Green Tip #11: Self Watering Seedlings. Find a plastic bottle (2 liter is what I use, but you can use any plastic
bottle). Peel off the label on your bottle. I'm not picky about getting all the
glue off of my bottle, but I've heard Goo Gone, or nail polish remover will do
the trick. Sterilize the bottle with a diluted bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts
water), swirl the mixture around, and make sure to rinse well afterwards. I have
heard of people using hot water, but I don't believe you can get the water hot
enough to kill bacteria without melting the plastic. Hot water and plastic also
release hazardous BPA's which are not good for us, or our little plants! Cut your bottle about 1/3 from the Neck side. Then trim an additional 2 inches
or so from the base side. Your goal is the have the neck of the bottle almost
touch the bottom inside the base. The left picture is what you want. The right
picture is what it looks like if you do not trim the additional 2 inches. Poke several holes in the bottle near the neck to help water seep into your dirt. Place a strip of paper towel covering the hole near the neck of the bottle to
keep dirt from escaping. Fill your base with water about 2 inches from the top. And your top with seed
starter.Plant your seeds (anything you want, lettuce, tomatoes, peas to name a few),
spray the top of the dirt to get the ball rolling, and place in a sunny south
(or west) facing window.
More info at:
www.desperategardener.com
