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Name: ____Baylee Dawson______ DATA SHEET

Exercise 7-4 – Growth in Various Growing Media
Observations (record as an average of the 5 plants)
Growing Media Initial Height Final Height Height Gain
Color or Vigor
(Date ​3/8/16.​) (Date ​3/29/16​) (Final-Initial)

90% Germination,
75% Peat Moss, 25%
1.25 cm 2.5 cm 1.25 cm dull leaves, drooping,
Sand
browning on edges

70% Germination,
25% Peat Moss, 75% small, yellowing,
1.3 cm 2.1 cm 0.8 cm
Sand drooping and dull
leaves

70% Germination,
50% Peat Moss,
1 cm 3.8 cm 2.8 cm dull, mostly green
50% Vermiculite
leaves, large leaves

40% Germination,
50% Peat Moss, small leaves are dark
0.35 cm 1.2 cm 0.85 cm
50% Perlite towards the stem,
yellowing on edges

20% Germination,
75% Kenaf, small, light green,
0 cm 0.4 cm 0.4 cm
25% Styrofoam beads barely emerging
plants

65% Coconut Coir, 35%

0.75 cm N/A -0.75 cm No living plants.
Rock Wool

50% Germination,
33% Black Humus, 33%
short, leaves with
Styrofoam, 33% Rock 0.8 cm 1.225 cm 0.425 cm
yellow tips, greener at
Wool
the top

33% Pine Bark Mulch, 10% Germination,

33% Composted Cotton small, yellow, tiny
1 cm 1.9 cm 0.9 cm
Burr, 33% Calcined leaves, unhealthy,
Clay curling leaves

100% Germination,
tall, light green,
Sungro LG3 2.75 cm 8.3 cm 5.55 cm
yellowing bottom
leaves are drooping

80% Germination,
BACCTO Lite Premium 2.3 cm 7.25 cm 4.95 cm. tall, dark green, large
leaves, healthy

Plant: ​Fine Leaf Basil

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Name: __Baylee Dawson____________ QUESTIONS
Exercise 7-4 – Growth in Various Growing Media

1) Which of the growing media allowed the best growth? Why?

Sungro LG3 allowed the best growth. It was the only media to produce 100% germination in seeds. In
addition, it produced the most positive change in height gain, with an increase of 5.55 cm. The plants it
produced looked fairly healthy with only minimal yellowing and drooping of the leaves.

2) Which of the growing media allowed the poorest growth? Why?

65% coconut coir and 35% rockwool allowed the poorest growth. All of the seeds in this media died,
resulting in no plants to judge on vigor and a total negative height gain.

3) How did the commercial growing media we decided were good and bad quality perform? Were they actually
'good' and 'bad' as predicted?
Sungro LG3 was supposed to be the worst quality commercial growing mix, but it resulted in 100%
germination and the most increase in height. BACCTO Lite Premium performed well with an 80%
germination rate. Its total height increase was .55 cm less than Sungro LG3’s. The plants the latter
produced, however, did look healthier, with no yellowing or drooping leaves, a darker green pigment,
and larger leaves overall.

4) Did any of the growing media cause toxicity or stunting of plants? Why?
The 33% pine bark mulch, 33% composted cotton burr, and 33% calcined clay resulted in a stunted,
yellowed plant. The media was lacking appropriate nutrients. The plants in the 65% coconut coir, 35%
rock wool mix all died. Too much coconut coir runs the risk of potassium toxicity. Also, as a fully
organic mix it was likely not completely sterile, increasing the risk of pathogens.

5) Which, if any, of the commonly recommended growing mixes (i.e. the Peat-Lite or U.C. mixes) yielded
poorer growth compared to the others? Why?
The Peat-Lite using vermiculite rather than perlite performed much better. Perlite may be contaminated
with fluoride and could kill or damage plants.
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