Materials:
Plant Mineral Requirements Set No. 1
De-ionized or distilled water
8 liter bottles with lids
4 four-liter containers or gallon milk jugs
1 250 mL graduated cylinder
1 1000 mL graduated cylinder
8 small bottles or one 10-mL graduated cylinder and seven 40 or 50 mL graduated cylinders
Extra gallon milk jugs for de-ionized or distilled water---to use to keep the watering trays full during the weeks the plants are growing.
1. Use liter bottles to mix the stock concentration solution following the amounts on the direction sheet in the Plant Mineral Requirements Set 1. Use only de-ionized water or distilled water to avoid any mineral contaminants. Distilled water may contain some minerals. Use a permanent marker to label each of the 8 liters.
2. Four nutrient watering solutions are needed for this activity: -P, -N, -Fe, and Complete. Fill 4 four-liter jerrycans or gallon milk jugs 2/3 full of de-ionized water and label each container with permanent marker. For more efficient preparation we are mixing the watering solutions in four-liter containers instead of one liter containers.
3. Next label 8 separate small bottles or 40 mL graduated cylinders to prevent small amounts of contamination. Multiply each of the amounts on the Milliliters for Nutrient Solutions part of the directions sheet by four (We are using four-liter containers instead of one-liter containers). Pour the needed amount of stock solution into each labeled small bottle or 40 mL graduated cylinder and then pour it into the appropriate four-liter container. (The four-liter containers are previously filled 2/3 full with water to prevent possible precipitation or chemical reaction among the nutrients.) Add distilled or de-ionized water to each of the four watering solution containers so each holds 4 liters of watering solution.
4. Additional de-ionized or distilled water will be needed as the plants are grown so it will be helpful to include 4-8 additional milk jugs of de-ionized water.
5. To prevent algae growth, prepare the stock solution close to the delivery time. Stock solution should be refrigerated.