When breeders followplant growthThey recognize that there are many different factors that help a plant achieve optimal health and produce a quality yield.
This may includeideal light for growing, air, water, fertilizer, soil, pest and insect protection and much more.
In this article, we examine the different stages of plant growth and try to understand the role of environmental factors.
Finally, we will give you some tips to help you grow indoors.
- Part 1: Stages of plant growth
- Part 2: Environmental factors affecting plant growth
- Part 3: Tips for Growers
plant growth stages
Plants naturally absorb sunlight that contains all seven colors of the rainbow.
Chlorophyll present in plants absorbs most of the colors of the spectrum, but reflects green, yellow and sometimes light blue, making them green or yellow.
There is no best color for plant growth, but plants mainly absorb violet, blue and red light and are therefore very important in the photosynthesis process.
Plants go through different stages of growth and require different amounts of light at each stage. Each stage may need different types of nutrients to grow and thrive.
There are now plant growth stages that help growers classify these plants and give the right nutrients at the right time. The plant roughly goes through the following stages of growth:
1. Germination:
At this stage, the seed will germinate and turn into a sprout. When water penetrates the seed, it activates the enzymes it contains.
This is where the plant's life cycle begins.
2. Collection:
As the roots of the plant develop to the water below the ground, it receives all the nutrients it needs to grow and eventually turns into a flowering plant.
typically,Blue light is effective at this stage of plant growth.
3. Vegetative:
At this stage, plants require large amounts of nitrogen, which provides them with resources for new cells.
This phase can last a few days, a few weeks or months, depending on the type of plant you want to grow.
For example, tomatoes usually have a shelf life of two weeks or 14 days.
4. Bud formation:
In this phase, also called bud formation, buds begin to form. At this stage, it can be important to add sprout-specific fertilizers to provide your plants with the right nutrients.
Supplying plants with phosphorus at this stage can improve flowering.
During the fruiting phase of the plant, phosphorus is transported to parts of the fruit to meet high energy needs.
5. Flower:
Finally, there is the flowering phase, also known as the flowering or fruiting phase.
In this phase, the plant develops flowers and fruits/vegetables.At this stage, plants need red light to support stem growth and plant height.
6. Maturity:
When fruits and vegetables are ripe, the plant no longer needs nutrients.
This is the case, for example, when a tomato turns from a small and green one into a juicy and ripe tomato.
To simplify things, growers can divide their plant growth chart into three stages:germination phase,Stadion Vegetatives, IBlue phase.
As you may have noticed, the above stages are much more detailed, but the overall pattern remains the same.
In the next section, we examine the environmental factors that affect plant growth.
Environmental factors affecting plant growth
Many environmental factors affect the growth, development or spread of plants.
Lack or excess of sunlight or water, as well as the presence of insects, pests or diseases can prevent the plant from growing properly or affect the overall result.
Before you start growing plants, you need to understand exactly what you are doing. Indoor gardening requires the individual to recreate the environment that plants normally find outside.
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For example, a plant growing in a tropical environment would need the same environment in a grow room.
This means focusing on aspects such as temperature and humidity and adjusting them according to the needs of the plant.
These are the seven most important environmental factors that affect plant growth:
- light
- Temperature
- Another
- Water
- humidity
- fertilizer
- intake of nutrients
Let's start by exploring one of the most important factors: light.
How does light stimulate plant growth?
As you may have learned in environmental science class at school, light is food for plants.
Plants convert light, water and oxygen into energy that they use for growth.Therefore, they need light for a strong structure and strong plant growth.
Over the years, researchers have found a way to replicate sunlight by giving plants the colors they need from the spectrum.
As you might have noticedLED grow lightsare becoming increasingly popular with indoor growers due to their low cost and effectiveness.
An LED grow light is basically a plant grow light. Even if it cannot replace sunlight, it is a suitable alternative for those who want to grow plants indoors.
Growers living in areas with lower temperatures can easily grow fruits and vegetables indoors in a grow tent or grow room, even if the outdoor environment is not favorable.
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However, there are some things you need to consider when setting up your grow lights, such as the intensity of the light or the distance between the canopy and the light source.
LED grow lights are used to mimic sunlight - growers leave them on for a certain amount of time and turn them off to trick the plants into thinking it's night.
This process initiates plant growth, which eventually leads to budding and flowering.
Farmers who have been growing crops for some time agree that it is not that simple: you need to monitor the duration, intensity, distribution and other aspects of light in order to get quality products.
- Light intensity:
Intensity, which refers to how concentrated/intense the light is, determines the plant's ability to produce large yields.
When light is abundant and intense, its ability to produce food increases, leading to a burst of energy.
With modern LED grow lights, the intensity of the light can be varied to suit the different needs of the plant.
For example, certain plants may need more light to encourage flowering. Increasing intensity can ensure plants reach optimal health.
- Wavelength:
As mentioned before, plants need different colors of light at different stages.
The main photosynthetic pigments found in plants primarily absorb red and blue wavelengths of light:
Blue light stimulates growth in the vegetative phase of the plant, while in combination with red light it stimulates the flowering of the plant.
Green and yellow wavelengths of light have minimal effects on plants.
- What is "photoperiod"?
