Day 34 in the life of a Fast Plant

Obviously, some flowers got pollinated and some did not. Now, we can see how well the pollination worked. Embryogenesis literally means to create swelling, and some pistils have swollen and some have not. The creation of the embryo is hidden, but it swells the pod and we can see that. The embryo is the part of a seed that grows into a new plant, and is made of a tiny root, stem, leaves, and food. The embryo has an umbilical cord that provides nourishment from the plant. These parts can also be seen in the food beans that we eat. Split open a pea pod to see an umbilical cord, and split open a peanut embryo to see the other parts. The Fast Plant is now busy growing seeds inside the pods.

Day 33 in the life of a Fast Plant

Silly plant, it is producing buds on day 33. Doesn’t it know that it is in senescence (dying)? Why would a plant with about a week to live, grow new buds. The Wisconsin Fast Plant step-by-step instructions tells the student to terminate the buds so that the plant can channel its energy toward seed growth. Why doesn’t the plant know this?  Even while dying the plant’s instinct is to create and not give up reproducing. I wonder if the horticulturist did not give this deadline to terminate new buds, if these buds would flower and seed. Plant are tenacious, clinging or adhering close to life. My guess is that the pruning is done to complete the life cycle to the convenience of the horticulturist not the plant. For a plant in the wild, this DNA coding to keep budding may mean a few more plants are created and may mean survival of the species. Life is tenacious.

Day 32 in the life of the Fast Plant

Embryogenesis to death&seed is the phase the plant is in now. This wonderful diagram was made by the Fast Plant program and I have added some text. It seems that there is no official naming for the plants life cycle phases, so I added them. The end of the plant’s life cycle is near, and the plant may only have a week left. Much of the plant’s DNA is the same as ours, since have evolved together. We have the same DNA and much in common with the plant, including a life cycle. Much of the drama in a plant’s is the same as ours. Also, we cannot understand the life of a plant without understand more about us. However, we are much more complicated than a plant, we have self-awareness and think. I don’t think there is a plant out there blogging about a human’s life cycle

Day 31 in the life of the Fast Plant

Embryogenesis, is a scientific word from the old Greek word embryon that in turn is from en- + bryein meaning to swell, and from the old Greek word genesis meaning to create. So, embryogenesis literally means to create a swelling. That swelling in the plant pod contains the seeds that can become new plants. While the plant is seen dying on the outside, it is also growing new seeds on the inside. Seeds are more than a new baby plants, since seeds also contain a protective cover and all the food needed to start growth when the conditions are right. The seed is not only contains the new plant DNA, but all the ingredients needed to start it growing again. Incredible.

Day 30 in the life of the Fast Plant

Natural selection versus unnatural selection. Man does not interfere with plants in nature. In nature, it is the plant most adapted to the environment that survives or “survival of the fittest.” Fittest does not always mean strongest. Paul William, the father of the Fast Plant, interfered with natural selection and breed for plant for speed. But, it can no longer survive in nature, and is dependent on an artificial environment and pollination. He is not alone in controlling the fate of plants, mankind has be controlling the fate of plants for over 11,000 year to benefit their needs. Today, farmers and horticulturist also determined which plant will survive and which will not. We have domesticated plants and became an agricultural society. How has our knowledge of plants benefitted us?

Day 29 in the life of the Fast Plant

“Any tree that does not bear fruit will be cut down” is ancient writing on the value of productivity, since we need fruit to live. Plants also need to bear fruit to live. It is now obvious which pods got pollinated and which did not. The plant to the right got pollinated and has seeds growing and the plant on the left did not. For one plant, its DNA has ended and for the other its DNA may see another life cycle. For the student, it is a time of reflection on what went wrong. This plant was dependent on the student. The student can learn, become a horticulturist, and teach others about plants. Both the plant and human have the instinct to live, it is win-win. If plants live, then we live because we need them. It benefit us to know how to benefit them. Symbiosis

Day 28 in the life of the Fast Plant

Senescence (se’·nes·cence) meaning "to grow old," is the gradual deterioration of function and is found in all life. The plant is now in senescence. The whole purpose of the plant now is to create seeds. The blossoms are drying up and falling away. However, seed pods are now growing in their place. So there is growth even during senescence. The purpose of the plant was to reproduce it genetics. Only the seeds have future, the rest of the plant will decompose back into top soil. What is now important to the plant is to repackage is genetic code into protected seeds. The oldest seed that has grown into a plant was a Siberian Arctic Flower with an age of 31,800 years.

