| I am doing a science project on caffeine vs. the growth of pinto beans. Can you offer me any information on the coffee grounds and their effect on plant growth? |
| Since one of the purposes of a science project is to discover things for yourself, I wouldn't want to give away the answers. And, fortunately, there's no risk of that since I don't know how caffeine affects plant growth! However, coffee grounds usually contain a fair amount of nitrogen, an important plant nutrient. Whether or not the addition of coffee grounds to the soil will affect plant growth, I can't say for sure. It will depend in part on whether the nitrogen in the grounds is in a form the plant can use. Also, remember that by using coffee grounds in your experiements you aren't studying how caffeine affects plant growth, but rather you are investigating how the addition of coffee grounds affect growth. Coffee grounds contain many other substances besides caffeine. You may want to consult with your teacher about the initial background research that will help you formulate a hypothesis, as well as for help in designing your experiment. Good luck! |
