Seed Germinationby Jackson Minert

Period 5

IntroductionMy 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.

Question

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

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.

Independent Variable

Seed preparation

(type of liquid or lack thereof)

Dependent Variable

Germination time

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.

ConstantsThings 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

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

Procedure1. 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

Procedure Continued7. 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

DataSEED GERMINATION

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Whe

at

Radish

Green

Pea

s

Nastu

rtium

Cosm

os

Seed Types

Da

ys

to

Sp

rou

t

Control

Water

Lemon Lime Soda

Lemon Juice

NE

VE

R S

PR

OU

TE

D

NE

VE

R S

PR

OU

TE

D

NE

VE

R S

PR

OU

TE

D

NE

VE

R S

PR

OU

TE

D

NE

VE

R S

PR

OU

TE

D

NE

VE

R S

PR

OU

TE

D

NE

VE

R S

PR

OU

TE

D

NE

VE

R S

PR

OU

TE

D

NE

VE

R S

PR

OU

TE

D

AnalysisThe 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.

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.

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.