Day 27 in the life of the Fast Plant

Eight days after the first bloom, and enough is enough. Time is up for reproducing. Cut off the few buds that are on the plant so that plant will use its resources to form seeds. Forming seeds is called embryogenesis. After reproduction, pruning off new growth helps the plant enrich the growth of the seeds. Plants want second and third chances to reproduce to ensure continuation of the species, however we know the seeds have been pollinated so we can intervene into it life cycle.  Humans have been intervening into the life of plants for about 11,500 years now. The word horticulture means to cultivate a plant garden. A horticulturist is a person who grow plants.

Day 26 in the life of the Fast Plant

Genetic variably. Two plants have flowered and are forming seed pods while two have just started flowering. Only the two smallest can still be pollinated. The tallest plant reached 17 inches tall, followed by a plant 16 ½ inches tall. The other two plants are 10 and 8 inches tall. All four plant were planted at the same time, and yet have different ages in the life cycle. Genetic variably seems to be the key word with two plants tall and two plants short, two plants are past flowering and two are flowering. These are traits that could be selected for the next generation. If we wanted shorter plants, use only the shorter two plants for cross pollinating. Should we intervene more? This plant has already be selectively bred for speed. In nature, it is the traits that lead to survival that naturally get passed on to the next seed. Could this plant survive outdoors? What would happen if they were planted outside? Would it be the end of them?

Day 25 in the life of the Fast Plant

Living in mutual benefit. Symbiosis from the Greek words for together living. The bee and the plant has evolved together through time and cannot live without each other today. The bee needs the flower nectar to make honey and the flower needs the bee to carry pollinate flowers. As the bee dips its proboscis into the flower to eat the nectar its legs pick up the sticky pollen. The bee then goes to another flower for more nectar and some of that pollen rubs off on the next flower. Most of the plants we depend on for food need bees to live. Therefore, if bees die, plants will die, and we suffer. So, we are in relationship with the plants and bees, also. They do well, then we do well also. What else in our lives are symbiotic?

Day 24 in the life of the Fast Plant

Empathy for bees. Some blossoms are forming and some are falling apart. The newest blossoms are too new to provide pollen and the oldest blossoms have fallen apart. The middle two blossoms are the right growth to pollinate each other. How does this work with bees? How do the bees know when to pollinate? Humans can look at the pistil and tell by length of pistil and stickiness of pollen. Bees are attracted to the nectar released only at this time. While eating the nectar, the bee collects and carries the pollen to the other flowers that are also providing nectar. Nectar in common signals and motivates the bees to pollinate the plant.  Two different species with two different evolutionary tracks, one a plant the other an animal, and yet they cannot live without each other. Symbiosis from Greek σύν "together" and βίωσις "living".

Day 23 in the life of the Fast Plant

The plants are in full bloom. Blossoms have reached their peak with 90% of the plants having bloomed or blooming, and only two small clusters of buds left. So, it looks like the entire blooming season may be 8 days. One plant hit the light box ceiling at 15 inches, the other three are 12, 6 and 5 inches tall. There are about 4 more days of possible blooms. The plant looks in wonderful growth at this this time with lots of color and green. The plant is in its peak.

Day 22 in the life of the Fast Plant

This picture is three days after the first bloom, the middle pedals and stamens have fallen off. The opportunity to pollinate the flowers is gone. The flowers on the right and left are fresh blooms. So while it is too late to pollinate the middle flowers, nature gives the plant more opportunities with later flowers. If the student missed pollinating the middle flowers, it is not too later to pollinate the fresh ones. In nature, timing determines whether the plant lives or dies. The more the opportunities are taken between the bee and flower, the more seeds will grow and the more nectar the bees will get to eat.

