How to feed the plants and what is called this process?

by Abbas Jahangir · June 29, 2021

Many people know this already plants breathe and drink, but if they are living beings, should not they also eat? How do plants eat? This is a question that many people ask themselves and that has a very simple answer.

In order to clarify this doubt about plant nutrition, we will talk a little about them and explain how they feed and what plant nutrients are.

Index

1 information about plants
- 1.1 Parts of the plants
2 How to feed the plants and what is called this process?
- 2.1 How do feed plants at night?
3 What are the nutrients in vegetables?

Information about plants

Before we explain how plants feed, we must know and know some aspects of them. They are living organisms that, like us, are comprised of various complex cells. As for food, they produce it themselves through photosynthesis. Plants are part of the Kingdom of Plantae which includes shrubs, trees, ferns, grasses, green algae and mosses.

The scientific branch that studies plants is called botany and today has identified more than 350 different plant species. Although most vegetables grow on the ground with the roots below and the stems above, there are some plants that float on water.

Parts of the plants

Like humans or animals, plants are comprised of different parts that fulfill specific functions. We want to comment on them below:

Root: Normally, the roots grow underground and support the plant. Therefore, they can be compared with our feet. In addition to providing stability, the roots can absorb water and minerals from the earth. Some plants can even store food in them.
Stem: After the roots is the stem. It is the main structure of the plant that supports both the leaves and the flowers. In addition, it has vascular tissues whose functions are to store and transport water and food throughout the plant.
Sheets: The part of the plant responsible for photosynthesis are the leaves. Through this process, plants absorb energy from sunlight and thus produce their own food.
Flowers: There are many plants that have flowers, but not all. In this part of the vegetable, the production of seeds takes place.

How to feed the plants and what is called this process?

The process that explains how plants feed is the famous photosynthesis. For a plant to survive, it needs carbon dioxide, sunlight, water and minerals. With these elements, it can make its own food through photosynthesis.

When we talk about raw sage, we refer to the mixture of water with mineral salts. This is transported by the stem to the leaves so the plant can produce its food. Once the raw sage reaches the leaves, it mixes with the carbon dioxide that the leaves have absorbed from the air and become so-called processed sage. This is the ultimate food of plants.

Therefore we can say that the leaves are small food factories for vegetables. They exist in various colors, sizes and shapes, but despite their different aspects, they are always the organ that is blamed for the production of the elaborate juice. Once they have made the plant food, it is transported to the other parts of the plant, such as the roots and stems.

How do feed plants at night?

When night falls, plants can no longer photosynthesize because they need sunlight to do so. However, vegetables continue to feed even in the darkest hours. For it they break down starch into elemental sugars. With this, the plants can survive and continue to grow. This mechanism has been discovered by researchers at the John Innes Center (JIC) and explains how the leaves of vegetables can transform millions of tons of starch into sugar night after night.

But where does this starch come from? In addition to producing sugars by carbon dioxide, the other aspect of photosynthesis is to also make starch. The plant stores this starch temporarily in the leaves throughout the day. Once the sun disappears and she can no longer photosynthesize, it starts to convert starch into sugars.

What are the nutrients in vegetables?

Now that we know how plants eat, it does not hurt to talk a little about their nutrients. The most important for plants are above all nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. However, they also need trace elements and micro nutrients. Next, we will talk about the main sources for obtaining nutrients:

Natural soil reserves: Each type of soil contains essential nutrients and micro nutrients for plants. The quantity depends on the type of country and the time in which we are.
Mineral fertilizers: Generally, fertilizers are made in solid or liquid form and contain a higher and more concentrated level of plant nutrients than organic sources.
Organic sources: Organic sources include blood, slime, manure, bone meal, sewage sludge and organic fertilizers. These can improve the water retention of soils and their physical conditions.
Air tanks: These are usually ammonia gas or dissolved in rain, nitrates from rain, salts, chlorine from dew and sulfur from acid rain.
Water: The water provides important nutritional elements naturally or through fertilizers that are already incorporated into the irrigation water.

Apart from beautifying the environment that surrounds us and serves us and many animals like food, plants are also responsible for absorbing toxic gases, such as carbon dioxide, and they generate oxygen that we need to be able to live. For this reason, it is important to take care of vegetables to maintain the great ecosystem that is our planet earth.