7th Grade Science Fair
Effect of Miracle-Gro on Plant Growth
A Science Report
Presented to
Miss Sprockel
By: Miss Sprockel
May 2, 2014
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Acknowledgement
I appreciate the help of [list the names of people who have helped you with your project. You
can include details about how they helped you, provide supplies for you, or provide you with
emotional support.]
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Tables of Contents
Abstract ……………………….…………………..4
Statement of the Problem …………………………5
Review of Literature………………………………6
Hypothesis ………………………………………..7
Variables ………………………………………….8
Procedure …………………………………………9
Material …………………………………………..10
Data Sheet ………………………………………..11
Chart/Graph ………………………………………12
Conclusion ………………………………………..13
Future Study ……………………………………...14
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1. Abstract
The purpose of this experiment is to determine if the effect of Miracle-Gro on a plant’s growth is
worth the price of purchasing the product. It is hypothesized that adding Miracle-Gro to a plant’s
water will increase the height of the plant’s stem. A brief procedures of the experiment involves
planting 9 basil seedlings into three planter pots and splitting the plants into three groups. Once
the seedlings are planted, the Miracle-Gro mixture was created. A jug was filled with .75 gallons
of water with 5 scoops of Miracle-Gro added. Twice a day the first group of seedlings were
watered with water that had no Miracle-Gro added. The second group was watered twice a day
with 1 tablespoon of the Miracle-Gro mixture and the third group was watered twice a day with 2
tablespoons of the Miracle-Gro mixture. The results of my data show that adding Miracle-Gro to
water does increase the growth of the plant’s stem by about 1 centimeter. In conclusion, the
hypothesis was correct and adding Miracle-Gro to a plant’s water does increase the plant growth.
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2. Statement of the Problem
The experiment that will be completed for the Ewing Marion Kauffman School
6th/7th grade science fair is the effect of Miracle-Gro on plant growth. The researcher has
started a garden at her house since it has started to get warmer in Kansas City. The
previous winter, the vegetables and plants that she grew did not grow as tall as she
wanted. A fellow scientist suggested using a supplement to help the plans grow. MiracleGro is a powder which can be mixed with water before the plants are watered.
The researcher would like to conduct an experiment to see the effect of MiracleGro on the plants growing in her garden. The question that is going to be tested in this
experiment is “will different amounts of Miracle-Gro affect the overall growth of the
plant?” This experiment will be done over multiple weeks to determine overall
effectiveness of the product. This experiment will be conducted to conclude if it is cost
effective to purchase Miracle-Gro, or if plants will grow just as much with anything
added.
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3. Review of Literature
Plants are “the backbone of all life on Earth and an essential resource for human wellbeing” according to the first source reviewed, Plants and Society (Levetin & McMahon, 2003).
Plants impact human life every day, as well as support the infinite habitats where most organisms
live. “Efforts to feed the growing populations in developing nations” make plant growth an
important topic of study in the 21st Century. Studying plants allows scientists to help meet the
needs of the billions of people on Earth that need to eat.
A previous study on plant fertilizers found that fertilizers are used on “almost every
industrial farm that produces food” according to Complete Nutrition (Ohio State University
Extension of the Harvest, 2008). In this study, the researcher states that “plants require sixteen
essential nutrients to grow.” They tested the impact that Miracle Gro, distilled water, and a
Complete Nutrition mix had on the growth of two different types of plants. They found that
“Miracle Gro did best with soybeans and the Complete Nutrition mix did best with lettuce.” The
type of fertilizer can have different impacts on different plants.
Plants have one basic behavior: they grow. Plant growth depends on several different
factors according to Requirements for Plant Growth (Butler and Oebker, 1998). Plants need the
correct temperature range, lighting, water, gases, and nutrients in order to grow. Nutrients are
especially important to help a plant grow. “Green plants must absorb certain nutrients through
their roots to survive. The essential elements needed in large quantities are nitrogen,
phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.” With enough nutrients, plants grow rapidly
in height, produce more leaves, and produce flowers for reproduction. A plant’s behavior
depends on the factors around it.
Frequently Discussed Vocabulary:
Essential – absolutely necessary; extremely important
Nutrient – a substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life
Growth Rate – the rate of increase in size per unit time
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4. Hypothesis
If amount of Miracle-Gro added to water is increased, then the stem height of the plant will also
increase.
Miracle-Gro is a fertilizer that can be added to water. The purpose of Miracle-Gro is to enhance
the growth of plants. Therefore, if more Miracle-Gro is added to the water before a plant is
watered, the plant should grow taller.
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5. Variables
The independent variable, which will be changed and tested is the amount of Miracle-Gro that is
added to the plants.
The dependent variable will measure the change by adding different amounts of Miracle-Gro is
the height of the plants.
The constant variables for all of the tests are the same:
The type of plants being used, the location of the plants, the source of the water, the source of the
soil, the amount of sunlight the plants receive, the container holding the plants
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6. Procedure
To set up the experiment, …
1. Gather 9 small planter pots with 3 drainage holes for seedling plants. (All planter pots
must be the same.)
2. Get one 5-pound bag of Green Choice potting soil.
3. Purchase 9 basil seedling plants at a height between 4-6 cm tall from the same source.
4. Purchase one 16-oz. package of Ready-Mix Miracle-Gro Plant Food.
5. Get an empty, clean, one-gallon milk jug (for mixing Miracle-Gro Plant Food with
water).
