Sprouting Seeds

To follow up our discussion of capillary action, the boys and I decided to grow a bean on our sliding-glass door. It's a pretty easy thing, we got some directions off the internet--a simple google search will bring up tons of sites that tell you how to do it. Generally, it works like this:

Find a bean, any old bean, from your pantry. It can't be one that's been cooked in any way. We used a navy bean.

Get a paper towel or two all wet.

Place the paper towels in a ziplock bag and wedge the bean between the plastic side of the bag (so you can see it and watch it grow) and the paper towels.

Add a little water, approximately 1/2 inch, to the bottom of the bag.

Zip the bag closed tight.

Tape it (or attach in any manner) to a sunny window or door (keep the seed where you can see it, you don't have to face it towards the light).

Watch what happens over the next couple of days.

Here's what happens: the seed/bean will swell as capillary action draws the water from the paper towel into the bean; the bean will sprout a root that will grow downward reaching towards the water at the bottom of the bag (it will be white or light colored); the root will utilize capillary action to pull water up to the seed/bean where a green shoot will begin to grow upwards from out of the seed/bean (it may curl); eventually the two sides of the bean/seed will split and baby leaves will emerge and the plant will continue to grow.

You may have to replenish the water if your bean/seed drinks it all up.

So that's what we did today. It was pretty fun and very simple. I think the kids were a little let down that we didn't do more, but they'll get more excited as they watch the seed/bean grow and to eventually pot it in a little pot. Growing plants can be such a satisfying experience. I hope they feel this way too.

I did take a picture, but my camera is giving me fits right now. So I'll post one after a few days of growth.