If I water different vegetables with various liquids, then I will be able to discover a solution that makes the vegetable grow faster and healthier. I expect the milky water will be the best because it can provide extra nutrients to the plant.

Plants roots adsorb water and nutrients from the soil. If it is watered, for example, with saltwater it can lead to dehydration or poisoning. Sugary water can harm plants by reducing their ability to absorb water. Vinegar contains acid, that can damage plant tissues. Baking soda makes the soil more alkaline and can sometimes stunt plant growth. Finally, milk includes calcium and nutrients that may promote plant growth. I wanted to test how these liquids affect growing vegetables.

Controlled variables: ·   Radish, pea, and lettuce seeds ·   Potting soil ·   Same pot size ·   Same amount of liquid ·   Same temperature ·   Same watering schedule Manipulated variables: ·   Water mixed with Salt (500 mL + 2g, 0.4%) ·   Water mixed with Sugar (500 mL + 20g, 4%) ·   Pure water ·   Water mixed with Milk (350 mL + 125 mL, 25%) ·   Water mixed with Baking Soda (500 mL+1.25g, 0.25%) ·   Water mixed with Vinegar (485 mL + 15 mL, 5%) Responding variables: ·   Germination time ·   Plant health ·   Plant color ·   Number of leaves

• Prepare the liquid mixtures.
• Fill each section of the tray with soil.
• Put appropriate labels (plant name & solution type)
• Put 3 to 5 seeds in each section.
• Give the same amount of liquid every 3-4 days.
• Observe plant growth.
• Record germination rate and leaf count.

Out of six different liquids, baking soda and milk worked the best. The worst was the sugar solution. Lettuce and pea did not germinate, and sugar also caused mold. Vinegar made the plants grow slowly; radish did not germinate with vinegar. Finally, plants watered with salty water did well overall, but they germinated late.

I noticed that pea and lettuce didn't germinate when it was watered with sugary water, and caused mold in the soil. I think it caused it because sugar feeds microorganisms like mold. When I added the sugar to the water and watered the vegetables with it, it probably gave the mold something to grow on. Vinegar made the vegetables grow slightly slow, and caused radish to not germinate. I think this happened because vinegar lowers the soils pH making the soil more acidic. This affected the germination rate and slightly damaged the vegetables.

Milk and baking soda overall helped plants grow the best. Liquid with sugar made it harder for plants to grow. Salt and vinegar did not affect results compared to pure water. My hypothesis that milky water would grow the best was right. It ended up being one of the best for plants to grow. This information may benefit to other people because they would know what liquids are good for growing lettuce, radish, and peas.

People would be interested in knowing my results because many people may not know what liquid is best for growing vegetables until they try it. My project includes this experimental information. Others can use my results by watering peas, lettuce, and radish with the liquids that worked for me (solutions with milk and baking soda). If I were to do my experiment again, I would test different concentrations and grow different plants.

My sources of error were when I was watering the vegetables, I accidentally poured too much water, and the liquid got into the soil that was supposed to be watered with a different solution. I don’t think this affected the results a lot since it was only a tiny amount of liquid. Also, this only happened a few times. Another source of error was that towards the end of my experiment, I missed out a few days of recording data so I might have not had all the information I needed.

https://www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/landscape/fact-sheets/impact-of-salts-on-plants-how-to-reduce-plant-injury-from-winter-salt-applications

https://www.homesandgardens.com/gardens/is-sugar-water-good-for-plants

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=320D-41xt-M&t=245s

https://www.thespruce.com/using-milk-for-plant-care-4082485#:\~:text=Key%20Points,stunt%20growth%20and%20cause%20wilt.

https://gardenprofessors.com/vinegar-a-garden-miracle/

I'm grateful to my teachers at Northern Lights School for encouraging me to participate at the cysf. Thanks to my dad for helping me do my experiment and to my mom for helping my make the trifold.