Turn Empty Glass Jars into Tiny Bottle Gardens
One Jam Jar Can Become a Tiny Garden
Don’t throw away empty jam jars or sauce jars. A wide-mouth glass jar makes an excellent mini garden container on its own. Add a layer of soil and plant small greenery, and you can keep a touch of green nearby even in a small space. Because it needs watering less often, it also suits people who often end up killing houseplants.
| Section | Key summary |
|---|---|
| One Jam Jar Can Become a Tiny Garden | Don’t throw away empty jam jars or sauce jars |
| Starter Supplies and Budget | Most materials can be gathered from home or a local garden shop for around 10,000 to 20,000 won |
| Difficulty and Watering | The difficulty level is low to moderate |
| First Assembly Steps | Wash the jar with detergent and dry it completely so no moisture remains |
| Choosing a Spot for Long Life | Glass jars gather sunlight and the inside heats up quickly |
Starter Supplies and Budget
Most materials can be gathered from home or a local garden shop for around 10,000 to 20,000 won. Once you have saved the jars, the remaining supplies can be bought once and used again and again for several jars.
- 1 to 3 wide-mouth glass jars: 0 won. Wash empty jam or sauce jars with detergent and dry them completely.
- Coarse sand and small gravel: 2,000 to 4,000 won per bag, for the drainage layer
- A small amount of potting soil: 3,000 to 5,000 won per bag
- 1 to 2 types of small, hardy plants: 2,000 to 5,000 won per pot. Succulents, moss, or small ferns are recommended.
- Long tweezers or chopsticks and a small spoon: use what you already have at home, 0 won
Difficulty and Watering
The difficulty level is low to moderate. If you keep the soil amount and water amount under control, failures are rare. The most common mistake is giving too much water, causing water to pool inside the jar and the roots to rot. Since glass jars have no holes, the drainage layer of gravel is the safety measure. For succulents, water once every 2 to 3 weeks. For moss or ferns, lightly mist only the surface with a spray bottle when the soil dries.
First Assembly Steps
- Wash the jar with detergent and dry it completely so no moisture remains. Leftover moisture can become the starting point for mold.
- Add gravel or coarse sand to the bottom up to one-fifth of the jar’s height. This is the drainage layer where excess water collects.
- Fill soil on top up to one-third of the jar’s height. If there is too much soil, there will be less room to plant.
- Gently shake soil off the plant roots, make a hole in the soil with chopsticks, place the roots inside, and press around them to secure the plant.
- Use a spray bottle to moisten only the surface of the soil. Do not pour water in heavily.
- Place it by a bright window away from direct sunlight. For the first week, only observe its condition without adding more water.
Choosing a Spot for Long Life
Glass jars gather sunlight and the inside heats up quickly. If placed directly by a south-facing window in midsummer, the leaves can scorch, so the safest spot is where soft light comes through a lace curtain. If water droplets stay on the inside of the jar all day, that means there is too much moisture, so open the lid, if there is one, for a few days to let it dry.