Globally, around 1.3 billion plastic drinks bottles are used every day of the year – wow, that’s a lot of packaging! So what if we could be more creative than just throwing them away once they’re empty?
Well, good news! There are lots of ingenious ways to give plastic bottles a second life in the garden – and even better, they’ll help you save money, and give your plants a boost too!
1. Reusing Plastic Bottles as Mini Greenhouses
Cut the bottom off a bottle then simply pop it over a young seedling to protect it from cold weather. If it’s windy, anchor it by pushing a bamboo cane down through the neck of the bottle into the soil next to the plant. These little homemade cloches are brilliant for shielding plants from cheeky nibblers, and they create a snug microclimate that really helps to speed up growth.
![Plastic bottle mini greenhouse]()
A simple plastic bottle with the bottom cut off helps keep seedlings cosy
They’re especially useful at the very start of the season, when nights are still cold or even frosty but you want to enjoy a bit of a head start. The temperature inside will be raised by a few degrees, but actually the more important effect is that young seedlings or transplants will be protected from chilly, drying winds. That’ll give them a distinct advantage over seedlings that don’t have any protection.
As the season progresses, see if you can find gallon-sized water bottles to use as plants get larger.
![Drip watering using a plastic bottle]()
Sink a perforated plastic bottle into the soil and say goodbye to losing precious water to evaporation
2. Drip Watering
Some crops like squash and tomatoes need consistent soil moisture to give the very best results. To make a simple irrigator for these thirsty crops that will help to avoid wasting water, first pierce holes into the cap and neck of the bottle with a screwdriver or similar. I find it’s easier to punch holes if the bottle has been filled with water first, to give you something to push against. Then cut off the very bottom of the bottle, sink it neck-first into the ground beside your plants, and fill with water.
This will now slowly deliver water right where it’s needed, at the roots, without it evaporating in the heat of summer – no fancy kit required!
![Plastic bottle watering can]()
Make a few holes in the lid of a plastic bottle to create a gentle watering can for delicate young plants
3. Seedling Watering Can
You may have seen me using my trusty pump-action hand sprayer to water just-sown seeds or delicate seedlings. I really like it because it stops the potting mix from being blasted out by a stronger flow of water.
But another option is to make a gentle-flowing mini watering can for free by poking several holes into the cap of a bottle with a sharp tool. Fill the bottle with water, screw the cap back on, and voilà – an instant watering can for gentle sprinkling that’s just the ticket for seedlings.
![Making fruit fly trap]()
Apple cider vinegar and dish soap can be used to trap fruit flies in a plastic bottle
4. Bug Traps
Stop slugs and snails in their rasping tracks by cutting a bottle almost all the way around, about a quarter to a third of the way up, leaving a bit of plastic attached to create a hinge. Then cut an entry hole for the slugs. Sink the bottle into the ground so that the hole is just above the soil surface to prevent beneficial ground beetles from accidentally falling in. Add a bait such as beer or a yeasty liquid to attract the slugs. Dispose of the drowned slugs every few days on your compost heap or into a nearby hedge or shrub.
You can also use old plastic bottles to get rid of fruit flies in your kitchen. Cut the top off, then add some apple cider vinegar and a few drops of washing-up liquid. Cover with plastic wrap, secured in place with a rubber band, and poke a few holes in the plastic so the fruit flies can get in. They’ll love the smell of the vinegary solution but once they gain access they won’t be able to get out, neatly diverting them from countertop bowls of fruit.
![Rooting cuttings in a plastic bottle]()
Cuttings can be rooted in water in a plastic bottle
5. Seed Starting and Rooting Cuttings
To make a mini pot for seeds or cuttings, cut a bottle in half then spike drainage holes into the bottom with something sharp like a skewer. Optionally, pop the top half over the base as a lid to create a cosseted warm, humid environment for germination.
If you’re propagating cuttings, the transparency of the bottle makes it super easy to keep an eye on progress. Once you see a decent root system, open the bottle to repot the cuttings into their own pots. Or – even simpler – fill a bottle with water and pop cuttings into the neck to root in the water.
![Milk jug containers]()
Milk jugs make cheap and cheerful hanging containers for small plants
6. Hanging Planters
Flip a sturdy, thick-walled bottle such as a well washed and rinsed detergent bottle onto its side. Cut out an opening along its length, spike holes into the bottom for drainage, then hang it up with string or wire. Fill it with potting mix and plant up with trailing herbs, salad leaves, or strawberries.
![Plastic bottle bird feeder]()
Take a plastic bottle and a couple of wodden spoons, and hey presto - instant bird feeder!
7. Feed the Birds
Make a feeder by cutting small holes into the sides of a bottle then inserting wooden spoons so seed can spill onto them as the birds feed. This is a fantastic way to help birds as the temperatures begin to tumble. Seeds are full of energy-dense fats that will help birds cope with the winter cold. Hang it up and enjoy our feathered friends flocking in for the seedy banquet!
![Plastic bottle scoop]()
The handle on a milk jug lends itself to being repurposed into a handy scoop
8. Garden Scoops
Take a bottle with a handle such as a milk jug and, leaving the handle intact, cut it at an angle to fashion a scoop. This is great for scooping up potting mix, fertilizer, or even grit for icy paths in winter. Thick-walled bottles like those used for cleaning fluids or detergents will be stronger and may work best for this.
![Plastic bottle tree guard]()
Protect your trees with old plastic bottles
9. Tree Guards
Young saplings are easily damaged by strimmers or weed trimmers – I’ve accidentally torn the bark on a just-planted tree before with my careless mowings! So one way to guard against this is to make your own plastic bottle tree guards.
Slice bottles vertically all the way up, then wrap them around vulnerable stems. Secure the cut edges back together with duct tape. Once trees are a bit bigger, it’s just a matter of whipping your homemade tree guards off and away.
![Plastic bottle greenhouse tidy]()
Make a simple container to keep all those homeless bits and bobs tidy
10. Organize Your Greenhouse or Shed
Cut down bottles to make open-topped containers to corral plant labels, twine or pens in the potting shed or greenhouse. You can mount them onto a wall or bench for a neat, recycled organizer.
![Seedlings surrounded by water-filled plastic bottles]()
Plastic bottles filled with water will release heat at night
11. Space Heaters
Fill bottles with water, screw on the lids, then position them around young plants. They’ll act like storage heaters – during the day the water will warm up in the sun, then at night that stored-up heat will be released to keep temperatures a little more stable. Add them around young transplants or, perhaps more practical, pack them into a more enclosed space like a cold frame to increase the temperature by a crucial few degrees. What’s especially great about clear bottles is that they still let plenty of light through to the plants huddled down between them.
![Plastic bottle cane topper]()
It's easier to throw netting over canes when they're topped with plastic bottles
12. Cane Toppers
Slip upturned bottles onto bamboo canes, then throw pest protection such as netting or insect mesh over the top. The bottles will support your cover of choice whilst preventing the mesh or netting from rubbing away and tearing in the wind, keeping crops safe.
Small bottles can also be popped over canes used to support plants like peppers – no more risk of poking your eye out!
