In this project, I took two wild-worm seed mustard plants and put them in separate pots, with the only variable between the two plants was the soil used. Both plants had soil, except one of the them was fertilized with scraps from the compost bins. Everything else was the same; water, sunlight, and space. I wanted to see if the fertilizer would affect the growth of the plant, and if so, how?
The Fertilizer Used
The Tests
Everyday I watered the plants and took pictures as a record of their growth. The final result? The plant without fertilizer grew much faster, but eventually stopped. The plant with the fertilizer grew slower but had thicker growth, with more branches. However, in the end, the fertilized plant could not out-grow the non-fertilized plant, but it seemed to be in better health, like it was going to live longer. The final measurements for the non-fertilized plant was 19.5cm, with 23 seed pods and 15 leaves, whereas the final measurements for the fertilized plant was 13.5 cm, but with 39 seed pods and 49 leaves. Although the non-fertilized plant grew much taller and faster, the fertilized plant had a much fuller, and more fruitful growth.