[David.]

Has anyone tried using an upturned bottle, filled with water, lid on loosely, to water thirsty plants while you're away say for a long weekend?

Yes - in upstairs window boxes whilst away on holiday and neighbour didn't get given key/access to house so could only water ground floor window boxes/hanging baskets, but I screwed the top on tight and made some tiny holes in the underside so it took 2/3 days to drain out.

Also use them with bottoms cut off, inverted and held in place on sticks to get water through holes when planting through polythene mulch.

[Paul Plots]

Being lazy I've not read all the way through:

Has anyone considered a scare-crow? Something in the style of "Bill & Ben the Flower Pot Men" (for those of you not too young to know what I'm on about).

It'd make a magnificent racket in the wind and add to the aesthetic decoration on the plot

Personally the noise would drive me further round the bend but I bet it'd keep the pigeons off.

[BestBreast]

I like that idea but doubt my chickens will lol

[Paul Plots]

This is a link of how to make a greenhouse out of pop bottles

I don't think I could drink enough lemonade to make this:

LINK



I use pop bottles filled with water like bricks to hold plastic sheeting down

Just spotted the lnk.....
What a brilliant idea for a school project - recycle and go green gardening!

[BestBreast]

Love the greenhouse, but not sure I would ever get enough bottles.... well maybe I could ask my mum's school.... That could be a good idea. lol 

[mashbintater]

I love that greenhouse too, the only problem I can think of (apart from planning permission for where I want to put it) is, the mildew build-up between bottles. A conventional greenhouse were you're (meant) to clean glass panes before growing season, I take it you recycle old used bottles & thread  on new ones?

[sclarke624]

they make great dog toys or fill with pasta or something for little ones to make a racket with under supervision of course.

[Jeanieblue]

For catching/saving urine, to be mixed 1 part urine with 5 parts water for throwing onto compost heaps as an activator or for giving brassicas a much appreciated nitrogen boost.  This may be recycling at it's best, but I appreciate that for some folk on the plot, it could prove tricky. As a retired nurse, I can only politely suggest ladies try slicing the side off a 4 litre milk carton, remembering to leave the lid on to make what used to be quaintly called a 'slipper pan'. And before anyone shouts me down for lowering the tone, this idea comes from a perfectly respectable source:  John Harrison's Essential Allotment Guide.  All I've done is help with the logistics!   

[Starring_Emma]

Cut the bottom off and use it to put over small plants incase of frost

[Elcie]

I planted my beetroot seeds today.  Cut the bottom off plastic bottles and put them over the top to increase the warmth.  did leave the lid off though as I didn't want to suffocate them!  Put a through the bottle opening so that they don't blow away.

Hey presto, cheap cloches!

[mashbintater]

Was that "put a cane thru the bottle opening" Else? Good idea 

A non- gardening use is fill a bottle with tap water,  put lid on & store in a cardboard box ( so it doesn't roll around & burst) in car boot with the top half off another bottle to act as funnel. Ideal to keep your window washer bottle topped up especially if you pour a drop of window cleaner in the bottle too.

You can also buy attachements to screw onto bottles to use as bird feeders & water reservoirs for them too.

I've also used the middle sections of plastic bottles instead of cut up plant pots, to make those collars to grow tom plants in so you know where to water & where to feed.