What do plants require to grow

Nutrients that plants require in larger amounts are called macronutrients. About half of the essential elements are considered macronutrients: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. The first of these macronutrients, carbon C , is required to form carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and many other compounds; it is, therefore, present in all macromolecules.

On average, the dry weight excluding water of a cell is 50 percent carbon, making it a key part of plant biomolecules. Essential elements required by plants : For an element to be regarded as essential a plant cannot complete its life cycle without the element, no other element can perform the function of the element, and the element is directly involved in plant nutrition.

The next-most-abundant element in plant cells is nitrogen N ; it is part of proteins and nucleic acids. Nitrogen is also used in the synthesis of some vitamins. Hydrogen and oxygen are macronutrients that are part of many organic compounds and also form water. Oxygen is necessary for cellular respiration; plants use oxygen to store energy in the form of ATP. Phosphorus P , another macromolecule, is necessary to synthesize nucleic acids and phospholipids.

As part of ATP, phosphorus enables food energy to be converted into chemical energy through oxidative phosphorylation. Light energy is converted into chemical energy during photophosphorylation in photosynthesis; and into chemical energy to be extracted during respiration. Sulfur is part of certain amino acids, such as cysteine and methionine, and is present in several coenzymes. Sulfur also plays a role in photosynthesis as part of the electron transport chain where hydrogen gradients are key in the conversion of light energy into ATP.

Potassium K is important because of its role in regulating stomatal opening and closing. As the openings for gas exchange, stomata help maintain a healthy water balance; a potassium ion pump supports this process. Magnesium Mg and calcium Ca are also important macronutrients. The role of calcium is twofold: to regulate nutrient transport and to support many enzyme functions.

Magnesium is important to the photosynthetic process. In addition to macronutrients, organisms require various elements in small amounts. These micronutrients, or trace elements, are present in very small quantities. The seven main micronutrients include boron, chlorine, manganese, iron, zinc, copper, and molybdenum. Boron B is believed to be involved in carbohydrate transport in plants; it also assists in metabolic regulation.

Boron deficiency will often result in bud dieback. Chlorine Cl is necessary for osmosis and ionic balance; it also plays a role in photosynthesis. These are the most important factors, which all living organisms depend on for healthy growth and reproduction. The relative importance of each of these needs is not the same among plants.

In other words, the plants are getting proper nutrients, space, moisture, sunlight, and air that can support their healthy growth. However, these plants need to act on them simultaneously and therefore should be taken into account together. The absence of one need such as air can determine the health of a plant.

And this factor can affect the normal growth of a plant in a given geographical location when it is absent is known as a limiting factor. Any need can act as a limiting factor for the survival of a plant. For instance, moisture is required by many species of plants, most plant species cannot thrive in desert areas due to insufficient water. And this insufficient water or moisture is a limiting factor to those plants that love plenty of water.

On the other hand, most plants cannot survive in marshes due to dampness or waterlogging. The extreme temperature of the desert and absence of warmth in the extreme cold of winter are also limiting factors, which can inhibit many plants growing in the deserts or tropics.

The primary needs of plants include moisture, air, space, nutrients, and sunlight. While the secondary needs of plants include optimal pH, proper temperature, and good soil. The secondary needs are called secondary because they are not unique to all plants.

You can find some plants that thrive well in hot or cold temperatures but you cannot find plants that survive in a region where there is no light or air. This is the most factor that plants need to survive in any given habitat.

The plants require light to carry out a vital biological process known as photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process, which plants used to produce food by converting sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and minerals.

The food that is produced during photosynthesis is the food plants utilize to carry out transpiration, reproduction, translocation, and to grow. All living organisms need space to survive. A plant cannot live without water; as simple as that. Yes, there are some plants for example succulents such as Aloe Vera , Jade plant , etc. Plants need water to absorb the nutrients from the soil and move these nutrients through their body. When you water the plant near its roots, the nutrients in the soil around the roots dissolve in the water.

The plant is able to absorb this nutrient-rich water through its roots and distribute it to various parts of its body. However, you must guard against overwatering — one of the most common habits of amateur gardeners and also one of the biggest reasons for plant deaths — because too much water could hinder the roots from getting the air that they need and cause the plant to suffocate and die. This food, essentially sugars, provides it with the energy required to grow.

When you deprive plants of sunlight, you are basically forcing them to observe a fast. Their leaves might die and their stems could grow leggy as they stretch themselves to search for the elusive sunlight. Such plants would also have fewer fruits and flowers. However, most plants do not require all-day exposure to sun; in fact, over-exposure to sun may burn their leaves.

But how much and what type of each element is needed depends on the plant you're trying to grow. Jabaily explained: "Your home or office environment, indoors or outdoors, might be quite different than what the plant might need so be prepared to supplement with additional light, humidity, soil nutrients, or heat if you want your plants to thrive.

What contributes to plant growth can "vary, often wildly, depending on the specific species" of the plant, David Bryant, a campaigns and engagement manager at the California Native Plant Society CNPS , told Newsweek. Bryant explained: "In California alone, we have upwards of 6, taxa of native plants, growing in a diversity of habitats from the desert to alpine peaks. Across these places, plants can require significantly different amounts of light, temperature, nutrients, soil and water to grow properly.

According to an article by Bodie V. Pennisi, a professor at the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension , light is the most important factor when it comes to growing plants indoors.

This is because light is required to produce food and ultimately survive. So generally, the more light there is, the more food will be produced for growth. Pennisi explains the amount of light in any given spot inside a home varies depending on the presence of trees outdoors and roof overhang both of which may provide shade at certain times , reflectance from the wall color, window curtains, the amount of daylight hours as well as the time of day and year.

Growing plants in the U. Windows with northern exposure to the sun provide the least amount of light. Those with eastern exposure generally provide the best light for indoor plants, as they receive direct morning light from sunrise until nearly midday.

Windows that have southern exposure provide the largest range of light and temperature conditions, Pennisi says. Among the four exposure locations, the northern exposure receives the least light and heat year round, she explains.