Botany lab three seeds

The spring 2024 run of this lab was a fail when all of the seeds from the local hardware store failed to germinate. This term the concept is local seeds. The use of colored filters is also being abandoned, as is the use of the large plastic domed trays.

This term the plan is to use the three different growing media available at the hardware store and local seeds. Students were asked to bring seeds, but weather permitting the class will go outside to collect local weed seeds. 

Forgotten item: small plastic bags to hold seeds. Rock collection boxes might have small plastic bags.The weather, however, has been non-cooperative this week. Watering can. Beakers. Paper towel.

Three large plastic trays, one for each media, will each hold 38 biodegradable seed starting cups in a 10+10+10+8 configuration. With 22 students that should be sufficient for students to plant a seed in each media type with a few cups left over. How the students will know which cup is theirs remains to be determined. Maybe a spreadsheet type alphanumeric grid can be set up with masking tape.

Time to germination/sprouting will be the variable. In retrospect students will need to have three seeds of the same species to make this viable.
The plastic trays are Jiffy Seed Starting Trays from Ferry-Morse and purchased at Ace Hardware. 



The grid modeled after a spreadsheet.

The larger peat pots.

The smaller peat pots.

A few larger pots against the event of larger seeds being brought in.

The first board diagram was totally mislabeled. Distracted instructor forgot the labeling system he had just set up.

The correctly labeled chart. 

Students were concerned that the report is due tonight but they have nothing to report yet. This is a lab that essentially remains open for submission until the end of the term.

Mrdleen, Elavia  Karen

Some students did not have seeds. The weather cooperated sufficiently to permit a campus walk. The bog field was soggy, but navigable. Unfortunately none of the Spathoglottis micronesiaca had fully ripe seed pods. Perhaps birds eat the ripe pods? I put a not-yet-ripe pod in B1. 

Merma

I was pleasantly surprised at the number who ventured out onto the boggy ground. 

Marstella

Return from the bog field

The preset ahead of students adding seeds. 

Litana, Mayoleen, Elaine. Pelma, Bentrick 

The trays were distributed one per table and students were told to move from table to table to put their three seeds in corresponding locations in each tray. A1-I1-Q1 for example.

Karen and Medleen plants their seeds

A forgotten item picked later: watering can 

Mayoleen, KC, RJ, Elaine

One more overlook and forgotten item: paper towels 

Set up at the back of the room. 

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