Knowing the basics of what plants need gives whatever you plant at least a fighting chance to grow into a lush, healthy garden. Plants need water, light, a proper temperature, and nutrients. These are the things that affect plant growth the most. You might wonder if the soil was left out on purpose, and while soil plays a part in a plant’s productivity, it’s not a necessity; just look at hydroponic plants.
Light
Plants have grown and evolved in different locations around the world. While some thrived in tropical areas, others found their best growth in plains or even mountainous regions.
Because they’ve adapted to their conditions, they’ve also adapted to different types of light. This means that while it would be fun to grow some plants in your area, the plant itself simply can’t adapt to the new conditions. Understanding the type of lighting your plants need will allow you to provide them with their ideal conditions if you want them to grow.
Lighting doesn’t even apply to a region either. Each season is going to bring a different intensity to the lighting. Winter days are much shorter, which means the frequency and intensity of the light will be low. As spring comes around, the light intensifies as the days get a little longer. When that change happens, that’s when plants will break their dormancy and grow new leaves. Summer’s sunlight encourages fruiting and flowering, and when the fall sunlight changes, that’s when plants shed their leaves and go dormant for the season.
This makes your choice of plants so important; because you want to give them the right amount of sunlight to not only survive but thrive as well.
Water
Of course, plants need water to survive. Most plants comprise around 90% water, so unless they get the appropriate amount of water, they can become stressed. This will lead to wilting, yellowing, and eventually death. Again, plants need water, and this applies to all plants. Even the cacti in the desert need water to survive.
Water hydrates and nourishes a plant. When water gets into the soil, it will break down minerals and elements in it, which the plant will take into its roots and carry to all the cells of the plant. Plants get the water they need by direct watering or even humidity and water in the air.
However, as much as a plant needs water, there is also a point where it can get too much water. Being overwatered can also cause plants to die because too much water can attract pests, molds, and other diseases. Therefore, it’s important to look up and understand each plant’s watering needs. Knowing this will allow you to give them the right amount of water to promote healthy growth. You should also account for where your plants are growing, as containers, soil type, and other things will affect a plant’s watering needs.
Temperature
The weather plays a huge role in a plant’s growth success, but the biggest factor would be the temperature. Temperature will speed up or slow down the growth rate of a plant.
Think about the spring and summer months. Warm temperatures are encouraging growth and germination. As temperatures get warmer, a chemical reaction is triggered in the plant, which speeds up the growth process. And now, think of the fall and winter months. This is when growth is significantly slowed in a plant, or it goes dormant.
Temperature controls what you can grow, when you can grow it, and how long your growing season will be. Some plants prefer cooler temperatures, while most prefer mild to warm temperatures. There are even some that love very hot weather.
Nutrients
While plants love water, they still need basic nutrients to grow and take care of themselves. One plant needs 17 nutrients to have optimal growth. Air and water will give them hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide, which leaves plants looking for the other 14 nutrients in the soil. A lack of these nutrients can cause slower or stunted growth. This is usually an aspect of plants that is overlooked, even by some novice gardeners, so let’s take a closer look at nutrients.
Macronutrients and Micronutrients
The nutrients in the soil are divided into macronutrients and micronutrients. While a plant benefits from micronutrients like iron, copper, and other elements, what plants really need are the macronutrients. These macronutrients are going to be nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and phosphorus. Low-pH soil will have fewer of these macronutrients; on the other hand, high-pH soils will see diminished micronutrients.
Soil Nutrient Imbalances
With gardening, one issue that comes up is a nutrient imbalance in the soil. You want all nutrients to be available since some will help the plant absorb other nutrients. Gardeners have found that they’re getting healthy soil with all 17 nutrients for their plants by using natural compost and manure. These are added to soil yearly to replenish the nutrients that were absorbed by the last crop.
Can’t I Just Use Fertilizer?
Some gardeners will try to supplement missing nutrients by using fertilizers. However, this isn’t the same as giving plants the nutrients they actually need. Yes, fertilizer can add some growth to your plants with the phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen it contains; however, without those 17 nutrients in the soil, fertilizers are relatively useless.
Plant Diseases From Lack of Nutrients
A lot of plant diseases are caused by missing nutrients. This can be missing macro or micronutrients. Think of the blossom-end rot on tomatoes. This is likely caused by the lack of calcium in the soil, because calcium will keep plants from being susceptible to viruses and bacteria. Much like people, plants can be on a junk food diet. They’re given fertilizer or other growth aids, but they are still lacking the key elements that make them healthy. These plants are malnourished, which affects their growth.
