What makes plants grow is an essential question regarding gardening and plant-keeping. When you know what your plants need for their growth, you can help them grow to their maximum potential.
In this guide, we will examine the required fundamental factors and some additional factors that can help plants grow much faster. Find out what these are in this concise but well-researched guide.
Contents
What are the Complete Essentials To Make a Plant Grow?
The complete essentials needed to make plants grow are light, water, air, and nutrients. Light is necessary to convert water and carbon dioxide from the air into food through photosynthesis. The soil provides plants with micronutrients that are required for growth and development.
– Light
We all know plants make food using carbon dioxide and water from the soil and air. Chlorophyll is the part of the plant responsible for food making, and it cannot work unless it has access to light of the required intensity. Light is among the top 5 things plants need to grow and be healthy.
Different plants have different light needs to be fulfilled to carry out photosynthesis properly. For example, succulents need bright, intense, and direct light, whereas orchids only prefer indirect light of low intensity. Every plant species also has a specific number of hours of sunshine that it needs daily.
These days we can substitute natural light with artificial ones, such as LED grow lights. This is an excellent option while growing plants indoors or for people who live in cloudy areas with poor daily sunlight.
– Water
Water is just as important as light for photosynthesis for plant growth and survival. Water molecules are involved in the chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates. Water is also the only means through which roots take in nutrients from the soil.
As much as water is essential for plants’ growth, overwatering is dangerous and might lead to further problems. Figuring out when and how to water correctly is a tricky part of growing plants. Generally, the top two to three inches of potting soil must be dry before it can be watered again.
Of course, this means the soil must be checked manually each time before watering to prevent over or underwatering. Most plants will carry on growing with regular tap water unless it is too salty or toxic. Ideally, however, distilled or filtered water is best for growing plants.
– Temperature and Air
Temperature is another factor that helps a plant grow from seedling to adulthood. Plant species growing in different temperature zones have their temperature requirements. Their natural temperature and humidity requirements must be fulfilled to get these plants to grow at home and in nurseries.
Temperature fluctuations throughout the year and even during the day help plants to grow and flower. For many plants, temperature drops during nighttime are when they undergo a growth spurt. Similarly, as the mercury rises during spring and summer, most plants come out of dormancy and start regrowing.
Air provides oxygen to the plant cells and carbon dioxide that it needs to carry out its food-making processes. Air is a significant source of atmospheric nitrogen to the soil, converted by microbes into a form used by the plant roots.
– Soil or Potting Medium
While many plants will grow in water, using soil or a suitable potting medium is more convenient. The soil is the chief source of plant nutrients and must be replenished periodically. Regularly adding feed or compost to the soil enables the plant to grow better.
Soil is also essential as it protects the roots and stores water for future use. Countless channels within the soil allow air to reach the roots and provide oxygen. The soil must be well aerated and loose not to suffocate the roots.
Another factor by which the soil helps the plants to grow is through numerous beneficial microbes and bugs. The nitrogen in the air cannot be used by the plants unless converted to nitrate form by these bacteria. Bugs like earthworms help the soil with aeration and break down organic matter for the plant’s use.
What Are Some Factors That Help Plants To Grow A Bit Faster?
Some additional factors that help plants grow a bit faster are commercial or organic feeds like manure and compost. Certain household items like banana peels and used coffee can also accelerate growth to a significant degree. Aquarium water is rich in nutrients that affect plants’ growth.
– Fertilizer and Compost
No matter how rich the soil is, it has limited nutrients. Regular feeding is a must to keep a steady supply of nutrients to the plants. Here we can choose between chemical feeds and organic ones as plant food.
Chemical feeds come in various categories; you can choose one depending on the soil’s specific needs. These feeds can either be in short-term liquid form or long-term pellet form. With commercial meals, there is an instant supply of nutrients to the roots and a noticeable growth spurt.
Many would want a more sustainable and organic option by composting leftover food with brown components. While organic feeds take longer before their effects are noticeable, they are a much better option. You can use their liquid form by making a compost tea by straining water from the compost.
– Manure
Nursery owners who regularly add animal manure to their soil see a significant increase in the plants’ growth resultantly. Manure is rich in all the nutrients that a plant needs for making food and new cells.
Manure also helps by loosening and aerating the soil, increasing its water permeability and making it easier for the roots to get nutrients. Instead of going for store-bought chemical manure, choosing organic waste is better.
The best thing about using manure as a source of plant nutrition is that there is no risk of an overdose. There are so many types of manure to select from, and all of them are fairly effective when it comes to helping a plant to grow properly.
– Peels of Banana
You will be astonished to know that leftover peels of bananas are the quickest way to boost the growth of plants. These peels are super rich in one of the critical nutrients plants need and contain up to 42 percent potassium. They also contain significant quantities of nitrogen and phosphorus, making them a super plant feed.
Banana peels can be sprinkled directly onto pot plant soil or used as mulch around the base of your garden. They will let out nutrients into the soil as they disintegrate, feeding plants. If you want to use banana peels in your garden, place them in a single layer on top of the soil, ensuring they don’t touch the plant stem.
These peels must be buried in the soil and allowed to decompose independently. The roots will get a steady supply of nutrients in a short amount of time. Alternatively, these peels can be stored overnight in water poured over the soil as a nutrition-rich tea.
– Aquarium Water
If you possess a fish tank or an aquarium, use its old water to boost plant growth further. Do not worry about dirty water because fish waste suits the plants. Still, keep two precautions in mind while using old aquarium water as plant feed. One is to use it only on ornamental plants, not edible ones, and the second is to use only fresh water.
– Coffee Grounds
Who doesn’t like a well-brewed cup of fresh coffee early in the morning or late evening? The leftover grounds are, again, a plant superfood with numerous other advantages. These grounds can be raked within the topsoil to provide aeration and nutrition.
These grounds release all beneficial plant nutrients like calcium, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. They tend to cause the soil pH to drop and are best used on acid-loving plants such as rose bushes and evergreens.
Ground coffee is also proper when mixed in the compost pile or used with eggshells. The texture of these grounds irritates slugs and snails and prevents them from infesting the plant.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed the essential factors to help a plant grow and stuff that allows further plant growth.
- Plants require air, water, and light to make food through the chemical process known scientifically as photosynthesis. Water is also necessary to help them absorb nutrients from the soil.
- Plants also need a growth medium around their roots to absorb water and food. Soil is, so far, the best potting medium we have in the world today.
- The right atmospheric conditions, like temperature and humidity, help the plant grow.
- To accelerate the growth of plants, commercial feeds, compost, or manure need to be applied regularly.
By utilizing the knowledge of what helps a plant to grow, we can accelerate its growth and grow healthier species. We hope the things discussed in this article will help you be a unique and considerate plant parent in the future.
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