From the page: A thousand colors in a few grams
Idea 8
Vertical garden drainage
Anyone who grows in small spaces has always faced the same enemy: standing water, which rots roots and breeds fungus. Urban gardeners discovered that a layer of caps at the bottom of pots solves the problem — the spaces between them form channels through which the excess escapes, mimicking the gravel layer of traditional gardens.
What you need
- Washed plastic caps (20 to 40 per pot, depending on the size)
- Plastic bottles, milk cartons or containers to serve as garden pots
- Scissors or craft knife (with adult help)
- Soil or planting substrate
- Seedlings or seeds (mint, basil, lettuce and green onions do well)
How to make it
-
1
Wash the caps well with soap and water to remove drink residue, which can attract ants and ferment inside the pot.
-
2
Make 3 or 4 small holes in the bottom of the chosen container — they are the water's final exit, and the layer of caps ensures they don't get blocked.
-
3
Spread a layer of caps covering the entire bottom, about 3 to 4 fingers deep; the gaps between them create an air pocket that keeps the soil from becoming waterlogged.
-
4
If you like, cover the caps with a piece of old fabric or a sheet of newspaper before adding soil — this keeps the substrate from sinking and clogging the drainage spaces.
-
5
Fill with substrate and plant your seedlings or seeds, leaving 2 fingers of room to the edge so watering doesn't overflow.
-
6
Water and observe: water should start dripping from the bottom within a few minutes, a sign that the drainage is working.
Finishing touches
Hang the pots in rows on a sunny wall and you'll have an entire vertical garden. If some caps are colorful, they can peek through the drainage holes on the outside, giving the base of the pots a cheerful, understated look.
This is one of the ideas from the full page — see all the possibilities.
This page feeds the collective knowledge 🌱 — every discovery makes the next answer better.