1. By DamonClare JacobAsya The Herb Squad Planting Science Project

2. Project Idea Rain water Tap water Chosen Seed Nasturtium How can the pH levels of different types of water affect germination and growth of the plant? Types of Water Questions How do we test the water? What is the difference between the pH levels of rain and tap water? Which type of water is better for your plants?

3. Purpose of the Experiment We wanted to see if the type of water you used affected the way your plants grew. We felt that this was an important question to ask because using rain water would help people conserve water. It rains so much in the spring here in Indy, it seems silly to waste all of that rain water when you can collect it and use it to water your garden through out the year. Especially if the rain water is better to use in your garden than tap water. We really wanted to draw a parallel between natural water (rain water), and filtered water (tap water). When we were making our hypothesis we did some research and found that seeds responded better to water with a Ph. level of 7-10. So, when we collected our rain water and tap water, we tested the Ph. of each. The rain water had a Ph. of 6.4, and the tap water had a Ph. Of 7.7. Since the rain water had a lower Ph. than the tap water, we thought that the rain water would be the better choice; not to mention that rainwater is completely natural.

4. Experimental Design We decided to grow our plants under the grow light, because we read that nasturtiums grew best in hotter temperatures. We got two pots from Mrs. Milligan, and began to plant four seeds in each pot. We put a small scoop of fertilizer in each of the pots, and then filed them half way with soil. Each pot had an even amount of dirt and fertilizer. However, we did not measure the exact amount of fertilizer or dirt. We believe that our experiment would have gone more smoothly if we had taken steps to be more precise with our measurements. Also, on the first day we failed to measure the amount of water we watered each plant with. We later caught our mistake and measured out 80Ml of water for each plant.

5. Hypothesis If you water seeds with rain water, they will grow faster, because the Ph. level of rain water was lower than the Ph. of the tap water, we also took into consideration that rain water is completely natural, and there are no added chemicals that could potentially hinder the plant’s ability to thrive.

6. Procedures Materials 1. Rain Water 2. Tap Water 3. Beaker 4. Soil 5. Two Pots 6. Fertilizer 7. Eight Nasturtium Seeds Steps 1.Put the fertilizer in the bottom of the pots 2.Fill the pots half way with soil 3.Put the seeds in the soil. 4.Measure out 80ml of water 5.Water each pot.

7. Rain Water Growth Tap Water Growth Week One 3/21 0.0 IN 3/27 0.0 IN 3/29 0.0 IN Week Two 3/31 0.0 IN 3/32 0.0IN 3/33 0.0IN Week One 3/21 0.0 IN 3/27 0.0 IN 3/29 0.0 IN Week Two 3/31 1.1IN 3/32 1.1IN 3/33 1.1IN Data conclusion At the end of our project, we concluded that the plant used watered with TAP WATER had growth patterns that were greater than the plant watered with RAIN WATER. In conclusion, the pH level of the TAPWATER did make a difference in the growth of the plant.

8. Overall Analysis In the end, neither plant grew very much. However, the plant that was watered with tap water sprouted, whereas the plant that was watered with rain water did not. We think that the reason why the tap water plant sprouted and the rain water plant didn’t was because of the different Ph. levels of the waters. Originally we thought that the lower Ph. of the rain water would be more beneficial. However, we have come to the conclusion that the plant preferred the higher Ph. level of the tap water.

9. What We Could Have Done Better We think that we could have done more research, and learned more about our plant before we started the experiment. We found out later that the nasturtium plant takes longer to grow (7 to 8 days), and that they also grow best without fertilizer, in less damp soil. When we did more research we found that we should have had the seeds spaced eight to ten inches apart. Also, we found that we should have soaked the seeds in water overnight in order to soften up their outer shells. Our sources said that they prefer natural sunlight as opposed to the grow lights. We also should have measured our soil and water out before we planted instead of just eye balling the amount.

10. Our Sources http://www.sunriseseeds.com/nasturtium-information/ http://gardenhobbies.com/flower/nasturtium.html http://www.almanac.com/plant/nasturtium