By: Shynese W., Kadesha G., Ashley C. Three Peas In A Pod By: Shynese W., Kadesha G., Ashley C.

Question: Does Alaskan Pea Plants grow taller in potting soil with worms or potting soil without worms?

Hypothesis: We predicted that the pea plant that contains the potting soil with earthworms in it will grow taller than the pea plant that only contains regular potting soil. We predicted this because since the soil has worms in it, they will help the plants grow.

Why we chose worms? Worms till the soil by running tunnels through it, these tunnels that are created allow air and moisture to easily pass through the soil, which creates a healthy environment for the plants. These tunnels that were made also retain water that the plants can take up and also hold air to help bacteria break down the organic matter within the soil. After the digestion the worms produce excrement, which is an excellent soil conditioning material that improves properties of the soil such as porosity and moisture retention. This aids the plants growth and helps to fight against pests and diseases.

Procedures: We obtained materials needed to complete the project We poured the soil and placed the worms within the soil, then applied more soil on top of them which came out to be two and a half cups of soil We poured two and a half cups of soil into the pot without the worms We placed the plants in a safe environment for them to grow We took pictures of the plants after we planted them We watered and fed the plants daily We took pictures and measurements of the plants daily for observations

Methods: We watered the plants daily with half a cup each Plant Care We watered the plants daily with half a cup each We made sure that the plants were in a well lit and safe environment for them to grow Worm Care The worms were fed day old banana peelings every couple of days The Difference Between The Controlled and Experimental Groups The experimental group in the project was the pea plant that received the worms and banana peels within its soil The control group is the pea plant that did not receive the worms within its soil When Observations Were Made Observations were made daily so that we could see how much the plants grew daily when we measured the plants for its height, and performance of task Safety Precautions We made sure that the plants were in a stable area where they could not fall We made sure that the plants were not in a place where something could fall upon them Disposal of Materials We emptied both pots of soil and worms into a neighboring yard We washed the pots out and reused them for other seeds that we may plant in the future

Measurements Without Worms Worms April 30th 5.5 in. 3 in., 7 in., 7 in. May 5th 13 in., 3 in. 15 in., 12 in., 8 in. May 7th 14 in., 5 in. 16 in., 13 in., 8 ¾ in. May 10th 19 in., 9 in. 18 in., 16.5 in., 9 in. May 12th 20 in., 11 in. 20 in., 18 in., 10 in. May 13th 20.5 in., 13 in. 21 in., 18.5 in. May 14th 23 in., 14 in. 22.5 in., 18.5 in. May 17th 24 in., 17.5 in. 23 in., 21 in. May 18th 26 in., 18 in. 24 in., 22 in. May 19th 27.5 in., 18.5 in. May 20th 29 in., 20 in. May 21th 29 in., 22.5 in. 24 in., 22.5 in.

Without Worms

With Worms

Results Our prediction was not supported because the pea plant without the worms grew taller. As our graphs may show you both of the pea plants had more than one stem but the plant without worms ended up with the longest stem of 29 inches.