Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Florence, South Carolina » Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research » Docs » Outreach_2023 » Revised_Activities » Help Me I'm Drowning Experiment

Experiment:

Heeeelp Meeeee! I'm Drooowwwnnning!


Purpose:

 

How does groundwater affect plants?

Materials:

 

3 plants*, 3 dishes or pans, water, crayons, graph paper

* make sure you choose plants that are the same kind of plant, as close to the same size as possible and healthy

 Procedures:
 
 
 

 

1. Label the plants A, B, and C. Make holes in the bottom of the containers of plants A and B.

If your containers already have holes, plug up the holes in the bottom of container C.

image of experiment setup with flowers A,B, and C


 
 
 
 

 

2. Place each plant in a dish and put all three plants in the same location where they will receive the same light.


3. Water plant A every other day, keeping the soil moist but not wet. Do not water plant B. Water plant C every day, keeping the soil saturated, very wet.

4. Make a bar graph showing the color of each plant's leaves every day for a week.

To Ponder...
 
 
 
 

 

1. What happened to the color of plant A? plant B? plant C?

2. Does it matter how much water a plant gets?

3. Is drainage important?