Grow Veggies In Bottles, Fridges & Even Bathtubs! Gardeners Show How to Use Recycled Containers

For gardeners Chaudhary Ram Karan and Jayanti Vaidyanathan, transforming reusable materials into a thriving garden is not just a hobby but a deeply satisfying pursuit.

Interestingly, they have converted recycled containers including plastic water bottles, old refrigerators, and even bathtubs, into planters, to form a garden. This concept is not only inexpensive but also environmentally responsible.

Lucknow-based Chaudhary Ram Karan grows vegetables like brinjal, tomato and capsicum in his vertical garden made of plastic bottles. “This technique is perfect for those who face a shortage of space in their home to do gardening. Also, if you have never done gardening before, start by using these bottles instead of expensive pots,” he says.

He shares various designs for your vertical garden using plastic bottles:

• Take one or two-litre bottles, leaving their caps intact. Turn them upside down and carefully cut off the bottom.
• Make three or four holes in the cap to complete the process of making a planter.
• Use a rope to hang it in a well-lit place. Take three or four bottles and repeat the process so that they are placed vertically.
• Plants like capsicum, tomato, brinjal, and chilli can be easily grown in two-litre bottles.
• You can also make horizontal planters by placing the bottle horizontally and cutting it from the middle.
• Make four holes around it, so that it can be hung anywhere.
• Add potting mix and plants as per requirement. Herbs and flowers do well in these planters.
• Hang three or four of them on a rope to effectively utilise the limited space.
• Once the planters are made, paint them to make them colourful.

You can convert recycled containers including plastic water bottles, old refrigerators, and bathtubs, into planters.

Similarly, Jayanti Vaidyanathan from Chennai grows over 250 plants including spinach, tomatoes, chillies, okra, and lemon on her terrace.

While she uses recycled plastic water bottles for root vegetables like carrots and radishes, she grows cauliflower, cabbage, corn, sugarcane, moringa, and lemon in fridges and bathtubs!

She has recycled 10 old single-door refrigerators and bathtubs to create grow beds for plants. She shares the following techniques:

• Purchase old refrigerators from kabadiwalas (scrap dealers) at cheaper prices.
• Modify them by removing the doors.
• Create holes for water seepage.
• Add a layer of dried leaves. 
• Fill the containers with organic potting mix.
• Plant saplings which have deep roots like gourds, moringa and lemon trees.
• Don’t forget to water them regularly.

Now, go grab suitable recycled containers and unleash your creativity in your garden.

Happy gardening!

Edited by Khushi Arora.