For the Instructor

Upon completion, students will be able to: • G3.4 Understand the factors that influence plant

growth, including water, nutrients, light, soil, air, and climate.

#Gainz

By: Jose Vargas

Today, we will learn..

• The 6 factors that affect plant growth• Climate• Light• Nutrients• Soil• Air• Water

Ecosystem• A system that includes all living organisms (biotic

factors) in an area as well as its physical environment (abiotic factors) functioning together as a unit.

Question

• Are plants considered biotic or abiotic?

• Biotic! Plants are living organisms which, depend heavily on abiotic factors.

NutrientsPlants need 16 essential nutrients to live.

• 2 Main Types

• Macro Nutrients -Elements needed in large (macro) quantities

• Micro Nutrients -Elements needed in very small (micro) quantities

Nutrients

Nutrients

• Plants get these three essential nutrients from air and water• Carbon (C)• Oxygen(O2

)• Hydrogen(H)

• Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). • Found in soils• Used in large by the plant amounts for growth

and survival. • Replenished through fertilization

Nutrients

Soil

• Soil pH determines the availability of nutrients at certain levels

• A well structured soil:• Allows germination seedling

to emerge• Allows establishment of a strong

root system. • Allows access to water and

nutrients

Light

Plants get energy from light through a process called photosynthesis, which takes CO2 + H20 and sunlight to create glucose, oxygen and water.

Light shortages cause:• Stems will be leggy or stretched out• Leaves turn yellow• Leaves are too small• Leave or stems are spindly• Brown edges or tips on leaves• Lower leaves dry up

Air

• Wind increases heat loss due to evaporation and convection (wind chill).

• It also contributes to water loss by increasing the rate of evaporation from the soil and the stomata's of the plants.

• If a plant’s soil has too much water, the roots can rot because the plant can’t get enough oxygen from the soil.

• If there is not enough water for a plant, the nutrients it needs cannot travel through the plant. • - This leads to yellowing or dried leaves

Water

Water

• A gardener can check the amount of water in a plant's soil by inserting a finger in the soil.• Moist soil has enough water,

while dry soil needs to be watered.

• Other signs of a plant needing water include a lighter-than-usual soil that is pulling away from the pot's sides.

Climate

• Climate includes:• Relative humidity• Rainfall• Light exposure• Temperature

• If the climate is too hot, the plants will die of thirst and will shrivel up.

• If it is too cold, the plants will die from lack of sun.

Question

• What are the 6 factors that affect plant growth?• Climate, light, nutrients, soil, air, water

Why is this information helpful?

• SAE project

• Future job in ornamental horticulture