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science herb project, please help me!

16 years ago

I am doing a science project before our christmas break which starts December 21. We have to make a water system for an herb that has to feed the herb and keep it alive for 10 days without me feeding it. I am looking for ideas of the easiest herb to use, perferrably one that doesnt need much water, if our water system doest go well! Thanks so much!

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Comments (5)

fatamorgana2121
16 years ago
Just so you know, an herb botanically speaking is a plant whose stem does not produce woody, persistent tissue and generally dies back at the end of each growing season. But common usage is a plant used for dying, culinary, or medicinal purposes. If you go by the first definition, any plant lacking a permanent woody stem (like a tree) could be used for your project.

If you go by common usage, thyme, sage, lavender, and rosemary are all commonly available herbs and either have low water needs and/or can tolerate lack of water for longer periods of time. One of your key things over Christmas break is that the plants will need a windowsill or good lighting (like grow lights) otherwise the water won't make much difference. Most herb plants have high light requirements otherwise they will die.

I hope this helps!

FataMorgana
ksrogers
16 years ago
I use a sprouter for growing sprouts of radish, wheat, broccoli and many other seeds. The sprouter is small plastic dishes which stack onto each other. The lowest one has no drain holes but the ones above do. When water is poured into the top unit, it will drian to the next and then to the bottom. The dishes have raised bottoms with slots and small short pins that point up, to help hold seeds just slighly above the surfaces. This works well for many seeds as they sprout fairly fast and have root systems that are never drowned as the water drains quite well and leaves just a damp surface.
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help me identify this herb please
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Waiting to hear if this is what you want... If so, I would happily send you seeds, but not until late this coming summer when they ripen again! :-) A couple of species of agrimony grow abundantly around here. Here is a link that might be useful: Is this what you mean?
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Help him to make some bread, or scones, or even fresh pasta, keeping one lot plain, the other with herbs added. Savoury crackers are another way of doing it. Another very simple idea is a jug of water, one just water, one with a sprig of mint, or lemon balm in it. Taste the difference! He could experiment with other herbs, too, like ordinary tea, basil, thyme, rosemary, whatever. Tell him he'll be making a cold-water infusion. That should blind him with science! He could have a row of jugs with a different herb in each, and little plastic medicine cups for taste-testing. He could, of course, make a real tea, using boiling water poured over the herb. He won't need to wait so long then for the flavours to infuse. Put a fresh sprig of the herb in the water for decorative purposes. Don't forget to label each jug so he can remember which herb is what. Get some cream cheese. Make cheese balls. Keep some plain, to the others, in small batches, add an assortment of herbs, or just roll the balls in the herbs. Parsley, chervil, chives, sesame seeds, garlic (or garlic chives), paprika are some suggestions. Make a small batch of spaghetti bolognese sauce, minus onion, basil etc. Just the meat and tomato base. Then take half of it and add in the herbs. Taste the difference!
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Comments (8)
>> hundreds! Or until he's tired of digging for them :) As many as you can feed to the fish? >> Yes, big enough for water to drain but not so big escapees are a problem. (I use a recycling sized bin) Once the thing is set up water once in a while and make sure there's food in there- you won't have to go dig worms before you go fishing for a while :) >> I know it's not the "worm farm way" but regular worms eat & poop too :) You might not get as much castings/ as fast as the red wigglers sold for this purpose. A good experiment when he's a little older: buy some & dig some and put them to a race! >> fill the bucket at least half full with shredded paper & leaves as the base, wet it down good and let it drain. I go ahead and throw in the half coffee can of dirt the worms are in while I dig them each time (for fishing trout around here :)Maybe give them a weed or two like a dandilion - roots and all) It will be gone by spring. Also Feed them things like shredded lettuce/the outer rings of head not fit for your salad, outside peels of an onion, egg shells...smash em good :)- basicly anything without grease & bones...no meat. Once it's set up he might not have to add anything for a while, or he might add a little somehting each time he "checks". Keeps the interest up if they get to "do something!" If they don't need anything, all your offerings are perfect for the regular compost pile outside. (I have 3 earth machines from the community composting project many years ago. I feed them more often than the worm bin probably...named one Templeton after the rat in Charlotte's Web - the garbage collector :) "WHO wants to feed Templeton?" was called out when I wanted the youngest to take out the "garbage" to the composter. Worked for quite a while! Now that she's 20 - not so much :) Laurie
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Comments (5)
I don't think it's Sambuscus nigra but I certainly wouldn't rule out another Sambucus species or cultivar until I've seen the leaves properly. Possibly S ebulus?? A rhizomatus perennial rather than a shrub. Sambucus ebulis Is there a feature that makes you sure it isn't an Elder, Fata? Sambucus ebulis images
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Ina Plassa_travis
16 years ago
ok - let's try some basic mom questions -

how old are you?

what are the parameters of the experiment?

what is the teacher trying to trick you into learning for yourself? if you're vague on this, you're either not paying very much attention to the teacher - or you aren't asking enough questions.

what do YOU want to get out of this project?
makalu_gw
16 years ago
Just to be the contrarian, how about an herb such as watercress that you can essentially float / grow in water and soaked dirt and then your water system is merely adding or circulating the water with limited feeding needs? If you start with a pool of water and mud and cover all except the growing portion, you won't need too much water flow to keep it from drying out or dying for a couple of weeks. I'd also suggest looking into water delivery systems that work on the unglazed pot principle since it might provide helpful. And I definitely agree with chinacat ... learn it, don't just do it - if we didn't at some time, we wouldn't be able to try and help you now.
Ina Plassa_travis
16 years ago
Makalu - you're the person I wanted as a lab partner in science class :)

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