Back to Children's Garden ThemesObjective:
To determine if old seeds are still healthy, try germinating 10 on a moist paper towel placed in a plastic zip-lock bag. Figure out the percentage germinated and then determine whether they are worth planting in the garden.
Materials:
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1. Have students fold paper towel so that it will fit in plastic bag.
2. Place in bag and add enough water to “moisten” but not “drench” paper towel.
3. Evenly space 10 bean seeds on the moist paper towel.
4. Seal bag and label with student name.
5. Place flat on a window sill or table and observe over the next 10 days.
6. Have students keep a journal to record what they see, draw pictures of what is happening, keep track of how many seeds germinate each day, etc.
7. After 10 days have each student record the percentage of the beans that germinated.
Example:
All 10 seeds germinated = 100% germination
9 seeds germinated = 90% germination
8 seeds germinated = 80% germination
Advanced:
Try using older seeds as well as newer seeds. You can often find out how old seeds are by looking for a packaging date on the back of the seed package. How much higher is the germination rate for the newer seeds? Is it what you expected? Some seeds are much harder to germinate than others, new or old, so the germination rate on these may be low. It doesn’t mean you are a “good” or “bad” gardener—it’s just nature’s way.
Tips: Often seed companies will donate last year’s seeds for classroom experiments such as this. Simply write a letter explaining you are a teacher need seeds for a project. If you need a particular type of seed, ask for it!
