Zucchini Update

So, my Zucchini have grown mold on them :( but I know why, and I have fixed the solution. The leaves were getting wet and then drying so it caused mold. My partner and I put them inside the greenhouse this way the leaves can't get wet.

**NOTE** ALL THE WHITE ON THE LEAVES ARE THE MOLD

Me As A Learner

Topic: Something I learned while on the trip


So, my class went to Vancouver/Whistler for a class trip. It was a blast! I learned a lot down in Vancouver and Whistler.

We went to the aquarium, Capilano suspension bridge, Local Garden, Science World, Britannia Mines, Whistler Village. It was a great experience.

So, something I learned on this trip is that in Britannia mines, the workers had to carry their tools and heavy machinery to the job site. Some of these tools were very heavy. Like the ones in the pictures below.


I would love to do this trip again because I do believe that there is more to learn out of this trip even if you have seen it once or twice before.

Class Trip!

Next Wednesday, May 29, my class is going on a 4 day trip! I'm so excited to go on this trip because we are going to go to so many neat places! :)

Zucchini

So, my partner and my zucchini is growing awesome! Almost all the seeds are sprouting! I can't wait to see them when they are fully grown! They are already pretty big! I will post pictures later! :)

Zucchini Planting

How to Start Zucchini Plants

Step 1

Fill a 3-inch diameter peat pot with potting soil. Use a sterile potting soil or one that is sold for seed-starting purposes.

Step 2

Plant two zucchini seeds in each pot, planting them ½-inch deep. Water the soil until it is evenly moist throughout.

Step 3

Cover the pots with a plastic bag, which retains the moisture in the soil during germination. Place the pots in a warm room, around 21.11 degrees C, to germinate.

Step 4

Remove the plastic bags once the seedlings sprout. Pluck out the smaller, weaker seedling if both seeds germinate, leaving only one plant in each pot.

Step 5

Place the zucchini in a sunny window. Water the soil as needed to keep it moist but not soggy. Don’t let much water touch the leafs or leas will grow mold on them.

When to plant seeds!

Plant seed or transplant outside after the absolute last chance of frost has passed. Sow 5-6 seeds in hills in well-drained fertile soil and full sun

If you wish to start plants indoors, start them 3-4 weeks before last frost using peat pots.

Water/Soil/Sunlight

How much water? Medium amount of water. To water zucchinis the best way to water them is to put a gardening pot beside the plant and make sure that the bottom of the pot is at the same depth as the roots and every couple times a week fill it with water. The water will slowly seep through to the roots so it grows the best. Its best to use a rain barrel because there won’t be as much chlorine in it. If you don’t use the pot, water them 1-2 times a day. (morning and evening)

If you water the plant over top of it the leafs will go moldy and the plant will die. You would want to grow them in the soil that has the lowest acidic level. Plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water moderately. Zone 3 to 12 are typically the USDA Hardiness Zones that are appropriate for this plant (although this can vary based on your microclimate). A soil ph of between 5.6 and 7.5 is ideal for Zucchini as it does best in weakly acidic soil - weakly alkaline soil. Acidic soil- Below 7 pH is acidic, above 7 pH is non-acidic. Rich soil- use compost and mix into soil

Research Questions

Do we want to experiment with amounts of water or soil? Or neither? Neither Should we plant different types of Zucchini? - Plant only one kind this year to see how they do.  Fastest growing rate in order to harvest them before school ends.  Rich, low acidic soil.

Pest and health-  Keep zucchini by spinach and flat leaf parsley. They keep the bugs away from zucchini.

Some common pests and diseases are cutworms,cucumber beetles, squash bugs, vine borers, spider mites, aphids, whiteflies 

Container - Large container to let plant grow big and to keep it producing vegetables, because bigger the plant more the zucchinis.  

