Seeds of discovery

Design your own experiments to find out more about seeds. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1 Sow beans around the sides of a clear container so you can watch their roots grow. Take a photo every few days to record their growth rate.

2 Sow some beans in early spring and another batch of the same variety later in spring. Use a thermometer to record the daily temperature and compare how many days your seeds take to germinate.

3 Try making a mini greenhouse. This can be as simple as an upturned jar or plastic drink bottle or you could design something larger using a plastic bag or bubble wrap over a frame to grow taller bean plants. Make sure your greenhouse lets in plenty of light.

4 Grow some of your beans in bright light and some where it is a bit darker. Note which beans grow taller. Which beans have the biggest healthiest leaves? Why might this be?

5 Place bean seedlings in a window. Which way do their stems bend? What happens when you turn them around to face the other way?

6 Try adding a little fertiliser to your seed raising mix when sowing your seed. Does it make a difference to how fast the seeds germinate? Why might this be? When the seedlings are a few weeks old does it make them grow faster if you feed some of them then?