Week Seven

I believe that there is a lot of truth to the statement that gardening is mainly the art of maximizing photosynthesis in our plants. In the videos for this week, we learned that there are three main factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis in plants. These factors are, water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide levels. The more water a plant has access to, without flooding the seed, the more photosynthesis it will be able to handle. Increased sunlight and carbon dioxide levels also allow the plant to convert these into more glucose and oxygen, which are the main outputs of photosynthesis. The faster the rate of photosynthesis in a plant, the faster it will grow. For this reason, it is important to do as much as possible to increase the rate of photosynthesis in your plants to the maximum level. This week, I used a stake to hold my cucumber plant upright and give it more stability. It is already working well, as it is storming outside right now and very windy, but because the plant is attached to the stake, it is easy for the plant to maintain its upright position. As my other plants continue to grow, I plan to use stakes to support these plants as well.