How to Grow Unlimited Supply of Onions in Big Plastic Bottles at Home

Ralph Astley is a retired gardener from Philadelphia who specializes in outdoor plants and trees. With years of hands-on experience, Ralph not only cares for a diverse range of outdoor flora but also shares his extensive knowledge through well-written articles and social media posts. A trusted authority in arboriculture, he's committed to helping the community grow healthier, more robust gardens.
Learn About Editorial Policy

2-Minute Read

Want to Grow an Unlimited Supply of Onions in Big Plastic Bottles at Home? Here’s a complete guide to help you out!

Grow Unlimited Supply of Onions in Big Plastic Bottles 1

Do you love onions but are tired of constant grocery store runs? Our guide will show you how to plant onions at home and grow a never-ending supply of onions using nothing more than big plastic bottles! It’s a fun and easy way to get fresh onions whenever you want them.


Grow Unlimited Supply of Onions in Big Plastic Bottles at Home

We bet you’ve never thought about growing your own onions in a recycled bottle! It’s a cool way to save space and get fresh onions on hand whenever you need them. Plus, it’s kind of fun to see them sprout right there in the plastic! Here’s how to do it.

Stuff You’ll Need

  • A big, empty plastic bottle (like a 5-liter water bottle)–the bigger the bottle, the more onions you can grow! You can use these for many genius things.
  • Onion sets (baby onions) or onion bulbs (the bigger ones you find in the store).
  • Potting mix or well-draining soil–this is like a special kind of dirt that helps plants grow happy and healthy.
  • Scissors or a utility knife (ask an adult for help with this one!)
  • Water.

Once you have everything ready, you can start growing onions at home.


How to Grow an Unlimited Supply of Onions in a Big Plastic Bottle at Home

Step 1: Get your Bottle Ready

First, grab that empty plastic bottle and peel off any stickers or labels. Make sure it’s totally clean and dry on the inside, too. You can use a big soda bottle or any container that’s big enough for your onion dreams.

Step 2: Make Some Planting Holes

Carefully cut a few small holes on the sides of the bottle with scissors or a sharp knife (again, get an adult to help with this step if you can’t handle it!). The number of holes depends on how many onions you want to grow, and each hole will be a cozy home for one onion bulb.

Step 3: Fill ‘er Up with Dirt!

Now comes the fun part–filling the bottle with soil! Pour in the potting mix or well-draining soil until it reaches the first row of holes you made. Fluff it up a bit with your fingers so it’s nice and loose–this helps the onion roots breathe easily.

Step 4: Planting Time

Grab your onion sets or bulbs. Gently push them through the holes, pointy root end going down into the soil and green shoots facing out. That’s pretty much it. You just have to be careful that they don’t get damaged when you push them in.

Step 5: More Dirt, More Holes, More Onions!

Add more soil to cover the first row of onions. Then, make another set of holes a little higher up on the bottle. Pop more onion bulbs in these new holes, following the same root-down, shoot-up method. Keep adding soil and planting onions until your bottle is full of happy little green sprouts.

Step 6: Give them a Drink

Now that your onions are all settled in, give them a good drink of water. You want the soil to be moist all the way through but not soggy. Remember, onions don’t like their feet (roots) too wet!

Step 7: Now, the Sunshine

Find a sunny spot for your onion bottle garden. Aim for at least 6-8 hours of sunlight a day so your onions can grow big and strong. Keep watering them regularly, but don’t overdo it–remember, well-drained soil is happy soil!

Step 8: Harvest the Onions

Once your onions reach a good size, you can start picking them! Just carefully pull them out of the holes. The beauty of this method is that you can harvest a few at a time, letting the others keep growing in their bottle home.

Regular onions grown from seeds take about 100-175 days to mature, while sets or bulbs are a bit faster at 85-120 days. Growing them in a bottle might take a little longer because they have less space and nutrients than in a garden bed. But hey, it’s a fun experiment! Plus, this method is perfect for growing green onions, which you can harvest in just 3-4 weeks! So, are you ready to try your hand at bottle gardening?

Join our 3 Million Followers:

2.6MFollowers
300kFans
69kSubscribers

Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here