Very cool idea thanks for posting it, will have to give this a try.

Mike

I do about the same thing, only as fly traps. I started to make them when oe of those commercial bag types burst all over my foot as I was trying to hang it. My foot smelled for a week, before it dissapated. Cut the top off and invert it, just don't soder the holes in and put a hunk of meat and a little water in the bottom. Flys & wasps go down into the hole and can't fly out. When it's full, throw it away.

A big thumbs up on your pop bottle planter, Debbie! I've already put one of my small hoya cuttings in a 2 ltr bottle.
Sande

Mike I think you are going to love the pots as much as I do when you try them out.

Mentha that sounds a great idea on making the fly traps. The flies don't get out by walking up the sides to the spout? Do you hang the bottle traps or just sit them around?

Good for you GootzieCat! I hope your cut does as well in the PB pot as mine have! Keep us informed.

Oh,,,when making your PB pots make sure the spout is against the bottom of the resevoir. This is how it draws water up to the soil with the help of the compacted soil in the spout and also through the soder holes.
I have no idea if he has one or where my husband has a solder gun thingy would be so I heat up a shiskabob skewer on the stove to poke my holes with. I put 3 holes in my pots.,,,,Debbie

I made about 8 or so of them, I made them different heights. Some of them I wired the tops to the bottoms because they were wobbly. I used yarn to wick. I burned a hole in the lid, then took it off and screwed one end of the yarn in the lid, while the other end dangles out the hole. I put a couple epies, a hoya, a couple Sansevieria I've been trying to root, and an aroid (Not philo or pothos, but starts with an 'A' ) which I have had a dickens of a time keeping alive.

For the fly traps, they are the same concept. Except this time remove and discard the lid. Invert the top on the bottom, fill with your bait and water, about half an inch below the funnel hole. The flies go down into the funnel and are attracted to the bait, when they try to escape, they are stuck between the funnel and the bottom of the bottle. At night they will drop into the liquid and drown.

Mentha I don't use a wick of yarn in my PB pots nor do I leave the lid on the bottle. I make them like the web link I gave. I find that if the soil is pressed compactly into the spout and with the 3 holes melted into the bottle they draw perfectly for me.
Did you make all 8 PB pots today and get them planted or had you played with the idea before my post? I got a share box of Hoya's yesterday and made 6 and planted them up last night by porch light,,,haha. So far I have made and am using a total of 13. I plan to buy a bakers rack to put them on this Fall. I have a west window that will be perfect.
I had problems rooting Hoya bella 'Luis Bois' cuttings from my mother basket. They kept rotting. I tried 5 cuts in a PB pot and they rooted with no problem and have started new growth now.
Many Hoya's ago I wish I'd known about these pots or thought it up myself! haha.
I may try one of your fly catcher bottles. I've been paying over $4 a piece for the hanging type. Sometimes we grill out and enjoy sitting on the back deck to eat but with no flies invited!,,,,,Debbie

Well, that makes more sense. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how the soil was supposed to stay in the funnel part without leaking into the water. Yes, I made them all in about half an hour. I didn't have a sodering iron, so I used a knife on the gas stove. It really cut into the bottle easily. I still like the wick idea better. We'll see if it works better though.

The best fly bait is a hunk of hamburger.

Another thing I did with a pop bottle was plant a cherry tomato upside down. I bought young plants and stuck the root system through the spout and filled with soil mix up to an inch from the top (so you can get enough water in the pot). I then melted with the ole trusty shiskabob skewer I heat on the kitchen gas stove I made 2 holes,,one on each side,,to hang the pot. Then my husband made a wire hanger out of wire to hang it with. Wallah!
For this type pot you just cut off the flat end of the bottle and discard it.
Cheaper than the Topsy Turvy bags you see advertised on TV!
I have green tomatoes now and waiting for them to ripen.,,,Debbie

I got to thinking the upside down bottle would be wonderful for strawberries! Plant one on the funnel and a couple in the top portion. This surely would keep the, snails, slugs, earwigs, and sow bugs out of them. That's a wonderful idea. How about herbs? hmmm I think I'm not going to have much recycle to take in this month ;)

Mentha there's no stopping you now with ideas!
Your family is going to get sick of soda! Your going to be pushing it on them so you can make more pots and planters! hahaha.

