Plant Supplements: Vitamins
Versus Fertilizer
MAURA DOUGHERTY
GRADE NINE
Problem
 Does the addition of vitamins or fertilizer help promote
plant growth?
Research
 Most fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium,
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calcium, sulfur, and magnesium.
Fertilizer is used to give plants the necessary vitamins and
supplements a plant needs and receives from its regular
environment. Those vitamins and nutrients induce plant growth.
Calcium helps with development and growth of bones and teeth.
Humans need magnesium and phosphorus for calcium to be used
in the body.
Vitamin A helps with growth and body repair.
Vitamin D helps with bone development and growth.
Lettuce seeds, dill seeds, peas, and calendula seeds are fast
growing.
Hypothesis
 If vitamins are used as plant feed, then the growth of
plants will be stronger than without it.
Materials
 120 lettuce seeds
 Miracle-Gro fertilizer
 Vitamin A capsules
 Vitamin D capsules
 Mineral Oil
 Hot plate
 Water
 Tape
 Marker
 Twelve petri dishes
 Two beakers
 Pipette
 Twelve filters
Procedure
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Each petri dish was labeled based on the type of supplement planned to
use in each.
The petri dishes were divided into three trial groups, and one filter and
ten seeds were added to each dish.
A one Molar solution was created for each vitamin.
Each supplement (Vitamin A with mineral oil, Vitamin D with mineral oil,
fertilizer, and water) was added to one petri dish in each of the three
trial groups.
Each day for eight days, the number of seeds that germinated was
recorded, and water was given to each plant as necessary.
Control: Plant with water
Constants: Environment, time, type of Petri dish, temperature, and type of
filter
Independent variables: Vitamins and fertilizer
Dependent variable: Number of germinated seeds
Data
Plant Supplements: Vitamins Versus Fertilizer
12
Number of Germinated Seeds
10
8
6
4
2
0
Vitamin A
-2
Vitamin D
Miracle-Gro
Type of Supplement Added to the Seeds
Water (Control)
Conclusion
 Hypothesis: If vitamins are used as plant feed, then the
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growth of plants will be stronger than without it.
The growth of the seeds in Miracle-Gro fertilizer was much
more consistent in all of the trials than both vitamins.
Miracle-Gro fertilizer is more helpful for plant growth than
both vitamins.
Water is actually the best supplement for plants.
My hypothesis was not supported.
If I were to redo the experiment, I would use liquid vitamins
instead melting the capsules.
If I were to continue the experiment, I could test the
effects of other vitamins on plant growth.
Thank you!
 “Fast Growing Seeds.” Buzzle.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.
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<http://www.buzzle.com/articles/fast-growing-seeds.html>.
“Vitamins.” Where in City Medical. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.whereincity.com/medical/vitamins/>.
“Vitamins in Plants.” Mini Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.miniscience.com/projects/plantvitamin/index.html>.
“What Is Fertilizer and Why Do Plants Need It?” How Stuff Works. N.p., n.d.
Web. 10 Oct. 2011. <http://www.howstuffworks.com/question181.htm>.
"What Is Miracle-Gro?" Wise Geek. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct.
2011. <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-miracle-gro.htm>.
"Calcium." University of Maryland Medical Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct.
2011. <http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/calcium-000290.htm>.
 Thanks you for listening, and I hope you enjoyed my presentation.