Plant Diary | Sunflowers

Diary of the Travelling Sunflower Plants

Our students were given several packets of Pacific Hybrid Sunflower seeds from the University of Queensland (Gatton) as part of the UQ Sunflower Competition. The main goal for e-STEAM Academy students is to embed Plant and Soil Science in their STEM Learning and test several independent variables impacting the growth of sunflowers.

Four (4) different experiments were undertaken and different variables tested included the following:

(a) Different watering routine - more or less water

(b) Different amount of light - full sun or shaded area

(d) Different amount of moisture - Searles (12 months slow release fertiliser) with wetting agent (crystals) or Without wetting agent (crystals)

Some sustainable practices done were:

* re-using old smaller pots or old household containers lined with cardboards for thinned plants

* re-planting thinned and removed sunflower plants to re-grow

* finding creative ways to re-use other resources such as twigs or sticks as stakes

* Working with nature instead of chemicals for pest management such as encouraging ladybirds which would eat any aphids on plants

* sometimes passively harvesting water to water the plants

The germinated seeds were thinned when they were approximately 5-7 cm in height. The thinned plants were re-planted in different pots to check if they would grow. The thinned plants did not survive.

The next time they were thinned was March 27.

Due to the COVID-19 travelling restrictions, all the plants were being tended to in the teacher's residence for 2 weeks until term 2 school resumes.

Below is the diary of the e-STEAM Academy students' travelling hybrid sunflower plants from Cornubia to Park Ridge.

It will updated every fortnight. We look forward to our blooming sunflowers come May 19 for the weighing of the sunflower heads.

e-STEAM Academy Students & Facilitator

April 2020

February 26, 2020

Getting the greenhouse ready!

March 2, 2020

After learning about 'How to Plant, Grow and Care for Sunflowers', students looked at the different variables which can be changed for an investigation. Students worked in grouped and started preparing the soil for planting.

March 4, 2020

Watering the soil and no growth yet!

March 6, 2020

Finally, some of the seeds germinated and began to sprout. What an exciting day!

March 9, 2020

Students had been helping each other water the plants. Too many things were happening in class and truly, many hands make light work. Thanks Duncan and Brady for not forgetting to water the plants.

Every afternoon, the plants were watered before leaving school.

March 11, 2020

Looking pretty good! A few groups thinned some plants that were clumped together to give the left behind plants more chances to survive.

March 13, 2020

Looking healthy. Some plants needed thinning but some students weren't keen on thinning yet.

March 18, 2020

The plants seemed to be growing well. Plants were thinned again and re-planted hoping the thinned plants would grow.

March 24, 2020

Oh no! One of the plants had been devoured by pests and was nearly leafless. Only 2 of the re-planted thinned plants continued to grow. The others died. The sunflower sprout under the shade was dying.

Students started measuring the growth in height (cm).

March 26, 2020

It was big surprise! Two days after and the plants seemed to grow faster. The leaves were looking green and healthy. With the exception of one plant that was almost leafless, all others were pest-free.

Students did not get a chance to thin 4 plants on the last e-STEAM meeting. It's pupil-free day next week and they won't be back to school until Term 2. They managed to mark the strongest plant they'd like to keep though.

March 27, 2020

And so Ms M ended up plant-sitting the Sunflower plants until the self-isolation and travel restrictions are over.

Ms Manansala found the massive hitchhiking caterpillar who's been feeding on Jake and Olivia's plants and ditched it.

The plants were thinned after-school and re-planted hoping (cross-fingers) they'd survive.

PS: I got no green thumbs so this is really wishful thinking. Ms M

March 28, 2020

The main sunflowers looked ok and adjusted well. They were placed in the back garden except for one of them, which was left in the shade.

But, my! Oh my! The dreadful day came for this was my Blackest Saturday yet with very weak plants looking so pale and sick. Oh no! I must find a solution for the thinned re-planted sunflowers. - and lo! I found magnesium. :)

PS: Magnesium is apparently good for plant's growth and health and is the powerhouse behind photosynthesis in plants. So I added in magnesium liquid tablets at the roots of the re-planted plants.

What's the worst that could happen? They could die quicker! And the best part? They could survive.

March 29, 2020

Two days after the change in soil and pot and with added magnesium tablets, the re-planted plants survived! YES! YES! YES!

These have now been added as additional Experiments based on the same variables they've been thinned from.

Now there's a total of 11 Experiment types! Cool!

March 31, 2020

More stakes were added to support the stalks. One caterpillar was found nibbling on the plant receiving more water and was ditched away.

There were still no sprouts from the pot in the shade and the pot with wetting agent (water crystals). Here's hoping some other seeds planted would've sprouted now to replace the dead one. Ohh well. We'll wait and see.

April 4, 2020

Looking pretty good and the plants seemed to be attracting some butterflies in the garden (despite not having flowers yet).

April 5, 2020

A couple more pests were found hanging around the plants. They had to be checked really well as they camouflage real good.

Some holes started appearing on the leaves. Some were tiny but there were a couple of big ones too. There were some bugs flying around the plants. A couple of ladybugs were seen too and was left to hopefully feed on other insects that would land on the plants.

The plants were getting a couple of watering routine: 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon. Plants with more water get watered more in each routine.

April 7, 2020

Today, the plant receiving more water measured 63cm compared to the plant receiving less amount of water at 64cm. Soon, it's expected that longer stakes would be needed to support the plants.

The plants were upright and had a stalk circumference of approximately 4cm (1.25 cm diameter). The plant without fertiliser was thin at about 2-3mm diameter.

Thinned plants completely adjusted to its new pot and seemed to catch up with the main experiment's height. The highest was 55cm for sunflower plant getting more water in a smaller pot.

PS: Tinkerbell and Bailey check the plants out quite often. :)

April 11, 2020

One of the Sunflower plants stood upright at 74cm high! Amazing! (PS:

That about half my height. Ms M)

There were a few visitors today from butterrflies, to moths, ladybugs, aphids, grasshoppers, sandflies and wasps.

Wind was not too kind with a couple of small potted plants and got blown down.

April 14, 2020

Plants are thriving but they're attracting a few grasshoppers around. Two lifeless pots (1) with water crystals and (2) pot in shaded to partly shaded area have now been gracing a small sprout growing steadily. A home-made garlic spray (using minced garlic for cooking) was used to ward off Giant grasshoppers (valinga irregularis) away. Seemed to have been working for 4 days without visits now. PS: Checked the height (April 19) and we now have 2 plants standing tall just above 1metre. YES!!!!

May 21 - June 3, 2020

Back to school and the sunflower plants travelled 45 minutes onto the highway to our school greenhouse. Daily, our students tend to the plants in the greenhouse ready for weighing real soon!