Why Start an Experimental Sunflower Garden?
Once Alex and I got the hang of a watering schedule for our herb garden, it wasn’t long before the fruits of our labor began sprouting. We had an overwhelming amount of basil, mint, sage, oregano, and rosemary, which arrived long before we anticipated.
It was exciting, but the super star of the bunch?
The sunflower.
We were shocked with how quickly and strong it grew in such a short amount of time.
Since Alex and I are both pretty clueless when it comes to gardening, we were very proud of ourselves for keeping those suckers alive and well. We weren’t sure what we were doing right, and what we were doing wrong. We decided to get to the bottom of it, and what better way then to do so by through the process of science? (Alex is a physicist, and his love for science is tangible) And so it was born. Our experimental sun flower garden, 2015.
[Think Bill Nye meets Martha Stewart]
The Supplies Needed:
- Mason Jars
- Pebbles
- Miracle Gro Potting Soil
- Miracle Gro Fertilizer
- Sunflower Seeds
The idea was to test out four variables, to figure out the best method to grow and nurture the tallest, strongest sunflower.
The F-O-U-R variables we settled on:
- SUNLIGHT: Direct or Indirect Sunlight
- SIZE OF CONTAINER: Large (1 quart) or Small (1 pint) Mason Jars
- VOLUME OF WATER: 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, and 3/4 cup
- FERTILIZER: Yes or No
We split the prep work. Alex was to plot and graph out the table, while I prepped the jars and began the potting. Same formula as our herb garden: 1/3 pebbles, 2/3 soil per jar. Three sunflower seeds were planted (1″ deep) in each jar, just in case.
Before the experiment began, I was highly concerned about the jars that would not be exposed to direct sunlight, as we decided to keep them on the floor, behind our couch. However, Jars #11 and #12 had zero hesitations, and began sprouting right on par with the other jars in direct sunlight.
Every night, we diligently watered our jars, and kept a graphed moleskin log book to record everything. Can you guess how quickly the sunflowers began sprouting? On Day Five, FOUR jars had begun sprouting. On Day Six, two more joined the race. For the remainder of the experiment, we measured the stalks that were beginning to grow. Jars #11 and #12 grew to over 11mm, so I suppose indirect sunlight seemed to be the key…. Sadly, that is all we could conclude.
The Results.
Alex and I ended the experiment after Day Eight, as at that point, more than half our jars were over watered, and eventually, drowned. Turns out, anything more than a 1/3 of a cup of water is wayyyyyyy too much, especially for our small, 1 pint jars.
It may have been too early to tell, but according to our data, it appears that adding Miracle Gro Fertilizer in the water, didn’t have a direct correlation with the growth of the flowers. Perhaps later on, if they had survived past week 2. There wasn’t enough data to determine this, but I’m excited to get to the bottom of the age old question: Fertilizer or No Fertilizer.
Even though the experiment was over, I petitioned to keep jars #1 and #3. We decided to water them without a schedule, and without recording. And yes (13 weeks later), they bloomed!
