Plants and Planting Seeds

While I would have like to have grown produce, I knew I didn't have the time needed. Instead I grew Wisconsin Fast Plants™. This type of plant germinates in 12 hours and can flower in 2 weeks and completes it cycle in 40 days. I plan on growing produce in later experiments.

The seeds are planted in small vial containers that are approximately 1.5" tall with a diameter of .75" (see figure 11, left). At the bottom of the vial is a hole for a small wick. A small diamond shaped wick is inserted through the hole in the bottom of the vial so that half of the wick past through. Fill the vial half way with potting soil. Add two or three fertilizer pellets to the vial. Add more soil to the vial to fill it up. DO NOT PACK THE SOIL. Make a small depression in the soil with your finger or the tip of a pencil. Drop 3 seeds in the depression. Cover the seeds with a little more soil. Using a pipette, water the seed.

The watering system uses a wick system to keep the soil moist and the plants watered. The water reservoir is made from a Tupperware container. Purchase a container that fits inside the growth chamber. Into the lid of the container drill a 1/2" hole. Fill the container three fourths full of water. Place anti-algae square into the water. Place a large wick (pre-moistened) into the water and fed through the hole in the lid. Place a pre-moistened blotter pad on top of the Tupperware container. Make sure the large wick is underneath the blotter pad. The plant vials are placed on top of the blotter pad, so that the vial wicks are in contact with the blotter pad.

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