Hydroponics is the act of cultivating and supporting plant growth and nutrition solely through water rather than soil. Hydroponics is very useful for farmers because it allows them to grow large numbers of plants in smaller areas. It also allows people in areas with poor soil the ability to continue to grow plants, simply by creating a controlled hydroponic growing tank.
Children can usually become very excited and interested in the life cycle of a seed when presented with the general information. Hydroponics is probably the easiest and most practical strategy that you can share with them. Children can be in charge of all or almost all of the tasks required to support the hydroponic tank, which will engage them in this project and, in turn, help them learn more effectively.
First, you need to gather the proper supplies to create your hydroponic tank. You will need: a gallon sized container with dark sides to avoid damaging the root lumen, several empty egg cartons, liquid hydroponic nutrient, bleach, several packets of bean seeds, small containers with lids for seedlings to sprout and coffee filters. Later, as the plants start to grow, you will need to buy string and straws to hold them up.
To sprout seedlings, place 5 to 10 seeds inside a coffee filter and place them inside the smaller containers. Fill the container with water, let the seeds soak for 10 minutes, then drain and replace the lid tightly. Soak the seeds like this every day until the roots and stems start to grow big enough to place in the hydroponic tank. This will take 7-10 days. If you notice mold beginning to form, add 1 teaspoon of bleach to 1 gallon of water and rinse the seeds with that mixture until the mold dissipates.
Prepare the hydroponic tank by filling the large one-gallon tank with water a few days before transferring the seedlings so the water has time to change to room temperature. Mix the proper amount of nutrient solution with the water. Cut small holes in the bottom of the egg cartons where each egg would have been. When the seedlings are rooted to 2 to 3 inches, gently place them into the holes in the egg carton. Place the egg cartons in the nutrient water tank, root side down.
Place the tank in a well-lit area. Have the children measure the growth of the seedlings every day and keep a chart of their growth. As the seedlings sprout higher, secure the straws to the sides of the tank with tape and gently attach the stem of the plant to the straw with string. This will help support the stems so they don’t break. In 4-6 weeks, the beans will start to sprout. When the beans are 5 to 6 inches long and a deep green color, they can be picked and eaten.
