Wisconsin Fast Plants Program

Strong Fast Plants start with smart care! 🌱
Knowing how to thin and tend Fast Plants throughout the life cycle helps ensure plants have enough space, light, water, and nutrients to thrive. From thinning seedlings early to providing adequate PAR lighting and consistent moisture, small decisions make a big difference in plant health—and student learning.

Our latest blog post walks through practical tips, recommended plant densities for common growing systems, and why light and spacing matter at every stage of growth. These strategies support healthy plants and meaningful investigations into plant competition, growth, and development.

👉 Read more and explore classroom-ready resources:
How to Thin and Tend Fast Plants Throughout the Life Cycle


https://fastplants.org/2026/02/13/how-to-thin-and-tend-fast-plants-throughout-the-life-cycle/

Polycot Fast Plants are excellent for teaching natural selection through hands-on investigations and firsthand data analysis!

Choose a quick inquiry with Fast Plants seedlings or have students design and implement their own selection experiment—you decide what fits your learning goals, classroom equipment, and timeframe.

Learn more in this blog post (written by actual human educators):
https://fastplants.org/2020/08/06/new-polycots-fast-plants-selection/

🌱🔬 Want your students to see inheritance in action—not just draw it on paper? Our latest Fast Plants blog post shows how to guide students in scoring phenotypes through careful observation and standardized data collection. Perfect for teaching Mendelian genetics while practicing real scientific skills! 👉 https://fastplants.org/2026/01/15/investigating-inheritance-patterns-with-fast-plants-coaching-students-to-score-phenotypes/

Investigating Inheritance with Student-Scored Phenotypes - Fast Plants® Hands-on inheritance investigations with Fast Plants. Free resources support student data collection, collaboration, and genetics learning.

Want your students to see inheritance—not just draw it? 🌱 One of our latest Fast Plants blog post discusses the value in guiding learners through collaboratively developing standardized procedures for scoring Fast Plants phenotypes, using agreed-upon criteria and careful observation.
In this way, students both learn about the practices of science that make data sharing possible AND generate data that can be shared, so students can generate large enough sample sizes for results to show classic Mendelian inheritance patterns.

We include free slide decks, scoring guides, and tips for pooling class data so inheritance patterns emerge clearly and meaningfully. Perfect for genetics units and inquiry-based labs!

👉 Read more: https://fastplants.org/2026/01/15/investigating-inheritance-patterns-with-fast-plants-coaching-students-to-score-phenotypes/

Timing matters when you’re growing Fast Plants! If you’re planning a classroom or at-home activity with Fast Plants, choosing when you plant can make all the difference.

This new blog post from Wisconsin Fast Plants breaks down how strategic planting days help students see key growth stages — from germination to flowering and seed development — right during class time. 🌿📅

https://fastplants.org/2026/01/15/when-to-plant-fast-plants/

When to plant Fast Plants? - Wisconsin Fast Plants® Timing Fast Plants lessons effectively: choose a planting start date that optimizes when students may witness key life cycle events.

Happy New Year 2026!!
What is your New Year’s prediction? 🌱💚🥳

"Biting into Science Cookies,” a hands-on investigation into the question, "Are seed fates determined by seed size or chemistry?" developed for an intro chem lab course, using Fast Plants.

"The implementation was successful overall, with strong student engagement and appreciation for the practical chemistry connection."

Implementing an online module about seed chemistry and dispersal for neurodivergent students in an undergraduate chemistry course Feedback from neurodivergent students in a chemistry course guided changes in this module to enhance accessibility and engagement. A tannin-exposure experiment enabled students to make connections between chemistry and the ecology of seed dispersal.

Check out this new short video introducing our latest free lessons developed through collaboration with Clover by 4-H and The Space Gal 🌱

Space Seeds Experiment Overview for Clover by 4-H Lessons 7-minute video introduction to the Fast Plants experiments with Emily Calandrelli, included in the free Clover by 4-H Space Seeds Lessons.Learn preparation b...

We are so honored to collaborate with Emily Calandrelli and 4-H to help bring space-flown seeds and high quality, easy-to-implement Fast Plants experiments to teachers and learners!

For anyone who wants the FREE Space Seeds - please head over to my Instagram and see my latest reel!

💙🚀🌱🐉🚀💙 Thank you and the whole .us team!

Grateful for this opportunity to collaborate with Amanda Nguyen and play a small role in this historic part of her powerful journey. 🫶🚀💚🌱💙

L-9 🌱