r/K Plants and Animals
Ask your parents for permission before doing this science activity. This activity is a long term project and will need a lot of attention and care.
Materials:
- 1 bulb onion set (available at plant or vegetable gardening stores)
- 1 pot
- Good soil
- 1 fennel plant without any flowers (you can get these at plant stores)
- Water
Instructions:
1. Put your fennel plant in a sunny, slightly breezy place. Water your plant every few days and make sure the soil is well drained.
2. When your fennel plant begins to flower (this can take several months), wait for the petals to fall off.
3. Once the petals have fallen, cut the flower stems and shake the remains of the flower over a piece of white paper. You should see multiple seeds coming out. What does this tell you about your fennel?
4. Plant your onion set into the pot with good soil. Keep your onion plant in a sunny place and water it every few days.
5. Your onion plant will begin to grow and it is likely to produce flowers. After the flowers have fallen off and the stalks have yellowed, dig up your onion. Be careful that you don't damage the onion itself so dig up around it. There is only one grown onion bulb. What does this tell you about bulb onions?
In this activity, you are asked to care for one plant that produces many seeds for use, and another plant that produces only one bulb for use. This is similar to the r/K‐selection of plants. Remember that these plants were used to illustrate the theory. They do not necessarily adhere to it.
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