Experiment Starts Now!

[ScottMcC]

It's time. The plants have acclimated, and both grew about 2-3 mm over the last week. Tomorrow morning they will both be due for water.

One gets Hausermann's Fertilade 15-5-5, 1 tsp/gallon (as suggested by the label).

One gets First Ray's MSU Well water formula, 2.5 tsp/gallon (also according to the label).

My wife mixed the solutions, without my knowledge of which is which.

I will take weekly measurements of both plants, and continue either until I get tired of it, or a significant difference is evident.

[cb977]

Cool! Keep us updated

[Ray]

A couple of comment, Scott:

1. Two plants does not make a good study. For all you know, one might simply be a better grower. You need large numbers to make it valid.
2. Assuming the plants are equal,
   1. I would bet you'd see better foliage growth from the Fertiliade, as you're feeding 50% more nitrogen than with the liquid MSU stuff.
   2. You might, however, see less blooming, as that higher nitrogen level might quell it a bit.

[ScottMcC]

I realize that the statistical power of this study is essentially zero. However...it's fun for me. I would much rather do it with a large group (at least 30 per group, that's generally enough to get decent power), randomized, etc, etc, but time, space, and budget constraints leave me with one control and one experimental plant.

I'll take measurements tonight.

[ScottMcC]

Plant A grew 3 mm in leafspan, and lost the oldest of it's leaves.

Plant B grew 2 mm in height.

So far, no significant differences (not that I would expect any). Both look quite healthy. Pictures to follow.

[Ray]

Something to keep in mind about judging comparative growth:

You have to watch the number of leaves and the size of them.

If you have two identical plants, but one is growing more leaves than the other, it indicates that it is growing better.

If, on the other hand, they have the same number of leaves, but one is smaller, it indicates that it is not getting the cultural needs to live up to its potential.

What that means is that if you have a plant with more-, but smaller leaves than a sibling, it is actually the stronger grower, but something you're doing (or not doing), is hindering it.

By the way, if you ever get the urge to try another experiment comparing fertilizers, it would be better to use the different formulas at the same nitrogen level. That way you are actually comparing the chemistries of the formulas, rather than a combination of chemistry and concentration - something that prevents you from knowing why there were differences.

[ScottMcC]

interesting observations Ray, and I will definitely pay attention to that. as soon as this trial produces either a significant difference, or I decide that it's been long enough that a significant difference would have been evident, I will move on to a series of trials to compare concentrations of fertilizers. I like your idea of fixing the N ppm.