Peperomia Root Growth in Water, Soil, and Nutrient Solution
Medium
Can a leaf cutting grow roots faster in water than in soil? You take nine 10 cm shoots from a peperomia plant and split them into three groups:
- Plain tap water
- Potting soil with regular watering
- A nutrient solution (tap water mixed with liquid plant food)
Each group sits by a window for two weeks. Then you measure the root length from the base of the leaf to the tip. The shoots in the hydroponic groups grew the longest roots. The soil group had the smallest growth.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that when growing leaves hydroponically, the roots will grow faster than the leaves in soil.
Method & Materials
You will set up three groups of plants, one in chemical solution, one in tap water, and one in soil. You will measure the root growth of the plants after two weeks.
You will need nine plastic 165 ml clear cups, nine plant shoots 10 cm long, one bottle of Shultz Plant Food Plus, one bag of potting soil, one designated room for growing, two Peperomia plants, and one portable tray.
Results
The results of the experiment showed that the best growing plants were the plants growing in the hydroponic groups. The group with the smallest growth were the soil groups. This experiment showed that the hypothesis should be accepted because the hydroponic groups grew better than the soil groups.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it can give scientists ideas on future experiments and help gardeners possibly grow stronger healthier plants.
Also Consider
Variations to consider include using different types of plants and conducting more tests in each group.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.Related video
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