Problem inserting blank Date to Database

I am trying to insert a null value into a date field in the database when a user does not fill out the form but instead i get a '' that is '{nothing}' value If i want the database to treat the '' value as null how would i do that?

I get the current error

{

  "Code": 256,

  "Exception": "Incorrect date value: '' for column 'EventCalendarDate' at row 1|Gdn_Database|Query|insert `GDN_Discussion` \n(`Body`, `CategoryID`, `InsertUserID`, `Name`, `Format`, `Announce`, `DateInserted`, `InsertIPAddress`, `DateLastComment`, `EventCalendarDate`) \nvalues (:Body, :CategoryID, :InsertUserID, :Name, :Format, :Announce, :DateInserted, :InsertIPAddress, :DateLastComment, :EventCalendarDate)",

  "Class": "Gdn_ErrorException",

  "StackTrace": "#0 [internal function]: gdn_ErrorHandler(256, 'Incorrect date ...', '/var/www/pokerf...', 421, Array)\n#1 /var/www/pokerforum.ca/library/database/class.database.php(421): trigger_error('Incorrect date ...', 256)\n#2 /var/www/pokerforum.ca/library/database/class.sqldriver.php(1707): Gdn_Database->query('insert `GDN_Dis...', Array, Array)\n#3 /var/www/pokerforum.ca/library/database/class.sqldriver.php(1133): Gdn_SQLDriver->query('insert `GDN_Dis...', 'insert')\n#4 /var/www/pokerforum.ca/applications/vanilla/models/class.discussionmodel.php(2171): Gdn_SQLDriver->insert('Discussion', Array)\n#5 /var/www/pokerforum.ca/applications/vanilla/controllers/class.postcontroller.php(323): DiscussionModel->save(Array)\n#6 /var/www/pokerforum.ca/library/core/class.dispatcher.php(872): PostController->discussion('test-2')\n#7 /var/www/pokerforum.ca/library/core/class.dispatcher.php(289): Gdn_Dispatcher->dispatchController(Object(Gdn_Request), Array)\n#8 /var/www/pokerforum.ca/index.php(29): Gdn_Dispatcher->dispatch()\n#9 {main}",

  "Data": {

    "isHomepage": false,

    "Category": {

      "CategoryID": 2,

      "ParentCategoryID": -1,

      "TreeLeft": 2,

      "TreeRight": 3,

      "Depth": 1,

      "CountCategories": 0,

      "CountDiscussions": 0,

      "CountAllDiscussions": 0,

      "CountComments": 0,

      "CountAllComments": 0,

      "LastCategoryID": 0,

      "DateMarkedRead": null,

      "AllowDiscussions": 1,

      "Archived": 0,

      "CanDelete": 1,

      "Name": "Test 2",

      "UrlCode": "test-2",

      "Description": "sdfgsdfg",

      "Sort": 2,

      "CssClass": "Category-test-2",

      "Photo": "",

      "PermissionCategoryID": -1,

      "PointsCategoryID": 0,

      "HideAllDiscussions": 0,

      "DisplayAs": "Discussions",

      "InsertUserID": 2,

      "UpdateUserID": 2,

      "DateInserted": "2020-03-22 16:45:40",

      "DateUpdated": "2020-03-22 16:45:40",

      "LastCommentID": null,

      "LastDiscussionID": null,

      "LastDateInserted": null,

      "AllowedDiscussionTypes": null,

      "DefaultDiscussionType": null,

            "Url": "http://pokerforum.main.nu/categories/test-2",

      "PhotoUrl": "",

      "PermsDiscussionsView": true,

      "PermsDiscussionsAdd": true,

      "PermsDiscussionsEdit": true,

      "PermsCommentsAdd": true

    },

    "Title": "New Discussion",

    "Type": "Discussion"

  }

}