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Botany Science Fair Project

Fertilizer Concentration and Radish Growth

Easy
Fertilizer Concentration and Radish Growth | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
How much fertilizer is too much for a plant? You grow radish seeds in five groups of three pots each. Every group gets a different strength of fertilizer mixed into the water. Concentrations range from 33% to 166% of the recommended level. You water the pots twice a day and measure plant height after ten days. The radishes watered at the recommended concentration grow tallest. Plants that get too little or too much fertilizer grow the slowest.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that watering a plant with too little or too much fertilizer will slow down its growth.

Method & Materials

You will divide 15 pots into 5 groups with 3 plants in each group. Each group will be watered with a different concentration of fertilizer. Measure the average height of the plants after 10 days to see which concentration of fertilizer had the most effect.
You will need 1 packet of radish seeds, 15 plastic pots, soil, Hasta Gro fertilizer, tap water, a ruler, 5 plastic containers, and a measuring cup.

Results

The results showed that the plants in group C, which were watered with the recommended concentration of fertilizer, had the fastest growth in 10 days. The plants in groups A and E, which were watered with too little or too much fertilizer, had the slowest growth in the 10 days.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it shows how important it is to use the correct amount of fertilizer when watering plants. Too little or too much fertilizer can have a negative effect on the growth of the plants.

Also Consider

Variations of this science project could include using different types of plants, such as bamboo or beans, or using different brands of fertilizer.

Full project details

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

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