'"Photoperiod" is the period of time in which plants receive light. It refers to the recurring phase of day and night (ie light and dark) that affects plants and other organisms.
Plants react and respond to this weather in their own unique way. Some plants respond to certain day lengths.
Plants can be divided into three categories according to day length:
- a short day: These are plants that bloom when the length of the day (light time) is shorter than 12 hours.
- Long day: These are plants that bloom when the day is longer than 12 hours.
- Tagesneutralan: These are plants that bloom regardless of the length of the day.
How does temperature affect the plant?
Temperature plays an important role in plant processes. When it increases and reaches a certain point, photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration also increase.
In the case of flowering plants, it can help them transition from one stage to another.
Harsh weather conditions that are too hot or too cold for the plant can stunt its growth or kill it completely.
Soil temperature also affects plant growth, albeit indirectly by affecting plant water and nutrient consumption.
Low daily temperatures can prevent the plant from growing at an optimal rate.
- Effect of temperature on the germination phase
Temperature and humidity directly affect germination.
There is no perfect "temperature" guideline that can be applied to every plant, as different strains can germinate at different temperatures.
For example, tomatoes need a warmer room temperature to germinate. According to the University of California Cooperative Extension, Sacramento County, they need a soil temperature of at least 50°F to germinate.
- Effect of temperature on the flowering stage
Temperature also affects flowering.
Some plants need a change in temperature to encourage flowering. Orchids, for example, need a slope of 10-15°.
Depending on whether the plant grows naturally in a cool, mid, or warmer climate, growers will change the temperature in the grow room to get its buds to bloom.
- Effect of temperature on product quality
Temperature can affect the quality of the harvest and even prevent the development and ripening of some fruits and vegetables. It can even affect overall agricultural productivity.
Elevated temperatures can reduce pollen production, which in turn leads to reduced fruit and seed set and other unwanted consequences.
In addition, high temperatures can cause heat damage to the plant and burn the leaves, roots and other parts of the plant.
For this reason, it is important to adjust the temperature of your grow tent and ensure proper air circulation.
How dormancy affects plant growth
Much of the perennials go insidestate of restin the colder months. This means that they save their energy for the next flowering.
Beginners may think the plant is dead and end up throwing it out or replacing it with another plant.
After this dormant period, the plant can be revived with food, indirect sunlight and fertilizer.
Why water is important for growing plants
Water is food for plants and plants use it as a medium to transport nutrients from the soil. It helps plants convert starch into sugars.
Excess and lack of water are harmful to the plant.
An excess of water can lead to root rot and kill the plant, while a lack can prevent plant growth and development.
Humidity also plays an important role in plant growth
When there is adequate moisture in the environment, plants can thrive. This is why plants often die in winter due to lack of moisture.
Most indoor plants are used to living in humid environments, but they can become stressed when humidity levels exceed a certain level.
However, plants like pineapple can even thrive in high humidity environments.
Are fertilizers food for plants?
Although the words "fertilizer" and "plant food" are used interchangeably, they are very different.
Fertilizers can be called supplements and different plant species require them in different amounts.
Fertilizers should be used and diluted carefully so as not to affect the roots.
Some growers use "plant growth regulators" to alter plant growth to their liking. They are used to stimulate or block certain enzymes that affect flowering, branch growth, fruit drop, etc.
What affects the intake of nutrients in plants?
intake of nutrientscan be influenced by many things.
A possible explanation for why your plant may not be growing well is that it cannot find the nutrients it needs in the soil it is growing in, or the nutrients currently in the soil are insufficient for the plant to benefit.
Taking care of these needs would solve many of your problems.
In the next section we will look at some tips for growers.
Tips for growers
There's not much you can do when growing plants outdoors because it's hard to control the environment.
But when it comes to growing indoors, taking care of it is much easier.
- Start small
First and foremost, it's important to make sure your growing area is as big as you can handle it.
Beginners should see how the plant reacts to nutrients (fertilizer, water, light, etc.) before proceeding.
Start by understanding the growth chart of the plant you want to grow.
Once you have grown a plant, it is much easier to predict how it will react in the future when planted in larger numbers.
So start with a small amount of plants in the canopy and move up when you think you are confident enough to handle a larger plant.
- Invest in quality equipment and materials
Investing in quality lighting, seeds, fertilizer, grow tents, grow lights, etc. is essential if you want to get a great yield.
Choose grow lights that offer wavelengths of all colors of the spectrum, rather than just a few colors, so plants can get the most out of it.
- Know the difference between fertilizer and nutrition
Fertilizers are like supplements that help plants grow, but they are not plant food.
Plants need light, water and carbon dioxide to produce food.
Just as we humans take supplements to make up for nutrient deficiencies, fertilizers are used to ensure that plants can get all the nutrients they need from the soil.
Make sure you always test your soil to determine what nutrients it contains, rather than guessing on your own.
- manage stress
Factors that cause "stress" to plants, such as unbearable temperatures, excess water, pests, insects or lack of nutrients, can also prevent a plant from growing well.
Therefore, it is important to manage stress in plants to promote their growth.
Diploma
All in all, growing plants indoors is a very easy and fun activity. When you know exactly what you are doing and what effect it will have on your plants, the process becomes much easier.
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