Nutrients- The best fertilizer for zucchinis would should be water soluble which means that you would mix it with water. It is best not to let fertilizer granules touch the plant leaves as it could burn them. A 10-10-10 fertilizer would likely work the best. The three numbers indicate how much Nitrogen, Phosphoric Acid and Potash the fertilizer contains.  Nitrogen encourages strong shoots and leaves and is essential in the green coloring (chlorophyll). Phosphoric Acid helps with flowering and production of fruit or vegetable and seeds. Potash helps to strengthen plant and helps it to resist disease. A fish fertilizer is always good but you may have to fend off animals that love the smell and will go digging around your plant looking for the fish. If you have good, rich soil especially if compost has been added you might not need any fertilizer.

Resources

Websites:

http://myfolia.com/plants/897-zucchini-cucurbita-pepo-var-cylindrica

http://www.westcoastseeds.com/how-to-grow/vegetable-seeds/Zucchini/

http://www.gardenguides.com/116935-plant-zucchini-seeds.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_pH

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/zucchini/solutions-for-common-problems-growing-zucchini.htm

Video on Managing Zucchini Plant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzs-VEtllx0

What I Haven't Learned Yet

http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/panda/37997.htmSomething I  haven't learned is how long pandas live for. They live for up to 35 years.

Writing Competition

So, I'm entering a writing competition. Here's my story so far:

The Mysterious Break In

Pg.1

You’re lying there on your comfortable bed, trying to sleep. You close your eyes and count to ten. One…Two..Three..Four… You’re asleep. “ BANG” You suddenly wake up startled. It’s 2:30am. You don’t know if that was a gun or a bear banger. There’s a disturbing rustling in your kitchen that you hear all the way down stairs. You slowly crawl out of bed, making sure not to make any noise. You’re trying to grab your knife you had hidden, in case someone ever broke in. You open your door. “CREaK” You tip-toe up the stairs. Its pitch black in your house, like a black panther. Your stairs moan as you walk up them. As you head into the hall, you turn on the light. You clutch the knife tighter in your hand. There’s a guy in a black mask standing in front of you, gun tucked away in his pocket. You scream and run for the phone. He grabs you, and then puts his hand around your mouth. “ SHH” he whispers. You bite his hand and run to the phone, quickly calling 911, terrified. “How may I help you” the operator asks. “There’s a killer in my house” You sob. The police arrive in 5 minutes, the man is gone. The window is open. He crawled out. You go to your parents` room, only to find a shocking discovery. They are still alive. They come out of their closet. “We put manikins’ in our bed” your parents exclaim. “We heard him come in through the door, so we hid.” You hug them tight. The

The Mysterious Break In

Pg.2

police investigate the house.  “Force entry.” They say curiously. “But how?” You ask with worry. “The alarm was set; it surely would've gone off if it was force entry.” Your dad replies very concerned. “Well.” the police start. “WELL WHAT?” You yell. “He could have killed my parents and me.” “He has this tool to break the signal in the alarm to power it off.” “He most likely used that.” The cops stated.

 “Why us though?”  Your mother asks, shocked. “We aren't sure ma’am.” They say. “It could be because you have a lot of money so he figured you had a lot of valuables.” “I don’t understand though. How’d he find us?” Your father replies helplessly. “He followed me home a few times.” You reply scared to death. “Why didn't you tell us?” Your mother replies. “I don’t know. I didn't think he would harm us. I thought he lived on our street.” You say ashamed. “My main concern is where he got in.” You say. “Look at this!!” Your mother exclaims. You look at the door, and see a huge gap between the door and frame. There’s still a crowbar outside. “He must have taken my crowbar that I had set outside and forgot to put it away.” Your

The Mysterious Break In

Pg.3

father says, looking very puzzled.  The cops sit you down and ask you many questions. You feel like you’re about to faint. Your parents send you back to bed. You stay home the next day only because you aren't feeling good still. “What a night.” Your dad says to your mom. “I’m just glad no one was hurt.” She smiles.  “Me too.” You say laughing. 

Please comment if you have any suggestions :D Its due tomorrow so comment ASAP!!