Seeing green

Spring is looking like it might actually be a reality, despite sudden swings between 14 degrees and 10 below these last few weeks. All in all, I remain hopefuly that the Earth will continue on its usual orbit and that the weather will become consistently warm once more. With that in mind, 2 weeks ago I planted my first tomato seeds.

I made a self-watering seed starter out of a Tim Hortons water bottle from my lunch. I started out by cutting it into two at around the place where the bottle becomes ribbed (for her pleasure? I highly doubt it). The plastic bottle cap was thin enough that I was able to poke a hole in it using a metal poker that I have. I think the original purpose has something to do with tying up meat with string, but I bought them in university when I used to have an annual egg dying party for Easter. They're great for poking holes in the shells to get the insides out!

I got some cotton yarn from my yarn closet and cut off about 6 inches. I inserted it through the hole and tied a knot on the inside of the cap.

I filled the bottom with water and the top with potting soil (my potting soil from last year had completely dried out and it was quite an ordeal to re-introduce moisture into the soil). I made sure to keep the yarn as centered in the soil as possible. Then I placed the soil-filled top with the cap facing down into the water-filled bottom. Now the cotton yarn becomes a wick! I've barely touched it for the whole 2 weeks and I've certainly never watered it. Yet the soil is as moist as it was when I first planted it.