Carol Goitia, an urban gardener, demonstrated in a video how one can start an urban garden without having to spend a lot by turning a soft drink bottle into a self-watering planter:

First. Prepare your materials including a plastic bottle, scissors, soil, fabric, water, and your plant or seedlings.  

Second. Cut the bottle in half horizontally using your scissors or cutter.

Third. Seal the neck of the bottle using fabric or the likes before stuffing it with soil. Fill with soil.

Fourth. Add water to the base part of the bottle. Insert the other part neck-down on top of this half of your bottle so that the neck is submerged in water.

Refilling of water must be done every three days or after the water dries up.

Fifth. Before transferring your plant, you will need a stick to dig into the soil and to loosen it prior to picking the seedling. Once the soil has loosened up, gently pull up the plant by holding its leaf and not its stem so it won’t get damaged from the warmth of your hands. Lessen the soil clinging on the roots too if needed.

Sixth. Replant your seedling into your self-watering planter and cover with soil up to the plant’s stem.

Seven. Make sure the soil is moist. Wait until the plant sprout more leaves so you can expose it to the morning light. As per Goitia, the plants do not like heat but rather, they like the light so placing them in a spot with lots of sunlight or light but not in direct sunlight is recommended.

See for yourself:

Read more about farming and gardening at agriculture.com.ph.