In todays busy world, bringing a touch of nature into our living spaces has become more important than ever. Bottle gardens offer a creative and sustainable way to enjoy the beauty of plants indoors. This article explores the concept of bottle garden plants, how to grow them in glass bottles, and highlights the best plants suited for this unique gardening idea.
Bottle gardening has become an increasingly popular way to add greenery and life to any space. Growing plants in reused glass bottles and jars is easy fun and eco-friendly. This unique gardening method allows anyone to cultivate their green thumb, even in urban apartments or offices.
In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about bottle gardening, from suitable plant choices to creative design ideas. Read on to learn why bottles make excellent mini planters and how to craft your own living bottle garden masterpiece!
Why Choose Bottle Gardening?
Glass bottles offer many advantages for growing indoor plants compared to traditional pots
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They repurpose and upcycle used containers, reducing waste.
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Bottle gardens are portable and compact, making greenery easy to move around.
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Roots remain visible through transparent glass, letting you observe the fascinating propagation process.
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Plants often grow faster initially when rooted in water versus soil. Rapid growth is rewarding.
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Frequent watering isn’t necessary. Just refill bottles as needed.
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Bottles’ narrow necks beautifully display trailing vines like ivy or pothos.
Overall, bottle gardening maximizes rewards for minimal effort. These mini gardens are also a fun project for kids and novice gardeners.
Best Plants for Bottles
While many houseplants root well in water, certain varieties propagate particularly easily this way. Top picks include:
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Pothos: A classic choice, pothos vines trail attractively from bottles. Heart-shaped satiny leaves add a tropical feel.
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Philodendrons: Similar to pothos, philodendron varieties like heartleaf and lacy vine philodendron cascade prettily from bottles.
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Spider Plant: Spiderettes sprout roots rapidly, making propagation in water simple. Slender arching foliage fountains attractively from bottles’ mouths.
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Prayer Plant: Tropical prayer plant sports wide, vividly-marked foliage that folds at night. It roots without issue when cuttings are placed in water.
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Wandering Jew: Tradescantia varieties like wandering jew root speedily in water. Their trailing stems and colorful striped leaves look charming in bottles.
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Lucky Bamboo: This slender-leaved Dracaena offsets well in vase-style water gardens, avoiding its high soil moisture needs.
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Peperomia: Mini peperomia cultivars such as ‘Pixie Lime’ stay compact, fitting nicely in smaller bottle openings. Their plump leaves add unique texture.
Herbs like mint and basil also take readily to bottle gardening.
Step-By-Step Guide
Follow these simple steps to make your own bottle garden:
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Choose a clean glass container. Recycle an empty olive oil bottle, Mason jar, wine jug, or other transparent glass vessel.
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Fill with room temperature water. Leave 2-3 inches of headspace. Tap water works if dechlorinated.
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Take 3-6 inch cuttings from a healthy parent plant. Snip just below a leaf node using clean shears.
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Strip lower leaves so no leaves sit underwater. This prevents rot.
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Insert cuttings’ naked stems into the water so upper leaves remain above bottle’s mouth.
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Sit bottle in bright, indirect light near a window. South or west exposure is ideal.
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Change water monthly or when cloudy. Add liquid fertilizer every 4-6 weeks to feed plants.
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Watch roots grow! Most cuttings root within 2-3 weeks. Enjoy your bottle garden indefinitely or transplant rooted cuttings to soil.
Unique Bottle Garden Design Ideas
Let your creativity shine by styling distinctive bottle gardens through:
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Mini terrariums: Plant an assortment of petite houseplants or succulents in short, wide jars.
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Hanging bottles: Show off trailing pothos or philodendrons by suspending glass bottles from fishing line, twine, or macrame hangers.
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Upcycled containers: Repurpose wine, beer, soda, and other food bottles. Match plant choices to the bottle’s unique shape.
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Themed gardens: Craft a tropical garden with prayer plants or a zen garden with lucky bamboo. Go succulent-only or herbs-only.
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Mixed colors and textures: Combine purple and green foliage, smooth and ruffled leaves, vines and rosettes for visual interest.
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Personalized accents: Affix nametags or decorate bottle exteriors with paint, ribbons, shells, pebbles etc. Make it your own!
However you choose to style your bottle garden, this sustainable gardening method lets anyone cultivate their green thumb. Rediscover the simple joy of watching plants grow by creating your own living bottle garden art.
What Are Bottle Garden Plants?
Bottle garden plants, also known as terrarium plants, are a collection of greenery grown inside sealed glass containers. These self-contained ecosystems create a miniaturized garden environment that sustains itself through a natural cycle of water condensation and evaporation. Bottle gardens provide a captivating way to showcase plants and bring a touch of greenery into small living spaces.
Also Check This: Types of Snake Plants
How Do You Grow Plants in Glass Bottles?
Creating a bottle garden is a simple and rewarding process. Heres a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
- Choose the Right Bottle: Select a clear glass bottle with a wide opening to allow sunlight to enter easily. The bottle should be clean and free from any residues to maintain the health of the plants.
- Create a Drainage Layer: Add a layer of small rocks or pebbles at the bottom of the bottle to facilitate drainage and prevent waterlogging. This layer helps in maintaining the right balance of moisture in the soil.
- Add Activated Charcoal: Sprinkle a thin layer of activated charcoal over the rocks to prevent any odours or fungal growth inside the bottle.
- Layer with Potting Mix: Gently add a layer of nutrient-rich potting mix on top of the charcoal. This will serve as the growing medium for the plants.
- Plant Selection: Choose small plants that are well-suited for bottle gardens. Opt for varieties that thrive in a humid and enclosed environment.
- Planting: Carefully plant the selected plants into the potting mix, ensuring their roots are covered and supported.
- Final Touches: Add decorative elements like small figurines, coloured stones, or miniature decorations to enhance the aesthetics of your bottle garden.
21 Indoor Plants You Can Grow in Jars & Bottles
FAQ
What plants grow well in bottles?
Try Herbs like mint, oregano, basil, rosemary, lavender, and sage, they’ll root and grow fast in water. Some houseplants that also work well are Philodendron, English Ivy, Wandering Jew, Pothos, and Coleus. We even tried clippings from an Umbrella tree (a common office plant) with massive root growth in their vases!
What plants can you keep in a bottle?
Suitable for plants like ferns, mosses, tropical plants, succulents, and air plants, these gardens require minimal care and are ideal for small spaces. With their miniature ecosystem, these plants thrive in both indoor and outdoor spaces, making them perfect for adding greenery to your workspace, home or garden.
What are the plants in bottles called?
A terrarium is a house plant display grown in a container, which is usually sealable and made of glass, such as a large bottle with a cork stopper. The plants are arranged as a miniature garden, with conditions inside the container providing a very different growing environment to outside.
Can you grow a plant in a water bottle?
The Bottle Growing System (BGS) is a low-cost growing system ideal for growing native plants. Made from recycled plastic bottles, BGSs are easy to build, use, and can be cleaned and reused for multiple years. Only use native plant seeds. Spreading exotic or invasive seeds could harm the natural environment.