Well, one had leaves, one had the beginning of a leaf, and one was just starting a root, but we decided it was time to move them out of the napkin filled cup and into an actual pot.
The children helped me prepare a large container with a small bag of vermiculite (to keep the soil loose), a few cups of sand (peanut plants like a sandy soil)...
...and a small bag of Miracle Grow potting soil.
I gave them a garden trowel to mix the dirt, and prepare one hole at a time for the plants. Playing with dirt inside the house was huge hit with the younger girls, who got to help by pouring water into the holes...
...and gently closing the dirt around the plants, while their sisters held the peanuts in place, keeping the roots down, and the leaves up.
After a week of keeping the soil lightly watered (too much water will rot the roots), Plant A (the one with leaves) has continued to grow taller, and is beginning to look well established.
Plant B (the one with just the beginning of a leaf) has sprouted above the dirt.
But, we are still waiting to see if Plant C (the one with just the beginning of a root) survived the transplant. It should take around 4 months for the plants to mature. I will try to post a monthly update, assuming we can keep them alive that long. It's a long shot for plants in our house, but time will tell.
In the meantime you can find more science themed ideas and activities for children at this week's Science Sunday link-up over at Adventures in Mommydom.
It's great to be a homeschooler.
6 comments:
I'm a gramma and you are my very favorite source of fun learning projects that I can do with my two little grand girls - ages 3 & 5.
This peanut growing adventure is fabulous!!!! Such fun!
When my son was a tot, we cut an extra uncooked Thanksgiving sweet potato in half lengthwise, set it in a tray of moist soil, "tented it" to keep the moisture level, grew a beautiful "sweet potato houseplant"!
Also loved the "M & Ms" experiment (melts in your mouth, not in your hand).
Great job!!!! Keep making learning fun and visual!!!! We're watching!
Gramma Marcia
I am very curious to see how your peanut plants will do. Good luck!
Your plants are turning out SO well! You're making me want to try this, but I know what's happened to most plants I've grown......
I am looking forward to seeing how this turns out. It makes me want to get an avocado and do the same with that. The only reason I am saying the avocado, is that is one I know I can do and succeed at.
Very cool. Plants don't last in our house either.
When I first saw the picture, I thought they were chicken embryos. I will be watching this as well. I have a BLACK thumb!
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