Lesson 5 - How do plants and trees grow?

Activity: Sprout a Seed

Because of all the different variables, it can be tricky to grow plants from seeds. If you saw different results from this activity than what is shown in the video, you may have some questions about what you can do to get the best results with your radish seeds.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we’ve received about this activity.

Is there a substitute for radish seeds?

We’ve heard from other teachers that they've had good results with mustard seeds, cat grass seeds, or oat grass seeds. The results may vary with these options, however, so if you do try one of these, please let us know how it goes!

We followed the directions but our seeds didn’t sprout at all! Do you have any suggestions?

There are a few reasons this might be happening:

• Your radish seeds may need more watering.
• If you are using peat pellets, they’ll need a bit more hydration and mixing. You’ll also want to make sure the seeds are placed within the soil.
• If there isn’t as much sunlight throughout the day, it can be tricky to get this experiment to work. It may be best to plan for this activity in the spring when there’s more sunlight.

If you have any additional questions about this activity, contact us. We’ll be happy to help!