need a lot of water though. So they are a little labor-intensive.
If you want to know more about growing strawberries in containers, then you can read my complete guide on growing strawberries in containers here.
What Soil Do You Need For Growing Plants In Plastic Bottles?
The kind of soil, that you need in order to grow plants in plastic bottles or any container really depends on the kind of plant, that you want to grow.
Some plants prefer sandy soil but most plants will grow healthy in well-drained potting soil.
One very important thing though is to fertilize the soil regularly.
Every potted plant, no matter where it is potted in even if it is a plastic bottle, has to be fertilized regularly! Because the number of nutrients in the soil will diminish if you don’t add more. And if you don´t add enough nutrients for the plant it will starve and either not grow well or it could even die.
The type and the amount of fertilizer required is also very dependent on the individual plant.
Final Words
There are a lot of great and creative ideas out there for growing plants in plastic bottles. You can string them up, cut the bottles in half or cut them straight down the middle, and a lot more.
Only your creativity is the limit of how you can arrange and craft your very own container garden with plastic bottles.
I hope this article could help you to find some inspiration on what kind of plants, you can grow in plastic bottles and maybe even encourage you to start your own container garden.
