GroWell’s World Cup Plant Predictor
Geeking Out
Because we could find no better way to spend our time, a few weeks ago, we started off 32 seeds.
Each was assiged to a country taking part in the Brazil World Cup.
Seeds were then grouped together based on the official draw. The plants with the most leaves and best overall development at cut off point (Monday 9th of June) would be the qualifiers!
In the name of fairness
To keep it all fair, we used Neapli Orange chilli seeds. Seed for seed, they've a very good germination rate. And - well - It's about time Nepal got a look in with the World Cup!
All plants got the exact same treatment. They were grown in the same media & pots. All were fed and potted on at the same time.
Results
The moment has now come to compare the growth and development of the plants to establish our first round predictions!
Group A
Winner: Brazil
Runner Up: Cameroon
Brazil's the clear winner here! Cameroon just beat Croatia to the runner's up spot. Sadly, Mexico took too long to get going and made an early exit! What a shame.
Group B
Winner: Spain
Runner Up: Chile
Spain streaked ahead - a clear winner! Chile only just beat the Netherlands to second place. The Dutch head home, along with Australia who never got started at all.
Group C
Winner: Columbia
Runner Up: Cote d’Ivoire
Well, the climate was right for Columbia! It coped well and stormed ahead. For the runner up spot, it was close! Japan put in a big effort but ultimately struggled with the humidity. They just lost out to Cote d’Ivoire. As for Greece, they came out bottom with a whimper!
Group D
Winner: Uruguay
Runner Up: England (wahey!)
Any of these would've qualified in a different group. Uruguay finished on top, but who's the runner up? Italy was good, but would the there anything that's stop the boys in blue? Well… actually, yes! With more leaves and overall growth, the Three Lions roar on!
Group E
Winner: France
Runner Up: Switzerland
France made amends for recent failures by bagging first place. Ecuador had real issues with humidity, and ended up with thick, leathery, deformed leaves. In the end, Switzerland pipped them to the post while Honduras didn't progress at all.
Group F
Winner: Argentina
Runner Up: Nigeria
Argentina made it through without any trouble. Bosnia failed to get started. Both Nigeria and Iran suffered, so picking a runner up was a tough call. We had to give it to Nigeria - they are pulling through a bit more, and even have some new shoots.
Group G
Winner: Portugal
Runner Up: USA
One team really stood out here - that's Portugal! All teams struggled with deformed leaves and underperformed. It was the new growth that decided it, and at the expense of the highly tipped Germany, the USA sneaks through to the next round.
Group H
Winner: Korea Republic
Runner Up: Russia
The Republic of Korea dominated here, taking the group at a relative canter. Belgium, who was a lot of people's dark horse, didn’t perform to expectations at all. With Algeria failing to get started at all, it was Russia who swiped the runner up spot.
So there you have it! Those are the results! What do you think? Why not guess and see how many predictions you reckon our psychic plants will get correct?
