Observation: Ivan noticed that his sunflowers dont seem to be in a very good condition.

He observed that a lot of stems have been snapped off and many of the flowers have already fallen off. He waters them regularly. He would loosen the soil around them for the roots to grow easily. He had planted them on an area with lots of sunlight. He uses organic fertilizer. He even takes extra precautions to ward off pests. Problem: Why were Ivans sunflowers not growing well? Hypothesis: Ivan lives near the bay. Perhaps it is due to the strong winds that frequently visit his home. Experimentation: Control Set-up A plant box with sunflowers is placed on an area that is frequently visited by strong winds. This is labelled as Box A. They are watered regularly. The soil around them are loosened. The plants have access to sunlight. Organic fertilizer is used and extra precautions are taken to ward off pests. Experimental Set-up A plant box with sunflowers is placed on an area that is safe from strong winds. This is labelled as Box B. Bamboo canes are used as stakes. They are watered regularly. The soil around them are loosened. The plants have access to sunlight. Organic fertilizer is used and extra precautions are taken to ward off pests.

Recording and Analysing Data: Set-up Observation A lot of stems have been snapped off and many of the flowers have already fallen off. The plant is not in good condition. Image

Box A

Box B

Most of the stems and flowers are still intact. The plant is still healthy and in good condition.

Conclusion: Sunflowers are very weak. Their stems can easily snap and their flowers can easily fall off because of strong winds. They should be placed on an area protected from wind and staked in order to increase their stability and strength.