The Sunflower Jar

The Sunflower Jar
The most important element of any experiment is a caring adult. This activity is appropriate for
a child who has exchanged asking “why” for asking “how.” “How do plants grow?
How do plants in the woods get started? How do the stores get all that food?”
- Place wet paper towels in a glass jar. Paper towel should be placed loosely, not packed down.
- Position 4-6 seeds against the insides of the jar so they can be seen. The number of seeds depends on the size of your jar. The sprouts will need room for roots.
- Place your sunflower jar in a window for light.
- Water daily with a spray bottle or sprinkle water lightly with your hands. Keep the towels a moist place for the seeds.
- In a few days sprouts from the seeds will appear. Then come roots. When the sprouts have two leaves and are two inches tall, you can plant them in a pot.
What do children learn from the activity?
- How materials absorb water
- What plants need to grow
- Plants are delicate when they are young
- Measurement
Materials:
Glass jar or smooth plastic container
Paper towels
Water
Packet of seeds
Extend the experience
Potting your sunflower sprouts
- Put about one inch of pebbles or small rocks in the bottom of the pot.
- Fill the pot about half full of soil and press it down.
- Add loose soil to fill the pot and make a hole with your finger big enough to fit the sprout roots without crowding them.
- Prepare all your pots before you take the sprouts out of the jar. Remove the paper towel and sprouts and gently separate the sprouts from the paper.
- Place one sprout in the pot and gently fill the rest of the soil into the pot. Press down gently.
- Slowly add water until it drains out the bottom of the pot. (You will not need to water this heavily again.)
- If the soil level goes down, add more soil to within ½ inch of the top.
- Sunflowers need full sun to grow. Place your plant in a very sunny window or a safe place outside in the sun.
- When your seedling is too big for its pot, move it to a larger one or make a mini garden in your yard.
Extend the experience
- Place a stick or dowel in the larger pot and measure the plant’s growth. Keep a log of the growth. Sunflowers can grow from 2 feet to 12 feet tall!
Materials:
Pots for each sprout
- Recycled plastic bottles or cups make fine pots for spouts. An adult should cut the bottle to about 4 inches tall and make 3 to 4 holes in the bottom for drainage. Holes should smaller than a pencil barrel.
Old dishes or bowls for each pot
- Container can be recycled plastic or glass
Shovel
- You can use the top half of the bottle as a shovel to collect your soil if it is strong enough.
Soil
- Soil can be collected from your own yard or a nearby wooded area. Take enough soil to fill your pot(s) and the shovel.
Pebbles
- Collect a handful of pebbles or small stones.