Day 21 in the life of the Fast Plant

A cotton swab was used to collect pollen from a freshly blossoming flowers on one plant and transfer that yellow pollen to the tips of the pistils of another plant. Do that until all the pistils get pollen. Then, do this in reverse for the flower that pollen was collect from with a fresh cotton swab. Each day, the plants were checked for newly blooming flowers, the pollen was collected, and transferred it to another plant. The goal is to pollinate all the pistils each day there is new flowers.

Day 20 in the life of the Fast Plant

Timing is everything. There is just a matter of 2-3 days in which the flowers can be pollinated. Pollen is taken from the anthers of one plant and put on the stigmas of the other. The plant cannot self-pollinate, and if there was only one plant it would not be pollinated. Two plants have to blossom at the same time and pollen taken from the anthers of plant #1 and put on the pistil of plant #2. Then, pollen from plant #2 put on the flower of plant #1. Each day during this time, the plants are checked for new blossom and cross pollinated. In nature the bees and flower would have to be on an exact schedule. Timing is everything.

Day 19 in the life of the Fast Plant

The moment we have been waiting for… the flower blossoms. Yesterday, no flowers... today blossoms. The moment that justifies the plants existence and in splendor. From drab green leaves to a complex, colorful, symmetric new cellular structure. This flower contains colors and nectar designed to attract bees. The nectar is payment to the bees to carry the pollen to another plant and it has three days to accomplish this mission. After which, it has passed its life cycle midpoint. If not accomplished, the seeds will not grow, the bees are hibernating in their nests right now since it is winter. If the students do not pollinate the flowers this plants genetic code will stop in 16 days.

Day 18 in the life of the Fast Plant

The tall plant has grown over an inch a day. My worst fear was it would grow taller than the light bulb, and it did. However, the light box and the plant seem to be doing just fine without having the plant right under the bulb. It almost seems to be growing away from the light. The lighting is not like the sun, because the light is reflected around the box and that seems to bath the plant in light from all directions. All seems good as far as light box size. The other shorter plants are gaining a lot of buds, also. I am anticipating the tallest plant to blossom soon because the tips are getting more yellow, and the tight clusters of bud have spread out and develop longer stems.

Making a model is like learning with your hands, it's different and deeper.

Making a model is different than reading or listening to a teacher, it's another way of learning. It allows one to learn using their own initiative and creativity. Modeling uses hand motor skills to connect motion and materials with concepts. It is not a fast cognitive implant of information, but a slow laborious meditative activity. However, it seems to obey the law of the harvest, you reap what you sow. In this case, the labor produces a deeper understanding and experience of the flower's anatomy.

Day 16 in the life of the Fast Plant

1.5 inches of growth in one day! Yesterday, the tall plant was at 9” on the ruler and today 10.5” and it may have grown too fast to support itself. The stem started to tilt, and a bamboo skewer was added next to it for support using a tie wrap circled around the stem. The plant to the right seems to have a thicker stem and did not need support, yet. The plants are guzzling water and emptied the planter in one day. The buds have started to separate and develop stems themselves as if preparing to bloom. The plant cycle diagram indicates that the plant should have bloomed on day 14. This plant is at day 16, and the buds have not bloomed. However, all the plants now have buds, and the four plants are only a day or two apart in growth rate. The leaves have grown larger also, accept for the cotyledons. What about me, how much have I grown since this plant started. Growing Fast Plants gives me a sense of time in my own life. Without these plants, days can go by without a sense of growth. Cool

Day 15 in the life of the Fast Plant

Count them, 15 flower buds formed on day 15 after three tiers of true leaves had developed. The foundational leaves provided the energy to build this new structure, and the DNA identifies when and how it is made. Each bud has the potential of forming a flower, each flower a seed pod, and each seed pod a dozen seeds. The color of the flower is already starting to show, yellow. This is a large change in the plants grow, the flower is more complex than the leaf and the flower purpose is for replicating it DNA. The plant is designed to multiply. So, not only is the plant programmed to replace itself, but also to make a lot of copies of itself. It looks like the plant is getting enough light, water, and nutrients.