After one chilly start, spring is finally settling in a bit. But just in case the cool weather hangs around a while longer, here’s a quick and fun way to jump-start seeds or cuttings when the weather isn’t quite cooperating. You’ll still have time to try this for Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash or tomatoes, which should not go into the ground until it gets warm – usually mid to late May in the Puget Sound area – according to information from the WSU Extension office.
The five-minute greenhouse was developed by Susan L. Harrington, the chief education officer for Labyrinth Hill Lavender in Hansville and presented by the Bainbridge Island Garden Club with the help of local Girl Scouts. It’s a variation on a simple theme that uses recycled and handy household materials, teaching kids both the satisfaction of reusing disposable items as well as the genuine science of greenhouses and the carbon dioxide-oxygen cycle.
What You’ll Need:
• A plastic beverage bottle (any size will do) • Scissors • Tape • Plastic Bread Tab • Some type of potting soil or mix • 4” to 6” inch cuttings or seeds
Getting Started:
• First, poke five to six holes in the bottom of the bottle for drainage. • Using the scissors, cut around the bottle about five inches from the bottom, leaving a hinge (an uncut section) approximately one to two inches. • Next, add three to four inches of moist (but not wet) potting mix. • Plant three to four seeds or cuttings into the planting mix. • Take a piece of tape, with a plastic bread tab attached, and fasten the top half of the bottle to the bottom half. This will be your latch. • And now your greenhouse is done!
Once your child’s greenhouse is planted, he should check weekly to make sure the soil is still moist. If needed, add a few drops of water. Seeds will sprout sooner than the cuttings, so depending on which was planted your child should see roots within one to four weeks. Once roots are visible through the clear sides, it’s time to transplant the sprouts. When the weather is cold, the plant needs to be acclimatized for a few days by setting it outside in the afternoon in a warm and sheltered place for a few hours each day.
Happy Planting!
Carbon Dioxide and Greenhouses
Greenhouses, whether commercial or tiny, like the one your child just made, are positive contributions to a healthy planet. After humans and animals exhale carbon dioxide, plants, through photosynthesis, absorb CO2 and emit oxygen, performing the necessary and essential process called the carbon dioxide-oxygen cycle.
To a certain extent, the more CO2 a plant is exposed to, the faster and healthier it will become, and the more oxygen it will produce.
As a final fun experiment, each morning have your child lift the lid of their greenhouse and blow gently into the bottle. They can both get rid of their CO2 and help their plant to grow at the same time. Thus, in making the Five-Minute Greenhouse, not only is your child recycling that old coke bottle, they’re helping to recycle bad air and make the earth a healthier place! How cool is that?!
