bottom heat

noun

, Horticulture.

1. heat artificially applied to a container in which plants are grown in order to induce their germination, rooting, or growth.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bottom heat¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Pepper seeds may take two weeks to germinate without bottom heat to the seed tray.

From Washington Post

The germination of pepper, tomato and eggplant seeds is faster if their seed trays have bottom heat.

From Washington Post

At this point, light isn’t critical, but bottom heat, like placing the pot on a ledge above a radiator or on top of the refrigerator, can encourage the bulb to break dormancy.

From Seattle Times

For propagation cuttings of the rhizome may be taken in August, and placed in pans of light soil, with a bottom heat of 60� to 70� Fahr.; hellebores can also be grown from seed, which must be sown as soon as ripe, since it quickly loses its vitality.

From Project Gutenberg

Hollyhocks are propagated from seed, or by division of the root, or by planting out in rich sandy soil, in a close frame, with a gentle bottom heat, single eyes from woodshoots, or cuttings from outgrowths of the old stock or of the lateral offsets of the spike.

From Project Gutenberg