Michael+T

=How cold is too cold?=

=Goals:= The goal of this experiment was to observe 2 pea seeds and 2 tomato seeds and how the responded to being frozen. The experiment was set up so that there was one control seed for each type of plant, one seed that was frozen for 1/2 hour from each type of plant, and one seed that was frozen for one hour. The initial prediction was that both the pea seeds that were frozen would germinate as well as the one that was not frozen, but only the tomato seed that was not frozen would live to germinate. **Discoveries:** The end results for the experiment were quite astonishing compared to the initial hypothesis. both the pea seeds that were frozen ended up germinating, and the control pea seed that was not frozen did not germinate. As for the tomato plants, none ended up germinating at all. In the end my hypothesis was not very accurate. I took away that some seeds actually need to be frozen in order to germinate, like the pea seeds needed to be.

=Challenges:= The biggest challenges for the experiment was to first remember to water the plants everyday, and second making sure the plants had been exposed to the same environment, but also in the optimal environment for germination. The tomato plant is usually a warm weather plant, while the pea plant is usually a cold weather plant, so naturally it was hard. =Solutions:= I solved the problem by first putting them in a spot in my house where they would all get the same amount of light throughout the day, and second by making sure the room temperature was so that each plant was in the optimal range of temperature for germination. I also set an alarm on my phone so that they would be watered everyday at the same time.

=Looking Back:= Looking back, I would not have probably done a plant project, and if I were to do one, I would have picked a different problem. It was hard to see the germination process when the plants were in the soil, so there was not a whole lot I could do in the days in between the initial planting and the ending day. The plants I picked also did not grow very quickly, so that there was a problem as well.

=5 Things you wish you knew before the project:= 1. Starting the project a little earlier, I was a little rushed for time. 2. Planting more plants to get a bigger variety of results.

3. Using plants that grew quicker, to see the results much faster. 4. Using different types of plant pots so that I could see the germination process day by day. 5. Planting the plants longer, so I could really see if they germinated or not.