What I'm Planting

I've decided to plant Zucchini. I think that it will work well for the project because it is easy to maintain and grows very quickly. Ideally, I'd like to grow some truly mammoth vegetables. They might not taste too great, but I think that it will look really cool in stop-motion. My plant will stay in the NTC garden for the entire project.

Prompt #1 - Curiosity

"What is one thing in the natural world that you are curious about?"

^^ that.

Plant Proposal

These are the two plants that I chose to research in hopes of planting them in our new garden. As of right now, they are not looking too feasible.

Camellia Sinesis

-This small, blossoming plant is native to Southeast Asia and is often commercially cultivated for its ability to produce a wide array of teas (green, white, black, oolong, etc). The Camellia prefers sub-tropical climates and thrives when rainfall is frequent. However, it is not considered to be a picky plant, and its ideal conditions are fairly easy to simulate. Tea plants will grow into trees if left undisturbed, but plants used for harvesting are often pruned to waist height to ease the process of harvesting. Along with its potent tea leaves, the plant also produces small yellow-white flowers during the autumn months.

-Seeds for this plant may be available in specialty gardening stores, but most likely, we will have to look online. From the time they are planted, to the time they are fully grown is about three to four years, but most teas utilize very young leaves and buds. These early sprouts could emerge anywhere from 2 months to one year after planting, which pretty much rules out Camellias as a viable option for our garden. However, if the class deems the risk viable, all of the other aspects of the plant make it a non-obtrusive and easy to maintain item. It primarily grows vertically, so it can be contained to a small spaces, and it prefers acidic soil. Its ideal NPK ratio varies between which type of tea the plant is being grown for, but 1 - 0.4 - 0.5 seems to be a fairly universal option.

-Fun Fact: a plants first three or four buds are considered to be the most flavorful and healthy. These buds are typically harvested quickly and used in higher-grade teas.

Sugar Cane

-Sugar Cane is native to the tropical regions of Asia and is made up by a series of tall, fibrous stalks. The plant can grow to be as tall nineteen feet, but most commercial crops are kept below ten. As the name would suggest, the plant contains a large amount of sugar, which can be extracted through refining or milling. Sugar Cane is one of natures most efficient photosynthesizes, so it works very well with other plants. The plant also contains a high cellulose content, which makes it a prime candidate for use in environmentally friendly products such as paper and packaging.

-Most plants are bought when they are small, and then planted, however, seeds can be found (for a hefty price) online. The roots need to start very deep underground, so large holes will have to be dug before planting. After they have been set and watered, it will take between two and four weeks to see any growth. The sugar is safe to harvest once the plants have reach a height of approximately five feet, which could take several months. Sugar Cane is found in many ares that are also used to harvest the aforementioned Camellias, so its soil preferences are similar.

-Fun Fact: when Sugar Cane is harvested by hand, it is customary to burn down the field that it grows in before harvesting, kill off any invasive plants or harmful animals. Because of the plants thick exterior, the flames never harm the sugar.