Does it matter the way you plant the seeds? Check it out for yourself.
Things Required:
4 pinto beans
Paper toweling
Masking tape
One drinking glass
Marking pen
Directions:
Fold a sheet of paper towelling, and line the inside of the glass with it. The wad sheets of paper towelling and stuff them into the glass to hold the paper lining tightly against the glass. Place a strip of tape around the outside of the glass about half way up the glass. On four sides of the glass, mark the tape with an arrow to indicate the directions of up, down, left and right.
Place one bean to the right of each directional arrow. Make sure the hilum of the bean is pointing in the direction indicated by the arrow. Moisten the paper in the glass with water. You do not want the paper to be dripping wet-only moist.
Keep the paper moist and observe for 7 days.
This Is What Happens:
No matter which direction the bean is planted, the roots grow down and the stems upward. It takes about 7 days for measurable results.
Science Behind It:
Plants contain auxin, a chemical, that changes the speed of the growth of the plant. Gravity causes the auxin to collect in the lower part of the plant structure. Stem cells grow faster on the side where there is more auxin causing the stem to bend upward. Root cells grow faster on the side where there is a smaller amount of auxin causing this section to bend downward. The end result is that auxin causes stems to grow up and roots to grow down.
