Colourful Roots at Mayfield School
Frosty cold mornings aren’t that conducive to growing vegetables, so at this time of year our Kids Edible Gardens slow down, rest, and prepare for spring.
The upside is that students get the chance to look a little closer at how plants grow. At Mayfield School, that meant exploring how roots take up nutrients from the soil.
Mayfield students learning how plant roots absorb nutrients from the soil
Our new facilitator, Helen, led a clever hands-on experiment using coloured water and paper towels. The coloured water represented the three major nutrients that plants need:
- Nitrogen – helps with strong leaf growth
- Phosphorus – accelerates root development
- Potassium – encourages flowers and fruit
The paper towels stood in for plant roots. When rolled up and placed in the glasses of coloured water, they absorbed the liquid and changed colour – just like roots do when they take up nutrients from the soil.
The children could actually see how nutrients move through plants, turning this lesson into a bright and colourful learning experience.