This is one of my chili plant that I planted vertically.
Yes, it is vertically planted.
And I would like to share to you the success of my experiment.
Chili is now so expensive these days. I think yearly, the price increases when Christmas is coming (in the Philippines).
That's why I planted chilis months ago. Some of them had been gifted to my friends and families so they can have their own chilis in times of price increase this Christmas.
So, let me share to you what I've done. Although this is just a simple methods and techniques, I will still show you the way I made it.
First, we need a soda plastic bottles.
I cut on a bottom side of the bottle to make room for my scissors.
Then I continued to cut using scissors.
Next thing I did is to apply heat on the edges of the bottle. This make the bottle much smoother and stronger, and prevent an accident skin cut when watering.
Using a soldering iron, I put holes on the bottle's neck so it will be the additional drain holes for water.
I also put holes on the sides.
This will help oxygen to penetrate the soil and the roots.
Then additional 2 holes on the bottom part of the bottles. This will be our attachment for strings or wires.
I usually use nylon as string for hanging. But this time I will use coated wire from a fiber internet cable wire.
I'm securing the wire to the 2 holes on the bottom so it will not fall when it is already hanging. The bottom of the bottle will be our top after we completed this project.
I prepared a nutrient-rich soil for my plant. I usually mix garden soil, vermicast, carbonized rice hull and eggshells for my soil. The chili plant needs a lot of nutrients to give us abundant harvest.
The carbonized rice hull can make the soil acidic. The soil needs to be acidic so the plant can easily convert nutrient into their food.
They also needs calcium from eggshells to prevent flowers and fruits from falling.
The vermicast gives the plant perfect NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium).
I already prepared seedlings weeks ago. And it is time to transplant them.
I inserted the roots on the mouth of the bottle. Deep enough for the roots reached the middle.
I carefully put soil in the bottle.
I compressed the soil so the soil is not easily drained when watering. It is also way for the plant to be stable.
The plant seems to planted upside down. But days will come and it will be standing on their own cause the leaves will seek for the light and eventually will stand correctly.
It's time for watering our plant.
Give much water it needs. This will prevent the plant from transplanting shock. And it also need to rest on a shaded area for weeks until it is stable.
Now, I will be waiting for it to stand correctly.
I still have my own inverted chilis.
One of it is on flowering stage.
And other one is in recovery stage. I don't know exactly what happened to this plant. One day, I woke up that the trunk is missing.
Maybe it was accidentally bumped or something broke it down. I don't know. But the good thing is, it is striving to survive. And I'm so thankful with that.
This the chili plant that I gave to my friend @boykampante.
It has already have fruits. Maybe in next days the fruits will be ripe and they will start to benefits on its fruits.
PROs and CONs
Maybe the only CONs that I'm thinking is the nutrient supply. It need to be supplied weekly for a healthy plant cause the soil is only limited. The plant can't find nutrients on its own. You need to feed them of what they needs (fertilizers).
But the PROs are more.
One is the space. The plant only require a small area. We can hang it almost everywhere, from the tube of our clothesline to branches or stems of a tree, or on our gates and fences. Almost everywhere as long as there are spaces for hanging.
Another is if there is a storm or it is too hot, we can took them and put them on a more safe place.
This is also cost efficient. Even when you're buying a commercial garden soil, which is expensive, it is still econimical cause it only consume less soil than when it is in big pots.
This is all I can think of.
If you have something to add on CONs and PROs, please comment below.
I will appreciate your comments and suggestions.
DEVELOPMENT
DAY 1 (12-13-2022): Still upside down
DAY 2 (12-14-2022): Slightly turning up
DAY 3 (12-15-2022): It seems there's no change. It's raining and I had to put it under the uv plastic.
DAY 4 (12-16-2022): Still trying to turning up.
DAY 5 (12-17-2022): Still no major progress.
DAY 6 (12-18-2022): It seems that it is not in a hurry to turn up.
DAY 8 (12-20-2022): Progress.
(Sorry, I was busy yesterday. I forgot to update)
DAY 10 (12-22-2022): Progress - it looks like it is already stable.
(I will update this post daily until it is already stable)
And that's it. I hope you also try it. And if you have questions, comments and suggestions, please do.
I will answer it surely and happily.
See you on my next post.
Happy Gardening!
