Magnetic Fridge Herb Garden

I love having fresh herbs in the kitchen to use in a variety of dishes. I decided to use them to create more green in the kitchen and to upgrade the look of the fridge.. In a few very simple steps i explain how you can make your own fridge herb garden.

Step 1: The Materials

For this small project you need.

- 4 neodymium magnets. 10mm/5mm/4mm (In this project i used these magnets. You can choose which magnets you need to keep the pot in place)

- Apoxy clay (two components)

-1.5 liter plastic square bottle.

-Hobby knife

Step 2: Cutting the Bottle

The start is to cut the bottle to make it the right size for the herb plant to fit in. I choose for a 1.5 liter plastic bottle because of the weight. Since the pots placed vertical i wanted to make the surrounding as light as possible. I wanted a square shaped bottle so i could place the magnets next to each other. This to prevent the bottle to slide up side down. What I like also about the plastic bottles that you see the roots of the plant.

My first thought was to use the bottom part of the bottle. Most inside pots have holes to drain the water so that the plant won't rot of overdue of water. Using the top of the bottle there is space on the bottom for the water to go and with the bottle top to drain the water. Plus I like the look of the bottle as a pot.

Simply by using a hobby knife i cut the bottle in the desired size.

Step 3: Placing the Magnets

The next step is to decide where to place the magnets on the bottle. I tested the bottle on the fridge with the magnets. I looked how strong the connection is and that the bottle is stable. Since I want to place the bottles on the door of the fridge it has to be stable enough not to slide down and stable enough not to turn. I my case making a square of the magnets seemed the best solution.

To keep the magnets in place i used apoxy clay. after its hardened it is incredibility strong and will keep the magnets in place. Glue could do the trick as well. I was not concerned of the look of the backside of the bottle since it will be covered with the herb plants.

Apoxy clay consist of two components which harden when you mix. Make two balls of component A and B of the same size and roll them together till u only see one color. After that it is ready to use. You have about a hour to work with it, slowly it becomes harder and less sticky.

Press the magnet in a bit of apoxy clay and place it on the correct place of the bottle. Do this with all the four magnets. I placed it on the fridge and let the apoxy clay harden for 6 to 8 hours.

Step 4: Place the Herb Plant in the Pot

The last step is to put the plants in the bottle and place it on the fridge. A very easy way to save space and upgrade the look of the fridge. when you want to water the plants just take them of the fridge on put under the tab and place them back.

I hope you enjoyed this instruction in how to simply upgrade the look of your fridge. I just made this design and now i have to wait to see how the plants will perform. Please feel free to give feedback, advice or to ask questions.

Comments

[diffinfarm]

Finally herbs where and when you need them!

[antioch]

Oh my. It's not clay and it's ridiculously toxic to everything that procreates.Don't put it in moist earth. Like, ever.

[antioch]

(All epoxy is, even the rare ones that don't use BPA as their phenol component)

[Gronings Wild]

Not the world best gardener i suppose. :) Thank you for the feedback. Good to know. but this is something easy to fix. Make a dubbel layer so the apoxy does not touch the soil. Much possibilities for improvement. :)

[deluges]

That's really cool, I like how you can drain excess water by unscrewing the cap. You could add a magnetic fishbowl too! (open slowly or sushi)

I the plants start dying though, try covering the plastic with something opaque as roots don't love light too much

[Gronings Wild]

Thank you Deluges,

I myself am not the best gardener. Was not aware that roots prefer dark. It makes totally sense. :) You can make this design with all different materials. You also could use a carton juice box and perhaps cover the edges. The inside is made for keeping liquids in. And then still you can use it with a cap. The main thing you want to keep it as light as possible.