How to Grow a Garden in a Bottle

Fern seedlings make good garden bottle plants.

If you are limited for space and do not have the room indoors or outdoors to plant a flower or herb garden, you can have a low-maintenance garden in a bottle. A garden bottle is a self-contained environment that requires very little attention after it is created. Once you add water to your garden and close its lid, it waters itself through a process known as "condensation." You know that condensation is successfully taking place when you see beads of water on the inside of your garden's bottle or jar.

Things You'll Need

• Bottle with lid
• Soap
• Water
• Pea gravel
• Charcoal
• Funnel
• Potting soil
• Aquarium planting tweezers
• Plants
• Spray bottle

Instructions

1. Prepare your bottle before using it for your garden. Wash it with soap and water. Rinse it throughly and let it dry. Keep in mind when planting your garden that a bottle with a wide mouth is easier to work with than one with a small mouth

2. Cover the bottom of your bottle or jar with 1 inch of pea gravel, which helps with drainage. Cover the pea gravel with a 1/8-inch layer of charcoal to absorb odors. When using a small-mouthed bottle, a funnel can be used to add the contents to the bottle or jar.

3. Add a 1- to 2-inch layer of potting soil over the charcoal. You can spread the soil out evenly or leave it uneven to give the garden a more natural appearance.

4. Decorate your bottle with your chosen plants. It can be a tight squeeze getting the plants through the neck of the bottle, so a pair of long aquarium planting tweezers is useful. Insert the tweezers into the opening of the bottle and dig a hole for the plant. Grip the plant gently with the tweezers and insert the roots of the plant into the hole. Pat the soil around the plant using the tweezers.

5. Water the garden with a spray bottle after you have completed your plants' arrangement. A few sprays are all that is necessary to moisten the soil. Close the lid or cap on your garden when you have finished watering it.

6. Sit your garden in an area that receives plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. Regularly check it for moisture. If the soil appears dry, lift the lid or cap and give the soil a few sprays of water. If you notice pooling of water at the bottom of the bottle, remove the lid for a few hours to allow some of the excess moisture to evaporate.

Tips & Warnings

• Mosses, ferns, herbs, ivy, desert plants, African violets and spider plants are all good choices for growing a garden in a bottle.

• For added color, decorate your bottle garden with fancy pebbles and stones.

• Soggy soil in your garden bottle can kill your plants. Keep in mind that it requires only small amounts of water. Only add water if you do not see any signs of condensation on the inside of the bottle.

References

• Let's Go Gardening: Terrariums
• The Garden Helper: Plants Suitable for Growing in Terrariums and Dish Gardens

Resources

• Garden Heights Nursery: Terrariums -- Mini Ecosystems in a Bottle