Why Do Plants Grow?

Why do plants grow? This is has got to be both one of the simplest questions to answer, while at the same time one of the most difficult to answer. Simple, because you could conceivably answer the question by saying that they just do. Complicated, because entire libraries have been written on this specific subject, and people get doctorates while trying to learn the answers.

Well, there is a happy medium between these two extremes in answering. Simply keep in mind these five general topics, and you will have a basic understanding of why plants grow.

• Soil. The vast majority of plants require some type of soil mixture in order to grow. This soil helps to keep the plants in place, and offer a bit of protection for the most vital portion of the plants as well. In addition, the soil helps the plants to grow by providing a medium for the nutrients that a plant needs to survive to get into the plant through the roots.
• Nutrients. Every living item, whether it be plant or animal, requires some sort of nutrient to live and grow. This food, if you will, is what provides the basic elements that a plant will need in order to grow. The plants basically end up using these nutrients as the building blocks to grow larger.
• Sunlight. Another thing that every living thing needs is energy, and in the case of plants that energy is sunlight. Sunlight provides the energy necessary to convert the nutrients into the building blocks that will enable to plant to grow taller. All plants require some form of light, and without it they are unable to convert the nutrients and are unable to grow.
• Temperature. Temperature is another of those elements that plants need to grow. All living things require temperatures to be within certain parameters that will encourage them to grow properly. If temperatures are not met, then either the plant will not grow properly, or it will not grow at all.
• Photosynthesis. In short, photosynthesis is the process that combines all of the above named elements, and allows plants to grow. A little bit better description of this process is where water and carbon dioxide (the nutrients) enter the plant (though the leaves and roots) and are converted to energy and growing materials for the plant. Sunlight is the energy medium that is utilized to convert the various elements into the glucose (sugar) and other materials needed to allow the plant to grow properly.