Better Beans

By Vincent, Tyler and Saumil

Question:

What is the best weather for plants? We got our idea from our 3^rd-grade Plant Growth and Development unit.

Background Information:

We know that plants need sunlight, the right temperature, soil, and water to grow. At full height, the black-eyed pea plant should be about 3 feet tall.

Materials:

5 black-eyed pea seeds for each planter mini-planters

sunflower seeds water

potting soil oven

What we did to answer the question:

Investigation #1.

1. Fill 2 planters with soil.
2. Plant 5 seeds in each planter.
3. Water the seeds.
4. Place one planter in a room temperature oven (72°F) with the door open so the light is on.
5. Place the other planter outside.
6. Water the seeds every few days.

Investigation #2

1. Fill 2 planters with soil.
2. Plant sunflower seeds in each planter.
3. Water the seeds.
4. Place one planter in a dark closet.
5. Place the other planter outside.
6. Water the seeds every few days.

What we learned from our investigation:

1. We learned that it’s better to keep plants in places that are about 70°F.
2. If you live in a warm climate, keep your plants outside, but if you live in a cold climate and you need them to grow in about 4 days, you should keep them in a place where you can control the temperature so the plants get heat, but also light.
3. We also learned you should not let your plant get too much water.
4. We learned that the sunflower plant growing in the closet grew better than the one outside.

Related questions that others might want to investigate:

1. What is the best media for bean seeds to grown in?
2. What would happen if we started our investigation in April or May instead of March?
3. What would happen to the sunflower plant if we let it continue to grow in the closet?