Make a Mini-Greenhouse
A greenhouse isn't green! It's a structure with walls and a roof made of glass or plastic that traps heat from the Sun and moisture from the soil. This makes for perfect conditions for a seed to sprout and grow into a big, strong plant before the growing season starts outside.
Materials
Make a Mini Greenhouse!
So you say you want to plant seeds, but it's still too cold outside? Make a mini-greenhouse using easy-to-find materials and plant seeds inside. What will you grow?
Find containers for the greenhouse and pot(s). Check your recycling bin! For the pots, you want containers that you can easily punch holes into for drainage, and that your greenhouse will cover. Anything taken from the recycling bin should be cleaned with soap and water.
Have a grownup help you cut the greenhouse container in half. The top piece will be your greenhouse. The bottom piece can be used as a pot or a base, or recycled if you use something else. Save the cap!
Use a thumbtack to add several small holes to the bottom of your pot(s).
Fill each pot nearly to the top with potting soil or seed-starting mix.
Check your seed packet for the planting depth, and poke a shallow hole in the soil. Use your ruler to make sure it is deep enough for your seed. Gently pat soil over your seed.
Place your pot(s) into the base of your greenhouse, and water your seeds with the spray bottle.
Cover the pot(s) with the top of the greenhouse. You can nest the top into the base or place it over the base. Make sure the cap is on the jug/bottle.
Make a note of the date you planted and the type of seed, and move your greenhouse to a sunny, warm spot that receives a lot of sunlight throughout the day.
Check your pots each day to make sure the soil is still moist. Add water, if needed.
Wait for your seedlings to emerge. Onward and grow-ward!
Tips for Success
- On warmer days or if your greenhouse looks very wet, let some air into your greenhouse, such as by removing the cap or taking the top off for an hour or two
- Depending on what you plant, you may need to move, or transplant, your seedling to a larger pot once it gets too big for your greenhouse. See this Nature Cat DIY for making a pot out of a milk carton
- When it is warm enough outside, you can plant your seedling in the ground or a larger container
A Closer Look at Greenhouses
Take a close look at your greenhouse after it has been in a sunny window for a day. Do you see water droplets along the top and sides of the container? Your greenhouse isn't just helping your seed start to grow, it is also an example of the water cycle! As the Sun heats up the air inside your greenhouse, the water evaporates. But the water vapor is trapped so it condenses when it is exposed to the cooler surface of the container, and water droplets form. Evaporation, condensation and precipitation. That's the water cycle!
Science