Make Self-watering Planters Using Wine Bottles

Mark a line with a permanent marker to saw the copper tubing with a hacksaw. Secure the copper tubing in a vise so that you can make a clean cut. If you have a large vise, be careful not to squeeze too hard and bend the pipe out of shape. Cut the pipe to 24” length with a hacksaw.

Wine bottle necks vary in length, usually 3-4”. You want the end of the pipe inside the bottle to just reach the bottom of the neck.

With a small flat metal file remove any sharp burrs from the cut edges of the pipes so that they can be smoothly inserted into the adapters.

Insert the longer piece of copper tube into the ‘male’ copper adapter and secure the tube with the electrical tape, wrapping it 1 and ½ times around before cutting.

Wrap the threads of the male adapter with the Teflon tape, stretching the tape slightly so that it fills in the threads as shown. Overlap the tape slightly and cut with scissors.

Insert the shorter copper tube into the female adapter, secure it with electrical tape,  1 & ½ times around the tube. Then connect the two pieces of tubing. You should be able to see where the electrical tape sits on each section of the adapters. 

Clamp the male adapter into the vise and screw the adapters together, tightening the female adapter with the wrench. No need to use a lot of force, just get them snug.

Slip one of the O-Rings over the short end of the tube so that it seats up against the tapered shoulder of the female adapter. This will help seal the bottle and prevent it from dripping once it’s filled with water.

Place the short section of the copper tube into the wine bottle. It should fit snugly.

Place the bottle upright, O-Ring is at top of bottle opening. Don’t force it inside the bottle. Using waterproof silicone sealant, draw a bead of sealant around the tube/adapter joint, set the bottle aside. 

Fill the bottle with water (remove copper funnel first). Before placing the bottle into the container garden, poke a hole in the soil with a bamboo stake (or similar) to mark placement. Insert at angle.