I'd like to find a smaller bottle that would work for the pots. Coke and such in the smaller single serve bottles have a bulge so they won't fit into the bottom.
Single serve bottles would work for single Hoya cuts to root in and not take up much room. Anyone have any ideas what product bottles don't have a bulge?,,,,Debbie

No problem there, we go through a 2 litre bottle of cream soda a day. There are five of us, and soda at dinner time is standard fare. I'm still looking at things with glazed eyes, lol

I read on another thread that alot of people have trouble rooting cuttings of Hoya lacunosa. I took cuttings of my plant about a month ago to see if in the PB pot they would work better and they do! I have a whole PB pot full of rooted cuttings and none died. I had and still have the pot on my front porch which gets morning dappled sunlight.
I took the cuts and removed the bottom set of leaves prior to planting. Stuck them in the soil mix (soil mix, perlite & orchid bark) and first initial watering watered from the top to get the soil dampened. Since then I only water in the reservoir.
Hope this helps all of you with this free blooming and wonderful smelling Hoya!,,,,Debbie

Just curious how everyone's plants and cuts are doing that tried out the PB pots?
I got a surprise box of rooted Hoya's from a friend and so far since I put each in a PB pot I have new growth on campunalata, shepherdii, solaniflora, onychoides, engleriana and lacunosa.
I have cuttings of lacunosa 'Ruby Sue' trying to root in 2 different PB pots. The cuts are perking up and I haven't lost any of the cuttings. I put them to root right before July 4th. I haven't checked to see if any have rooted yet. I don't want to disturb them but the perking up leads me to believe they are starting to root.
I'd like to hear if any of the rest of you have had the same luck with your pots.
Happy growing!,,,,Debbie

I have not made any pots, don't drink pop so I have not had the supplies. One day I will take the pop bottle pot plunge.

Mike

Mike ask your neighbors to save you bottles or maybe some of your co-workers would. Where there's a will there's a way I always say. ;-)

Hey Debbie,

Congrats on your Pop bottle success!! I've not had a chance to try your method...but someday I would like to try it, it really is pretty neat...For the "most" part, my little plastic Hoya Nursery has been working out. Good luck with the rest of your cuttings, but I don't think you'll need it :o)

Mentha you made quite a few of these pots,,,how are the plants doing you put in them?
Thanks Puglvr1 for your vote of confidence in me!
The day I planted the 'Ruby Sue' cuts I planted a few lacunosa 'Snow Cap' cuts also. The Snow Caps showed no stress from it's trip to me and the planting but 'Ruby Sue' was a bit more delicate about the whole situation. I found it interesting how same species but different variety (or is it clone?) and how they each handle the same situation.,,,,Debbie

Some well, Some not so well. One of my epie cuttings rotted. :S :( I'm so sad. It was "Michele Davis" which is very hard to come by since it is a newish hybrid. One of my Sansevieria says it's what he needed though, he finally has roots. I'm going to transfer him to a clay pot soon. My Sansevieria patens leaves barely have any roots. The Aroids really like them, though. They are making new leaves right now. I'm not sure I like them, I guess I need to find some plants that would go well in them to give a thumb's up.

Mentha I would of been leery to try on any plant like an Epi. which retains water in its leaves or a plant that stores water in bulbs.
Sorry your 'Michele Davis' didn't like the pot. Epi's tend to like to dry out before being watered again. I think this is why the cuts didn't survive. In the past when I grew Epi's I let them sit out to callous over before planting the cuts. This way they didn't draw too much moisture through the freshly cut membranes.
With the heat we are having lately (over 100 F) the PB pots are helping me not be welded to the water hose on Hoya's I have outside. Once a week I am having to refill the reservoirs.,,,,Debbie

Debbie,
It was an experiment. I had it in hydroton, this is the only reason I tried the pop bottle. I had had the cutting for about 6 months with no roots, so I was desperate to get it to root. I tend to keep my epies on the dry side. I can get another cutting, but it just seem like a bother to beg for another.