When planting a flower bed or a vegetable garden it is important to understand what plants need to grow. These four things affect the growth hormones of the plant, which will either make the plant grow. https://ecogardener.com/blogs/news/4-factors-that-affect-plant-growth

1. ALLPPT.com _ Free PowerPoint Templates, Diagrams and Charts
4 Factors That
Affect Plant
Growth

2. 4 Factors That Affect Plant Growth
When planting a flower bed or a vegetable garden
it is important to understand what plants need to
grow. There are 4 main factors that can affect the
growth of your plants. They are water, light,
nutrients, and temperature.
Water, light, temperature, and nutrients are the 4 things that affect the growth of a plant the most. You
may be wondering where soil fits into this list. Plants are capable of growing without soil using a
method known as hydroponics. However, plants cannot grow if they are not given the proper nutrients.
It is important to learn as much as you can about
these four factors so that you can plant your garden
accordingly to achieve a lush and healthy garden.
These four things affect the growth hormones of
the plant, which will either make the plant grow
quickly or slowly. Making changes to any of
these four things can cause stress to the plant,
which in turn can change or stunt the growth or
improve the growth.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the four things that can affect plant growth.

3. LIGHT
Plants have evolved throughout
time in different locations through
out the world. Some plants
developed in tropical locations
under the canopy of large trees
while others developed on slopes
of harsh mountain ranges.
For this reason, plants have
adapted to different types of
light. There are some plants
that cannot adapt easily to a
new condition. It is important
to understand the type of light
that your plants need and then
provide it for them if you want
them to grow.

4. From season to season light varies in intensity. In the winter the d
ays are much shorter and therefore there is less light. During the
spring the amount of light that is available starts to increase as do
es the intensity. The light and the temperature changes that come
in the spring will stimulate plants to break dormancy and start to g
row new leaves.
Sunlight that is available during the summer months will encourag
e fruiting and flowering. During the fall months when the light start
s to change again, many plants will begin shedding their leaves.
When purchasing plants it is important to make sure that you hav
e an area in mind to plant them so that they get the amount of sun
light that they require each day.

5. In order to survive, plants have to
have water. Most plants are made
up of nearly 90 percent water. Wit
hout the appropriate amounts of
water, plants will be stressed and
eventually die. Even plants that liv
e in the desert such as the cactus
need water, they just need less of
it than other types of plants.
Water provides plants with nourish
ment and hydration. Water that is
in the soil will break down mineral
s and other elements of the soil.
When the plants absorb water thr
ough their roots, they will also be
picking up nutrients that will trave
l to the cells of the plant.
WATER

6. Humidity and water in the air can help encourage plant grow
th. However, providing too much water can also cause plants
to die. It is important that you look up information about ho
w much water your plants need and be sure to provide them
with this amount in order to promote healthy growth.
Most vegetable gardens should be provided with an inch of
water each week. If it has rained enough during the week yo
u do not need to water your garden.

7. There are certain nutrients th
at plants need in order to gro
w. Carbon, oxygen, and hydro
gen are three of the nutrients
that plants need.
They get these from water an
d from air. The other nutrient
s that the plant needs are fou
nd in the soil. If a plant lacks
any nutrient, plant growth ca
n be stunted.
NUTRIENTS

8. Humidity and water in the air can help encourage plant grow
th. However, providing too much water can also cause plants
to die. It is important that you look up information about ho
w much water your plants need and be sure to provide them
with this amount in order to promote healthy growth.
Most vegetable gardens should be provided with an inch of
water each week. If it has rained enough during the week yo
u do not need to water your garden.

9. There are 2 categories of soil nutrients needed to improve pl
ant growth, micronutrients and macronutrients. Plants need
more macronutrients than micronutrients.
The macronutrients that plants need include:
Micronutrients that plants need include iron, copper, as
well as several other elements.

10. One of the problems that gardeners often face is
that the soil that they use for their garden has an
imbalance of utrients. All of the macro and micronut
rients need to be present in order for plants to grow
One of the best ways to ensure proper plant growth
is to using natural compost or manure in the soil.
These will add the missing nutrients to the soil as
well as provide new nutrients for the plants.
Using fertilizer is not the same as providing the
plant with nutrients. In fact, most fertilizers will
only contain phosphorous, potassium, and
nitrogen and will not have the other micro
and macronutrients that promote plant growth.
FERTILIZER FOR NUTRIENTS?
If you have plants that are diseased
it is likely that they are missing
micro or macronutrients. For
example, blossom rot that is found
on tomato plants is often caused
by a lack of calcium. Just like people,
plants that do not have a healthy
diet of the nutrients they need will
be affected and less likely to produce
desired results.

11. There are 2 categories of soil nutrients needed to improve pl
ant growth, micronutrients and macronutrients. Plants need
more macronutrients than micronutrients.
The macronutrients that plants need include:
Micronutrients that plants need include iron, copper, as
well as several other elements.

12. CONCLUSION
If you want to have a healthy garden you could spend months researching all of the plant growth
factors. However, the most important thing to keep in mind that if you are practicing sound
gardening techniques you are going to produce healthy plants.
Make sure that you rotate your crops regularly and that you add compost and manure to your so
il at least once or twice a year to provide your plants with the nutrients they need in order to
survive.

13. Connect
with Us