Plant Growth and Development Essential Standard 4.00: Examine factors relating to plant growth and development.

Objective 4.01 Explain the growth process of plants

Processes of plant growth Photosynthesis Respiration Absorption Transpiration Translocation Reproduction

Photosynthesis The food and manufacturing process in green plants that combines carbon dioxide and water in the presence of light to make sugar and oxygen. Formula: 6 CO2 + 6 H2O C6H12O6 + 6 O2 Carbon Dioxide Glucose Sugar Water Oxygen Light Energy

Respiration The process through which plant leaves, stems and roots consume carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. Plants produce much more oxygen through photosynthesis than they use through respiration.

Absorption The process by which plant roots take in water and air

Transpiration The process by which plants lose water from leaves and stems through evaporation

Translocation The process by which food and nutrients are moved within a plant from one plant part to another

Reproduction The plant process that increases plant numbers usually by seeds Two main methods are sexual & asexual

Osmosis The process by which minerals and water enter the plant through cell walls

Light Photoperiodism-response of plants to different amounts of light regarding their flowering and reproduction cycles Not enough light causes long, slender, spindly stems Too much light will cause plants to dry out faster

Light Short day plants require long nights to flower (ex – poinsettia and azalea) Long day plants require short nights to flower (ex – African violets and spinach) Phototropism – the tendency for plants to grow toward a light source

Moisture 90% of plant tissue is made of mostly water Water carries nutrients throughout the plant Not enough water causes wilting and stunted growth Too much water causes small root systems and drowning which is a result of air spaces in soil being filled with water

Stages of Plant Growth Juvenile-when a plant first starts to grow from a seed Reproductive-when a plant produces flowers, seeds and fruits Dormant-when a plant rests or grows very little, if any

Hardiness Zones Plants are categorized by zones based on the average minimum temperature

Hardiness Zones

Hardiness Zones North Carolina Considers minimum temperature extremes Zones 6 to 8 Considers minimum temperature extremes Zone 6 -10 to 0 degrees F Zone 7 0 to 10 degrees F Charlotte Zone 8 10 to 20 degrees F