Are Seedlings Afraid of the Dark?
Experiment 1

Purpose: To determine the effects of light on seedlings germinated in the dark vs. the light.

Procedure: Separate bean seeds into two different piles with equal number of seeds (10 seeds in each pile). Wet the paper towels until completely dampened. Place the dampened paper towels in the Ziploc bags, and then place 10 seeds on top of the paper towels in each bag. Make sure the seeds are on the paper towel in the bag and close the bag, but not completely (about 3/4 way closed). Wrap one of the Ziploc bags completely in aluminum foil. Leave the other one uncovered. Place both Ziploc bags under a desk lamp. After 7 days, check the bag that has been in the light as well as the bag that has been wrapped in aluminum foil. Compare the germinated seeds. You should definitely see a difference between the two. You should note mainly the color and stem length differences between the seedlings that germinated in light and those that germinated in darkness.

Think About This:

1. What did the seedlings that germinated in the dark look like? (color of leaves, length of stems)

2. What did the seedlings that germinated in the light look like? (color of leaves, length of stems)

3. Is light needed for germination and early growth?

Return to Ways to "Boss" a Plant Around