Bottle Biology Upcycled Growing System
CUTTING THE BOTTLE
1. Using a pen or Sharpie, draw a line around the bottle where the shoulder of the planting unit would sit comfortably inside the base. 2. Puncture a hole in the bottle where you want to cut using a sharp knife or blade. 3. Cut plastic bottle into two pieces along the line. Cut with the scissors pointing downward to make smoother cuts. 4. Flip the planting unit upside down, put two small cord holes on each side of the planting unit near the top edge using a hole punch, safety pin or heated nail. 5. Melt two small holes on each side of the base unit, also near the top. 6. Melt a small hole in the bottle cap.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
1 plastic bottle with cap Scissors Marking pen #18 braided nylon string Sharp knife or blade with sharp point Nail and gas torch, stove or candle flame, OR Hole punch 1-3 petri dishes 1 8-oz deli container Paper towel Soil Water
MAKING A HOT NAIL POKE Make your own hot nail poke using a piece of wood and a nail. Find a tree branch that is approximately 1 cm or so in diameter, and cut a 6-cm piece off the branch. Use a hammer to stick the nail into the piece of wood.
1
CONSTRUCTING THE UNIT 1. Cut a piece of braided Mason string that is half your armspan (from the tip of your nose to the tip of your finger, when your arm is straight out to your side). 2. String the braided Mason string through one of the holes in the base from the inside of the base to the outside. 3. Pull the braided Mason string through the hole and tie a knot on the end. The knot should be on the inside of the base. 4. String the braided Mason string through one of the holes in the planting unit from the outside to the inside of the planting unit. 5. String the braided Mason string through the hole on the opposite side of the planting unit, from inside the planting unit to the outside. 6. String the braided Mason string through the hole on the planting unit from the outside of the planting unit to the inside 7. Tie a knot in the braided Mason string, so the knot is on the inside of the planting unit. 8. Pull the planting unit down the string until it is resting on the base.
Where do the materials come from? Recycled plastic bottles: Camp Randall Stadium Soil: W. Madison Agriculture Research Station Water: Lake Mendota sample Plants: Buttercruch lettuce Light: Natural sunlight, desk lamp
2
GROWING A SEED
1. Cut a strip of paper towel that is 1 cm wide and ~30 cm long. 2. Cut diagonally to create ‘diamond wicks’ that are 3 cm long from tip to tip. 3. Trace the bottom of one of the petri dishes on paper towel and cut to make paper towel discs (3 total) that are ~ 9 cm in diameter. 4. Wet the paper towel discs and place each one into a petri plate. Place 10 diamond wicks onto each paper towel disk. 5. Place 1-2 seeds on the top half of each diamond wick, and put the lid on the petri plate. 6. Fill 8-oz deli container with 1-1.5 cm of water; place each petri plate at a steep angle in the deli container. 7. Place the deli container under a good light source and observe as the seeds germinate. When the the leaves have expanded, the seedling can be transferred to the terraqua unit.
BUILDING A SYSTEM 1. Collect water from a local water body or faucet. 2. Twist the cap onto the planting unit. 3. Cut a 6-inch piece of braided Mason string. Fold it in half and string it up into the planting unit, folded end first. 4. Transfer water and soil to to the base of the unit, filling the base until the water level is 2-3 mm below the bottom of the bottle cap. 5. Fill the planting unit with soil and plant your seedling ~0.6 cm deep in the soil. 6. Place your terraqua unit under a lamp or a window for 12 hours a day, and watch your plant grow!
3
MAINTENANCE
Once constructed, terraqua units require very little maintenance. Soil in the planting unit and base provide the plant nutrients. Water in the base hydrates the plant, so it does not need watering. Monitor the water level in the base, and add water when the level drops 1 cm or so below the cap. Make sure the unit is near a good light source, such as a south-facing window.
WHY IT MATTERS The Bottle Biology campaign seeks to reduce waste by repurposing plastic bottles as biology teaching tools and on campus greenroofs. Repurposing, or upcycling, everyday items is a great way to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
STAY ENGAGED Take pictures of your terraqua unit as it grows and share them with the Office of Sustainability on Facebook and Twitter using #BBio. Sign up by entering your contact information on sustainability.wisc.edu/bottlebiology to receive an invite to a Bottle Biology follow-up event. Visit sustainability.wisc.edu for more information about Bottle Biology.
For more Bottle Biology activities, visit bottlebiology.org University of Wisconsin-Madison Office of Sustainability sustainability.wisc.edu 09/07/2013
4