basil in self-watering containers

6.23.2008

So I've finally found time to make images of this basil project of mine. The first true leaves have sprouted and I figured this is as good a time as any to post about my burgeoning green pinkie (thumb's still quite black, I killed the cilantro plant that's the backdrop for some of the basil pictures). Considering my mother can kill plants with her (literally) withering glance, it's pretty amazing that I haven't totally killed these seedlings. I'm pretty sure this luck in gardening is due to the self-watering containers I've made for the seedlings...

These self-watering containers are made of 2-liter soda bottles according to Topper's website. One of the perks of working with electronics is the multitudes of soldering irons lying around. I then found that the bottles filled with soil and stagnant water to be a little unsightly since they were going on my livingroom windowsill. So, I cut 1" wide strips of plastic grocery bags (white and blue from Albertson's; orange-ish from Safeway) at a bias and knit up some bottle cozies. The orange-ish cozy is knit with a horizontal herringbone pattern discovered on Ravelry. The white and blue cozy is done in stockingette with short-row shaping to make the wavy scallops.

I found that one bottle worked well to house around 3/4 of a gallon of soil (which, according to the internets, is a good amount for a single basil plant). I refill the reservoir with water every couple of days, though this last weekend (2 weeks after planting) I scrubbed out some greenish gook before refilling. I'll start pinching off the smaller seedlings soon. Pesto, here I come!

More pictures to come as me pretties mature...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I LOVE these... makes me want to rip plastic bags INSTANTLY..

Anonymous said...

omg! that's just much too creative. you're yucky!

Anonymous said...

its so creative...using your time in grt way,especailly using pastic bags oh my GOD!! but don't they get hot,you cna use them in so many palces wow!!!!

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