How to Use Plastic Bottles Over Seedlings

You can sprout seedlings in used plastic bottles.

If you are teaching young children about basic botany or life science, you can make the material you are teaching more effective by providing the kids with an interactive project that will allow them to get their hands dirty. For example, you can show the kids how to make a small greenhouse out of a plastic soda bottle, which can help encourage seedlings to sprout and grow by trapping in moisture and heat.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic soda bottle, 2 liter
• Knife
• Potting soil
• Seeds

Instructions

1. Rinse out a plastic soda bottle, and allow it to dry completely for two hours.

2. Cut the soda bottle in half width-wise using a knife. The top half of the bottle will have the spout opening, and the bottom half will have the bottom of the bottle.

3. Fill the bottom portion of the bottle with potting soil. You can buy potting soil at any gardening or home improvement store. Moisten the soil with 1 cup of water.

4. Poke your finger into the soil five to six times, and insert a seed into each hole. Cover the holes with more potting soil, and pat them down slightly.

5. Place the top portion of the soda bottle back onto the bottom portion. Join the two bottle pieces together by sliding the lower edge of the top half over the upper edge of the bottom half. Place the completed soda bottle greenhouse in a sunny location. After a couple weeks, the seeds will sprout into seedlings.

References

• Education; Make a Soda Bottle Greenhouse; Hannah Boyd; August 2007