A hothouse creates a warm and humid environment for plants by trapping heat and moisture. This helps seedlings germinate more quickly, conserves moisture in the potting soil and helps protect plants from cold drafts or frost. You can easily create mini hothouses for plants by using plastic soda bottles. You can use 2-liter bottles, or smaller plastic bottles, depending on your needs.
Squirt ½ tsp. of dish detergent into the soda bottle. Fill the bottle with warm water and shake it vigorously to clean it out. Remove labels from the bottle at this time as well. If the label is difficult to remove, saturate it first with dish soap and warm water.
2
Pour out the soapy water from the soda bottle. Rinse it out with warm water until no more suds form.
3
Punch four equally spaced, ¼-inch drainage holes in the bottom of the soda bottle, using an awl or ice pick.
4
Put on thick leather gloves to protect your hands. Cut the bottle in half, starting 4 to 5 inches from the bottom. Remove the top part and cut vertical slits, using scissors or the knife, in the bottom sides. This way you'll be able to bend the plastic in enough to secure the top part over the bottom.
5
Fill the bottom half of the soda bottle with potting soil. Moisten it and plant your seeds or seedling.
6
Place the top half back on the bottle, minus the lid to the bottle. Place the bottle in a sunny area.
Tips & Warnings
Instead of using the whole bottle, you may put the top half of a soda bottle over a regular plant pot to achieve a similar effect.
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