6. Determine the best location for experimental set-up with stable sunlight and temperature.
7. Place all gathered materials in this designated location.
To perform the experiment on the independent variable…
1. Measure 20-grams of Green Choice potting soil into each planter pot.
2. Remove seedling from original planter and transfer seedling with all original soil to the
planter pot.
3. Top seedling with 10-grams of Green Choice potting soil.
4. Gently press on the soil to hold seedling in place.
5. Repeat for all remaining seedlings (9 total).
6. To create the Miracle-Gro mixture, follow the directions on the side of the box:
a. Fill one-gallon jug with .75 gallons of water.
b. Add 5 scoops of Ready-Mix Miracle-Gro Plant Food.
c. Shake well until all plant food dissolves and there is no residue on the bottom.
d. Plant Food mixture will last for at least one month.
7. Arrange planters in the following way and label:
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
8. Group 1: Receives
a. 2 Tablespoons of water at 6:00AM
b. 2 Tablespoons of water at 6:00PM.
9. Group 2: Receives
a. 1 Tablespoons of water and 1 Tablespoon of prepared Ready-Mix Miracle-Gro Plant
Food at 6:00AM
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b. 1 Tablespoon of water and 1 Tablespoon of prepared Ready-Mix Miracle-Gro Plant
Food at 6:00PM
10. Group 3: Receives
a. 2 Tablespoons of prepared Ready-Mix Miracle-Gro Plant Food at 6:00AM
b. 2 Tablespoons of prepared Ready-Mix Miracle-Gro Plant Food at 6:00PM
11. Measure plant height one time daily in morning and record. Calculate and record the
average of the change in plant height from Day 1 to the end of the experiment.
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7. Materials
•
9 small planter pots
•
5-pound bag of Green Choice potting soil
•
9 basil seedling plants
•
16-oz. package of Ready-Mix Miracle-Gro Plant Food
•
Empty, clean, one-gallon milk jug
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8. Data Sheet
Amount of
Miracle-Gro
added in
AM/PM
Effect of Miracle-Gro on Plant Height
Change in
Change in
Change in
Height after 1 Height after 1
Height after 1
week (Trial 1) week (Trial 2)
week (Trial 3)
Average
Change in
Height after
1 week
0 Tablespoons
0.7 cm
1.1 cm
1.4 cm
1.1 cm
1 Tablespoon
2.4 cm
1.7 cm
2.0 cm
2.0 cm
2 Tablespoons
2.1 cm
1.9 cm
2.0 cm
2.0 cm
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9. Chart
Effect of Miracle-Gro on Plant Height
3
Height of Plant (cm)
2.5
Trial 1
2
Trial 2
1.5
Trial 3
1
0.5
Amount of Miracle-Gro
0
0 Tbsp
1 Tbsp
2 Tbsp
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10. Results
The experiment was done over three trials. Each Miracle-Gro and water solution was used on
three plants. A total of 9 plants were used to collect data for this experiment.
The results showed that adding Miracle-Gro to a plant’s water increased their average growth by
about 1 centimeter. When no Miracle-Gro was added to the water, the plants grew 0.7cm, 1.1cm,
and 1.4 cm for an average growth of 1.1cm. When 1cm of Miracle-Gro was added to the plant’s
water, the plants grew 2.4cm, 1.7cm, and 2.0cm for an average growth of 2.0cm. When 2
tablespoons of Miracle-Gro was added to the plant’s water the plant grew 2.1cm, 1.9cm, and
2.0cm for an average growth of 2.0cm.
**This page is not mandatory—should only be completed if you have extra
time
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12. Conclusion
The hypothesis stated if the amount of Miracle-Gro added to water is increased, then the stem
height of the plant will also increase.
The results showed that adding Miracle-Gro to a plant’s water increased their average growth by
about 1 centimeter. When no Miracle-Gro was added to the water, the plants grew 0.7cm, 1.1cm,
and 1.4 cm for an average growth of 1.1cm. When 1cm of Miracle-Gro was added to the plant’s
water, the plants grew 2.4cm, 1.7cm, and 2.0cm for an average growth of 2.0cm. When 2
tablespoons of Miracle-Gro was added to the plant’s water the plant grew 2.1cm, 1.9cm, and
2.0cm for an average growth of 2.0cm.
Adding Miracle-Gro to the plant’s water did increase the growth of the plant. However, the
amount of Miracle-Gro that was added did not seem to effect the growth of the plant. The
average height of the plant when 1 and 2 tablespoons of Miracle-Gro was added to the water was
the same.
Therefore, the hypothesis is supported because adding Miracle-Gro increases the height of the
stem of the plant. However, the experiment does not support the hypothesis that adding more
Miracle-Gro causes the plant to grow taller.
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13. Future Study
The experimental procedure was challenging when trying to keep all of the other elements of the
plant’s growth the same. The plants needed to be watered every day at the same time, however
there were times when the plants were not watered at exactly 6:00am and 6:00pm. Additionally,
the weather also played a part in the plant growth. The amount of sunlight the plants got was not
consistent on a daily basis, which might have also effected plant growth.
In the future, this researcher suggests testing to see if there is an optimal amount of Miracle-Gro
to add to the plant’s water to get the tallest plant. This current experiment does not show a
difference between adding 1 tablespoon or 2 tablespoons of Miracle-Gro on plant’s growth.
Future studies should also see if the effects of Miracle-Gro would change depending on the plant
being used. This experiment used basil plants. A future study could use a flowering plant to
determine if there is a different effect.
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