Plastic 2 liter bottles cut in half to start plants.

[beerman]

Hey guys, I want to use plastic 2 liter bottles cut in half to start plants, I figure it's better the landfill. I used to recycle but was told at the dump not to bother separating and recycling because they just dump it in the landfill anyway. Someone told me today I can't use them to start fruit trees because chemicals from the plastic will leach into the soil and the tree. They will only be in the "pots" until spring will it matter that much?
Thanks
Brian

 

[Dawn419]

Hi Brian!

I recycle our soda bottles for starting all of my seeds (veggies, flowers, herbs and fruit trees) by using them as mini-greenhouses. I've used milk jugs before but the sun tends to make the plastic from them brittle after just one season. I've been using some of my soda bottle gh's for 2 years now and they're still usable.



I've never heard of the bottles leaching chemicals into soil or plants that you've started in them. Gonna see if I can find any info about that!


Edited to add:

Found this: Plastic (Not) Fantastic

From the article:

If canned goods or clear plastic bottles are a must, such containers should never be microwaved, used to store heated liquids or foods, or washed in hot water (either by hand or in much hotter dishwashers).

 

[Sunny & the 5 egg layers]

Wait, so what exactly do you do to the bottles? You must cut the bottom? Or you have freakishly tiny hands and plant the seed threw the top?!

 

[Dawn419]

Hi Sunny and Welcome to the Forum!

Yes!!! I have freakishly tiny hands and can fit them into the tiny opening at the top of the bottles!

Sorry, couldn't resist!

I cut the bottom of the bottles off, about 4" up from the bottom.

Then, poke drainage holes in the bottom.

I then cut about a 4" "slice" up the side of the top section of the bottle so that the top will slide down into the bottom section.

After I've added soil and seeds to the bottom section (and watered it well), I slide the top down into the bottom and tape the 2 sections together.

I leave the top of the bottle open for ventilation and to allow rain and/or snow into the "mini greenhouse". If we lack precipitation, I'll check the bottles weekly to make sure that the soil hasn't dried out too much. If the soil is dry, I sometimes water from the bottom (set the bottles in a sided tray or bowl and allow the water to soak in from the bottom) or I'll mist them from the top.

 

[Neko-chan]

...

 

[Dawn419]

I use them for that too, Neko-chan!

They last quite awhile...I'm still reusing the same bottles from our first winter out here, 3 years ago.

 

[~gd]

Hi Brian!

I recycle our soda bottles for starting all of my seeds (veggies, flowers, herbs and fruit trees) by using them as mini-greenhouses. I've used milk jugs before but the sun tends to make the plastic from them brittle after just one season. I've been using some of my soda bottle gh's for 2 years now and they're still usable.

[url]http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/uploads/thumbs/603_2-18-10_022.jpg[/url]

I've never heard of the bottles leaching chemicals into soil or plants that you've started in them. Gonna see if I can find any info about that!


Edited to add:

Found this: Plastic (Not) Fantastic

From the article:

If canned goods or clear plastic bottles are a must, such containers should never be microwaved, used to store heated liquids or foods, or washed in hot water (either by hand or in much hotter dishwashers).

First of all the article was about BPA which is in things like polycarbonate a shatterproof plastic that is fairly expensive and mostly used by consumers for baby bottles and personal water containers (the fancy bottle that you transfer your bottled water that is packaged in cheap plastic into because your expensive bottle is neat looking and darn near unbreakable) PET the stuff used in soda bottles does not have BPA added.
The study reported is one of the biggest jokes in science, would you beleive that nobody thought to test the plastic urine sample containers that were used for all samples for BPA until the study had run for several months and the sample containers did have BPA! Junk Science at it's best!

 

[Dawn419]

Thanks for that info, ~gd!

After 2 years with no computer, I'm waaaay behind on stuff like this!

 

[redhen]

Hi Sunny and Welcome to the Forum!

Yes!!! I have freakishly tiny hands and can fit them into the tiny opening at the top of the bottles!

Sorry, couldn't resist!

I cut the bottom of the bottles off, about 4" up from the bottom.

Then, poke drainage holes in the bottom.

I then cut about a 4" "slice" up the side of the top section of the bottle so that the top will slide down into the bottom section.

After I've added soil and seeds to the bottom section (and watered it well), I slide the top down into the bottom and tape the 2 sections together.


http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b...tm7ho2Yg9vPgQ/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b...tm7ho2Yg9vPgQ/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/


I leave the top of the bottle open for ventilation and to allow rain and/or snow into the "mini greenhouse". If we lack precipitation, I'll check the bottles weekly to make sure that the soil hasn't dried out too much. If the soil is dry, I sometimes water from the bottom (set the bottles in a sided tray or bowl and allow the water to soak in from the bottom) or I'll mist them from the top.

Thanks for the pictures,i couldnt figure out how you did it...
This is an excellent idea!!

 

[Dawn419]

Your so welcome, redhen!

Here's an album with other ways I used for winter sowing.