The nutrient solution

Students will

• Explain that a nutrient solution is water with plant food mixed all through it.
• Put the steps for mixing a nutrient solution in order.
• Explain why an adult handles concentrated plant food.

New words

concentrate

Plant food that is very strong. It gets mixed into lots of water before use.

nutrient-solution

Water with plant food mixed all through it.

Talk about it

What else do you mix from a recipe, where too much or too little goes wrong?

Check questions and answers

1. What is a nutrient solution?

   • Water with plant food mixed all through it (answer) Right. The water carries the food to every root.
   • Plant food straight from the bottle Not quite. That is the concentrate. It is far too strong.
   • Plain tap water Not quite. Plain water has very little plant food in it.

2. Who measures and pours the concentrate?

   • An adult (answer) Right. Concentrate can sting eyes and skin.
   • Anyone who is careful Not quite. Being careful is good, but an adult handles concentrate.
   • You, with bare hands Not quite. Concentrate can hurt your skin. An adult handles it.

3. You add twice the plant food the recipe says. What happens?

   • The water gets too strong for the plant (answer) Right. Like juice with too much syrup, it is too strong.
   • The plant grows twice as fast Not quite. More is not better. Too much food can hurt roots.
   • Nothing changes Not quite. More food makes the water stronger.

Teacher note

Concentrated plant food is for adults to measure and pour. Some of its salts can irritate skin and harm eyes, and are harmful if swallowed. If your class mixes a solution, an adult does every step that touches the concentrate, wearing gloves and eye protection. Rinse any splash on skin or eyes with plenty of water. Store concentrate in its labeled bottle, locked away from children.