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What if I show you a new trick on how to grow mint indoors or outdoors in plastic bottles using the principles of air pruning. In today’s post, we are going to take a dig at the no-fuss – no-space – and low maintenance totally new way of growing your own fresh mint, right here in your kitchen.
To get started with growing mint, all you need is an empty plastic bottle. Preferably, Not too large, as we plan to hang it. A small piece of PVC pipe and a good quality string/rope.
Step 1: Making Holes in the Bottle
Using a heated nail or a soldering gun, make some holes in the plastic bottle. Make sure to not make the holes too close or too many holes. Make two holes opposite to each other close to the base of the bottle.
Step 2: Removing the Base of the Bottle
Using a blade remove the base of the bottle.
Step 3: Preparing the PVC Pipe
Using the same nail or soldering gun, make some holes in the pvc pipe too. Using a flat blade you can shave the excess to avoid blockages. This pipe is going to be the plants lifeline as it will take care of getting water and air distributed equally throughout the length of the bottle. It somewhat works on the principles of air pruning which is so beneficial to grow larger trees in smaller containers. You can check out my detailed post on Air Pruning.
Step 4: Hanging the Bottle
Pass the edges of the rope/string through the holes at the base and tie a knot. That is it, they are now ready to hang.
Step 5: Preparing the Potting Mix
To prepare the potting mix, you need to use a mix of plain garden soil, coco peat and dried compost in equal thirds. Place the pipe in the centre of the bottle and start filling the potting mix in around the pipe. Leave some room at the top to prevent soil and water overflow during watering.
Step 6: Planting Mint Stems
You need some freshly cut mint stems. You can take out the leaves and use them. All we need is the stems. You can simply start inserting the stems into the inserts in the bottle. Insert them gently and carefully. Do not force the stem as it might damage it. You can avoid it by selectively choosing the stems of appropriate size.
Initial Care and Watering
That is it, we are done. Hang the arrangement in a nice shady area and give it plenty of water to start the root generation process.
Progress After Two Weeks
After about two weeks, you can see the results. Several tiny branches and leaves emerging from the stems we planted. This is good progress.
Progress After Three Weeks
And here we have the progress after three weeks. The mint cuttings are thriving and so is the root structure. So, there you have it. No space, No fuss, super easy mint supply for your next kitchen adventure by recycling waste plastic bottles. If you liked my post on how to grow mint in plastic bottle method, please share this on social media with your gardening friends.
You can watch a detailed video on growing mint in plastic bottles using this trick below:
