
Plant Food Brands and Tomato Growth
Medium
Does the brand of plant food change how tall a tomato plant grows? You plant celebrity tomato seeds in nine identical peat pots. Three pots receive Miracle-Gro. Three receive Shultz-Instant. Three receive plain water.
Plain-water plants sprout first. But by the second week the plant food groups grow faster. Shultz-Instant plants average 3.3 inches tall at the end. Miracle-Gro plants average 3 inches. Plain water plants reach only 1.5 inches. The most popular brand does not always win.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that different plant foods will cause plants to grow at different rates.
Method & Materials
You will set up nine identical peat pots, fill them with potting soil, add tomato seeds, and water them with different plant foods. You will also create a greenhouse effect with a piece of glass and a fluorescent light.
You will need nine identical peat pots, potting soil, Miracle-Gro for tomatoes, Shultz-Instant all-purpose plant food, three 1-gallon milk jugs, measuring spoons, a piece of glass, tomato seeds, three Tupperware containers, a pen, and a fluorescent light.
Results
The results of the experiment showed that the plants watered with Shultz-Instant grew to an average of 3.3 inches, the plants watered with Miracle-Gro grew to an average of 3 inches, and the plants watered with plain water grew to an average of 1.5 inches. This data showed that the hypothesis was rejected.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it shows how different plant foods can affect the growth of plants.
Also Consider
Experiment variations to consider include testing different types of plants or different amounts of plant food.
Full project details
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