Plant Measurements to Compare Plant Growth

I have written posts about how to test plant growth scientifically.  I am finishing up my next post comparing a group of plants that had AUROA’s ROOTS beneficial microorganisms added to a second group that had everything the same accept no added beneficial organisms. Below is a list of potential ways you can compare plants growth.
You can compare seed germination by simply comparing the percentage of seeds that germinate in each group
You can compare the number of days from planting to emergence when plants develop cotyledons (the first leaves you see after germination).
I compared plant height by measuring the plants every 2-4 days. You measure from the medium the plants are growing in to the top of the plant stem.
You can also compare the number and size of leaves. Leaf size is a good indicator of plant health. You should also include observations about the leaf tips (brown or yellow). You could place the leaves over graph paper and trace them You can then determine and compare the surface area of the leaves. If you use the same type of paper, you can cut out the leaves and weigh them to compare the estimated mass of the leaves.
Plant color is another good indicator of plant health and you could compare this. You should not try to compare shades of green but rather note if there are specific color differences like yellow or brown spots or tips.
If you are growing plants that flower there are two easy ways to compare flowering on plants. First, you can compare the time to flowering. You can do this by comparing how long from the initial planting until the plants begin to flower. If you adjust the light cycle to induce flowering, you can compare the first flowering from when you change the light cycle.
The second way to compare flowering is to record the number of flowers. You can count every flower if weigh all the flowers
Good Growing
Dr. E.R. Myers