blog post #5

During this project I learned how seeds germinate, or start to grow. In class, the second day of the project, we counted out 50 seeds and divided them into 5 groups. In each group, we placed the seeds in wet paper towels with different salt consistencies. The control group and the group with the least amount of salt were the groups of seeds that germinated. The rest of the seeds barely grew or didn't grow all because the salt didn't allow for proper living conditions. The thing that surprised me the most during this project, was how quickly our broccoli plants died after planting them. My partner and I didn't water our plants consistently enough and our plants were surrounded by weeds, meaning they got even less water and died. What made me think a little deeper was the actual growth of the plants. It amazed me how fast they grew in just a few weeks, so I started researching photosynthesis because I knew very little about it. The most frustrating thing about this project is that we tried our hardest to keep our plants alive, but they were one of the firsts to die. I interviewed Kerik Von Kaay. From this project he learned how to start growing a garden. He was amazed by how his broccoli plants lost their competition of resources, with the grass and other plants growing around them, and died just like ours did. What made him pause and think deeper was the role they play in a food web. The plants he grew, and everyone else grew, play a huge role in the environment because other living things with a higher trophic level wouldn't be here without them. The things he found most frustrating  about this project was that he had to water his plants regularly and how there is only one surviving plant.