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Plant Hormones Science Fair Project

Growth Hormones and Plant Cutting Speed

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Growth Hormones and Plant Cutting Speed | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Do store-bought growth hormones really speed up plant growth? You take cuttings from geraniums and impatiens. Then you dip some cuttings in one of two hormones: Rootone 10 (an over-the-counter product) or Hormex (an industrial-grade hormone). A third group gets no hormone at all. All cuttings go into heated soil under a grow light. You measure them daily for seven weeks. The hormone-treated cuttings grow taller and root faster than the untreated ones. Between the two hormones, the industrial version (Hormex) produces the fastest development.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that the cuttings with the plant hormones will grow faster than the cuttings without the hormones.

Method & Materials

You will take nodal cuttings from Geraniums and Impatiens, dip them in two different types of plant hormones, plant them in soil with a heating cable, and place them in a greenhouse with a grow light.
You will need two different types of plant hormones, Geraniums and Impatiens cuttings, soil with a heating cable, and a grow light.

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Results

The results showed that the cuttings with the plant hormones grew faster and had more developed roots than the cuttings without the hormones. The industrial version of the hormone was more effective than the over-the-counter version.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it shows how plant hormones can help plants grow faster and more efficiently.

Also Consider

Experiment variations to consider include testing different types of plants and different types of hormones.

Full project details

Additional information and source material for this project are available below.

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