There’s so much hidden magic that goes on underneath the soil, including how plant roots grow.

It’s great to be able to show kids what a plant looks like both above and below the ground so here’s a simple way to create a cross-section view.

Try this experiment with your kids and watch their eyes light up!

What you’ll need:

  •         A medium sized clear glass or plastic jar
  •         Seed raising mix
  •         Bean seeds

What To Do:

Step 1: Take a medium-sized clear glass or plastic jar and half fill it with seed raising mix.

Step 2: Drop around 3 bean seeds - such as Dwarf Bean Mix or Broad Bean Hughey onto the mix and then cover with another 2–3 cm of mix. Beans are a great choice as the seeds are large and easy to see and handle.

Step 3: The closer you can place the seeds to the edge of the jar the easier it will be to see what happens.

Step 4: Give the mix a gentle mist with water (don’t overwater, as bean seeds can rot if too moist).

Step 5: Place the jar on a sunny windowsill and in 7-10 days roots and leaves will start to emerge. Kids can see the white roots growing longer and new leaves popping up. Magic beans!


Related products

Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix

Specially formulated for trouble-free seed raising in trays (or outdoor seed sowing direclty into the ground) and propagation of cuttings.

Broad Beans 'Hughey'

Tasty & prolific broad bean selected by Denis Hughes in Otago. 'Hughey' produces attractive scarlet flowers that add winter colour to the garden.