Mun 21

Plant Science

What is the effect of homemade fertilizers on the speed of

germination for marigold seeds?

If egg shells and coffee grounds are boiled in water and added to
marigold seeds, then the egg shells will boost the germination rate
the most because egg shells are high in calcium carbonate, which is
in some fertilizers such as lime.

Pictures Taken By
Jason Weis

The experiment How do homemade fertilizers affect the

germination rate of marigold seeds? can help society in many
ways. One way the experiment can help society is if for example,
someone wanted to plant a flowerbed, they would know which
homemade fertilizer is the best. Also, if someone wanted to just
know fertilizer is just the best for marigold seeds, they would know.
Other ways that it would benefit society include gardens, plant
recovery, and growing plants fast. These are some of the ways that
the experiment would help society.

For my experiment, my question was, What is the effect of homemade fertilizers on

the speed of germination for marigold seeds? In the beginning of my experiment, I
thought that the eggshell fertilizer would do the best, so that was my hypothesis.
For my procedure, there were a few basic steps to do my experiment. First, I
had to make the fertilizers, and for that I just boiled eggshells and water and also
coffee grounds and water in two separate pots. Next, I let them cool and then put
them into separate containers. After that, the next major step was to plant the
marigold seeds, so for that I put the seeds into seed starting cups, and then put the
cups outside. Last of all, I just had to water the plants every day and record their
heights, and after everything analyze the data to find a conclusion.
In my experiment, these were the results. For the control group, 60% of the
plants sprouted before day five. For the eggshell fertilizer group, 50% of the plants
sprouted before day five. Finally, for the coffee ground fertilizer group, only 20% of
the plants sprouted before day five. Last of all, for my conclusion, I figured out
during my experiment that my hypothesis was not supported. My hypothesis was not
supported because the control group had a faster germination time than the
eggshell fertilizer group, and my hypothesis stated that the eggshell fertilizer would
do the best.

30 marigold seeds (Burpee brand)

2 pots
1 scale
1 stove
2 containers (gallon jugs)
1 table
2,868 milliliters of water
0.11 kilograms coffee grounds
0.11 kilograms crushed eggshells
Data table
Pen
Measuring cups
30 cardboard seed starting cups
3.3 pounds dirt
Strainer
Funnel

Pictures Taken By
Jason Weis

Gather all materials.

Measure 0.11 kilograms of crushed eggshells, 0.11 kilograms of coffee grounds, and also 946
milliliters of water two times.
In one pot, bring to a boil approximately 0.11 kilograms of crushed eggshells and
approximately 946 milliliters of water, and in another pot, bring to a boil approximately
0.11 kilograms of coffee grounds and approximately 946 milliliters of water and boil both
mixtures for 3 minutes.
Let liquids cool for 30 minutes.
Strain crushed eggshells and coffee grounds from water and pour strained liquid into
separate containers, labeled eggshells and coffee grounds.
Place 0.11 kilograms of dirt each in 30 cups.
Label 10 cups Coffee Grounds, label 10 more cups Eggshells, and label the last 10 cups
Control Only Water.
Plant 1 marigold seed in each cup of dirt.
Place the planted seed on a table outside on the backyard patio in the sun.
Each day, give the control plants 15 milliliters of water, give the eggshell plants 15
milliliters of eggshell water, and give the coffee ground plants 15 milliliters of coffee
ground water.
Measure the plants each day and record germination time and height of the plant after
germination in a data table.
Analyze results to find a conclusion.

Date

Control
1

Control
2

Control
3

Control
4

Control
5

Control
6

Control
7

Control
8

Control
9

Control
10

10/12/2015

10/13/2015

10/14/2015

10/15/2015

0.5

0.6

10/16/2015

1.5

2.2

2.5

2.5

0.9

10/17/2015

2.4

1.5

2.6

2.9

2.4

10/18/2015

2.5

1.9

2.6

2.9

2.5

10/19/2015

2.6

2.2

3.1

3.3

4.1

2.9

10/20/2015

2.6

2.3

3.2

3.3

0.4

4.2

10/21/2015

2.7

2.5

3.3

3.4

0.6

4.2

10/22/2015

2.6

3.4

3.9

0.9

3.2

Date

Eggshell Eggshell Eggshell Eggshell Eggshell Eggshell Eggshell Eggshell Eggshell Eggshell
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
10/12/2015 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
10/13/2015 0

10/14/2015 0

10/15/2015 0.7

10/16/2015 2.5

1.2

1.5

10/17/2015 2.3

2.2

2.9

2.1

1.6

10/18/2015 3.1

2.6

3.1

2.2

1.7

10/19/2015 3.5

3.4

3.5

2.2

2.1

2.2

1.2

10/20/2015 4

0.7

3.6

0.2

3.7

2.7

2.4

2.8

1.7

10/21/2015 4.6

0.9

3.9

0.2

3.9

3.2

2.5

2.8

10/22/2015 4.6

1.2

3.9

0.2

3.2

2.5

2.9

2.2

Pictures Taken By
Jason Weis

Date

Coffee
Ground
1

Coffee
Ground
2

Coffee
Ground
3

Coffee
Ground
4

Coffee
Ground
5

Coffee
Ground
6

Coffee
Ground
7

Coffee
Ground
8

Coffee
Ground
9

Coffee
Ground
10

10/12/2015

10/13/2015

10/14/2015

10/15/2015

10/16/2015

1.6

1.8

10/17/2015

2.1

2.1

10/18/2015

2.4

2.5

10/19/2015

1.5

2.6

0.2

2.6

10/20/2015

1.5

0.5

2.6

0.1

2.6

10/21/2015

1.7

0.6

2.9

0.5

3.4

10/22/2015

1.9

3.3

3.2

0.7

3.5

Pictures Taken By
Jason Weis

During my experiment, I realized that the control group that was

only fed water had a faster germination time than both of the
homemade fertilizers, eggshells and coffee grounds. The eggshell
fertilizer group had a faster germination time than the coffee
grounds. For the control group, 60% of the plants germinated by
day five of the experiment. For the eggshell fertilizer group, 50% of
the plants sprouted before day five. Lastly, for the coffee ground
group, only 20% of the plants sprouted before day five.

During my experiment, I found out that my hypothesis

was not supported because the control group did better than
the eggshell fertilizer group, which I thought would have the
fastest germination rate. In the experiment, 60% of the
control group plants germinated after five days. For the
eggshell fertilizer group, 50% of the plants germinated after
five days. Lastly, for the coffee ground fertilizer group, only
20% of the plants germinated after five days. This conclusion
is not what I expected. I did not expect the control group to
do better than the eggshell group, because the eggshell group
has compounds that are in real fertilizers. I did expect the
eggshell fertilizer group to do better than the coffee ground
fertilizer group, because of the same reason. A possible
extension for this experiment is to do the experiment for a few
more weeks, and see if one group boosts the height of the
plants over time.

Pictures Taken By
Jason Weis

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