Our competitive sides have come out in Science with a race to see who can create ideal conditions for cress seeds to germinate. In our changing world, we need some scientists who play it safe and some who take risks. Some of us have gone for experiments to increase light or warmth levels while others have gone for contraptions involving foil, straws and mirrors! Foil for warmth, straws for support and mirrors for reflecting light. One intrepid team has also swapped water for juice to see if increased sugar levels speeds up germination.

 

The results are in! The fastest germination was next to the lamp, due to the extra heat and light it provided. 5B’s class tip is NOT to use juice to water plants; the soil goes mouldy!