1. Seed Germination by Jackson Minert Period 5

2. Introduction My mom likes to sprout alfalfa seeds at home to eat on sandwiches. She soaks the seeds in water overnight to help them germinate more quickly. I wondered if soaking the seeds in other liquids would help them sprout more quickly than soaking in water. Finding a faster way to sprout seeds might help home gardeners who get busy with other things and don’t get their garden started on time. Starting a home garden a couple of weeks late might cause plants not to come to maturity before the first frost hits.

3. Question What are the effects of different liquids on seed germination time?

4. Hypothesis I think that lemon-lime soda might help seeds to germinate faster because it has a lot of sugar in it that might give the seeds extra energy.

5. Independent Variable Seed preparation (type of liquid or lack thereof)

6. Dependent Variable Germination time

7. Standard of Comparison Control group: Seeds planted in potting soil without being soaked at all. Test groups: Five types of seeds planted in potting soil after being soaked overnight in water, lemon-lime soda, and lemon juice.

8. Constants Things that will be the same for all tests are: Amount of potting soil Amount of time for soaking Amount of sunlight Air temperature Amount of water added after seeds are planted Date seeds are planted

9. Materials List 16 each: wheat seeds, cosmos seeds, nasturtium seeds, radish seeds, and green peas 15 small plastic cups for soaking seeds 20 medium plastic cups for planting seeds Potting soil – ½ cup each for 20 plastic cups 1 1/4 cup each: water, lemon-lime soda, and lemon juice (1/4 cup each for five small plastic cups) Water to add every three days after seeds are planted Large tray to keep the cups on Sharpie marker

10. Procedure 1.Place four of each type of seed in each of three small plastic cups (three cups for each of five types of seeds) 2.Label each cup with the name of the seed and the liquid the seeds will be soaked in 3.Add ¼ cup of liquid to each cup 4.Soak overnight 5.Put ½ cup of soil in each of the medium plastic cups 6.Label each cup with the name of the seed and the liquid the seeds were soaked in

11. Procedure Continued 7.Plant four of the soaked seeds just below the surface of the soil in each cup, making sure that the seed type and liquid type match the cup label 8.Plant four of each type of the control seeds (the ones that were not soaked) in the correct cup 9.Add ¼ cup of water to each cup 10.Place all cups on a large tray 11.Place the tray in a sunny area of the garage 12.Record how many days it takes for each cup to sprout

12. Data NEVER SPROUTED

13. Analysis The results were different for each type of seed. For green peas, the seeds that were not soaked (control) sprouted first. For nasturtium and radish, the seeds soaked in water sprouted first. For wheat and cosmos, the seeds soaked in lemon lime soda sprouted first. For all types of seeds, the lemon juice killed them. Green peas were unusual because the control seeds were the only seeds that survived.

14. Conclusion I was surprised that the lemon lime soda didn’t make all the seeds sprout faster. I also learned that water did just as well, if not better than the soda. I would have to keep experimenting with other ways to make seeds sprout faster in order to help home gardeners who find themselves trying to speed the germination of seeds that are planted late.

15. Future If I were to do this experiment again, I would test with a larger variety of seeds and a larger variety of liquids. I think I would like to try vegetable oil or sugar water. I think sugar water might add energy without the carbonation of soda.