You can make a simple drip-waterer from a clean 2-litre plastic beverage bottle. Never use a bleach bottle, pesticide bottle, or any other chemical container—even if it looks clean. Health Canada advises people not to reuse empty household-chemical containers.
- Ask an adult to rinse a clean beverage bottle and cut a hole in its bottom. Cutting plastic can leave sharp edges.
- Fill the bottle with plain water and screw on the cap.
- Turn it upside down and loosen the cap just enough to let water drip slowly.
- Test it over a sink or outdoors. Adjust the cap so the water empties gradually rather than pouring out.
- Push the neck gently into the soil beside the plant. Do not force it against the plant’s roots.
- Check the bottle and the soil regularly. A drip bottle is helpful, but it does not tell you whether a plant is getting too much or too little water.
Use plain water in this bottle. If a plant needs fertilizer, ask an adult to choose and apply it according to the product label and the advice on our fertilizer page.