Plants are everywhere! You walk on them, eat them, and maybe you’ve even climbed one. But did you know you can grow your own plants at home? It’s fun and easy!
Most plants need three main things to grow: water, soil, and sunlight. Water keeps them from drying up, soil provides nutrients and a place for roots to spread, and sunlight gives them energy. Plants use sunlight to make their own food through a process called photosynthesis. Imagine if you could just stand in the sun for lunch!
We can learn more about plants by doing an experiment. We’ll try to grow four plants in different ways to see what happens when they don’t get everything they need.
Here’s what we’ll do:
What do you think will happen? We think the plant with everything will grow the most. The plant without sunlight might grow a little, but not much. The plant without water probably won’t grow at all, and the plant in sand might grow since it can still get sunlight.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Use a plant journal to track your plants’ growth. Write down how tall they are and what color they are. You can also take pictures or draw what you see!
First, mark each cup with what the plant is missing and cross it out. For example, draw a sun and cross it out for the cup that won’t get sunlight. Make a small hole in the bottom of each cup (ask a grown-up for help).
Fill one cup with sand and the others with soil, leaving room for water. Plant a few seeds in each cup and cover them with soil or sand. Water each cup except the one that shouldn’t get water. Place the cups on a tray in a sunny spot, and cover the cup without sunlight with the cardboard square.
Over the next few weeks, check on your plants. If the soil or sand feels dry, give them a little water, but remember not to water the cup that shouldn’t get water. Use your plant journal to note any changes you see.
And that’s it! Our experiment is all set up. We’ll check back in a few weeks to see how our plants are doing. Thanks for joining us on this plant adventure!
If you have any questions or ideas for experiments, we’d love to hear from you. Ask a grown-up to leave a comment or send us an email. See you next time!
Plant Detective: Go on a plant hunt around your home or neighborhood. Look for different types of plants and observe where they are growing. Are they in sunny spots or shady areas? Do they look healthy? Draw or take pictures of the plants you find and discuss with a grown-up why you think they are growing well or not. This will help you understand how sunlight, water, and soil affect plant growth in real life.
Sunlight Experiment: Try placing a small plant in different parts of your home to see how sunlight affects its growth. Put one plant in a sunny window and another in a darker room. Check them every few days and note any changes in your plant journal. Which plant grows better? Why do you think that is? This activity will help you see the importance of sunlight for plants.
Water Watch: Create a simple watering schedule for your experiment plants. Use a small measuring cup to give each plant the same amount of water (except the one that shouldn’t get water). Observe how the plants react to different amounts of water. Discuss with a grown-up why water is important for plants and what happens when they don’t get enough. This will help you understand the role of water in plant growth.
