Conclusion by: Jessica Frick

This experiment concluded that fertilized soil works better when helping plants grow rather than natural soil. This happened because of the difference in the nitrogen content between the two soils. The natural soil was not able to get the necessary nitrogen because it was growing inside a classroom. This shows that when thinking about this in a larger scale, like farmers using this to grow their crops. When the farmers would use the fertilized soil they would already have the necessary amount of nitrogen needed for plant growth. This would allow a slim amount of the plant dying from not having enough nitrogen content. The natural soil however, has to get that nitrogen from the nitrogen cycle which takes more time. This would have a higher risk of failure because of the nitrogen not coming fast enough and giving the plant the nutrients it needs to grow.

Conclusion by: Colleen Cavanaugh

This concludes that Fertilized soil works better than Natural soil when growing plants. There was a drastic change in the growing of the plants in different soils, fertilizer made the plants grow faster, while natural did not grow at all. The expected growth of both plants was thought that they would both grow, but the fertilizer would grow more. What happened is, fertilizer plants grew, and natural did not at all. In the beginning less water should have been used, because through the weeks the amount had to be changed. This could be used in the real world when farming is being done, fertilized soil works a lot better than natural soil, it grows the plants faster and better.

Monday; 6/20/11; Week 2

7.62cm of soil; Fertilized Soil; Elliot

2.54cm of Soil; Fertilized soil; Sydney

2.54cm of soil; Natural soil; Cory

7.62cm of soil; Natural Soil; Pluto

Friday; 6/17/11; Week 1

2.54cm of Soil; Fertilized soil; Sydney

7.62cm of soil; Fertilized Soil; Elliot

2.54cm of soil; Natural soil; Cory

7.62cm of soil; Natural Soil; Pluto

our theme song:

Growth Data

Name | Date     | Status               | Size of Sprout | Soil: Fertilizer 
_______________________________________________
Elliot | 6/10/11 | small sprout     | unknown         | 7.62cm
Elliot | 6/13/11 | sprout                | 6 1/2 cm.         | 7.62cm
Elliot | 6/14/11 | sprout; 2 stems | 10 cm.             | 7.62cm
Elliot | 6/15/11 | sprout; 2 stems | 12 cm.            | 7.62cm
Elliot | 6/16/11 | sprouts grew    | 12.5 cm.          | 7.62cm
Elliot | 6/17/11 | stems have leaves  | 14 cm.             | 7.62cm
Elliot | 6/20/11 | grew more leaves  | 15.5 cm.          | 7.62cm
Elliot | 6/21/11 | same                      | 15.5 cm.          | 7.62cm  
Elliot | 6/23/11 | grew more leaves  | 17 cm.             | 7.62cm 

Name | Date       | Status          | Size of Sprout | Soil: Fertilizer 
_______________________________________________
Sydney| 6/10/11 |small sprout | unknown       | 2.54cm
Sydney| 6/13/11 | sprout          | 8cm.                | 2.54cm
Sydney| 6/14/11 | sprout          | 11.5 cm.          | 2.54cm
Sydney| 6/15/11 | sprout          | 12 cm.             | 2.54cm
Sydney| 6/16/11 | sprout grew | 13cm.              | 2.54cm
Sydney| 6/17/11 |grew             | 14cm.              | 2.54cm
Sydney| 6/20/11 |another leaf | 16cm.              | 2.54cm
Sydney| 6/21/11 |same            | 16cm.              | 2.54cm
Sydney| 6/23/11 grew another leaf   | 17cm.    | 2.54cm   


Name | Date       | Status          | Size of Sprout | Soil: Natural
_______________________________________________
Pluto |6/10/11    | weed           | N/A                  | 7.62cm
Pluto |6/13/11    | weed           | N/A                  | 7.62cm
Pluto |6/14/11    | DIED          | N/A                  | 7.62cm
Pluto |6/15/11    | DIED          | N/A                  | 7.62cm
Pluto |6/16/11    | new weed   | N/A                  | 7.62cm
Pluto |6/17/11    | new weed   | N/A                  | 7.62cm
Pluto |6/20/11    | taller weed  | N/A                  | 7.62cm
Pluto |6/21/11    | taller weed  | N/A                  | 7.62cm 
Pluto |6/23/11    | Same           | N/A                  | 7.62cm  



Name | Date       | Status          | Size of Sprout | Soil: Natural
_______________________________________________
Cory  |6/10/11    | nothing       | N/A                 | 2.54cm
Cory  |6/13/11    | weed            | N/A                 | 2.54cm
Cory  |6/14/11    | 2 weeds       | N/A                 | 2.54cm
Cory  |6/15/11    | 2 weeds       | N/A                 | 2.54cm
Cory  |6/16/11    | weeds died  | N/A                 | 2.54cm
Cory  |6/17/11    | 2 weeds       | N/A                 | 2.54cm
Cory  |6/20/11    | taller weeds  | N/A                 | 2.54cm
Cory  |6/21/11    | taller weeds  | N/A                 | 2.54cm
Cory  |6/23/11    | Same             | N/A                 | 2.54cm

Purpose

The Purpose of this project was to see how different soils, fertilized or natural, effects plant growth. This will help show which soil, fertilized or natural, would be better to use while growing crops.

Procedure

Procedure to start growing watermelon in different soil:

1. Need 4 of the same size cups
2. Label the 1^st one ‘Natural 2.54cm’, 2^nd ‘Natural 7.62cm ’, 3^rd ‘Fertilized 2.54cm’, and 4^th ‘Fertilized 7.62cm ’.
3. Mark 1 natural, and 1 fertilized, with marker were the cup is at 2.54cm on the ruler, mark the other 2 cups with marker were the cup is at 7.62cm on the ruler; poke little holes at the bottom of each cup for drainage.
4. Put natural soil in the two cups labeled natural, only up to their line.
5. Follow step 4 for the other two cups but use fertilized soil
6. Put the tip of your finger in each one of the cups of soil, put 2 seeds in each hole and cover with soil.
7. Put 40mL of water in cups labeled 7.62cm and 20mL of water in cups labeled 2.54cm.
8. Keep all of the cups in an area that gets sunlight. 
9. Do not need to water over the weekend. 

Once the  sprouts are large enough, they are able to be transferred into a big pot instead of a cup.

If Plants were getting to much water and over-flowing;  change the amount of water and water every other day.
- 7.62cm soil cup's water intake were changed from 40mL of water to 30mL of water and are not watered everyday
-2.54cm soil cup's water intake were changed from 20mL of water to 10mL of water and are not watered everyday

Monday; 6/13/11; Growing Progress; Week 1

2.54cm of  Natural Soil, weed growing (Cory)

7.62cm of Fertilized Soil, Long Sprout (Elliot)

7.62cm  of Natural Soil, no progress (Pluto)

2.54cm of Fertilized Soil, long Sprout (Sydney)