Water World
Every living thing depends on water for its survival . The irony , however , is most life is composed of water . In humans , water comprises about 55-65 percent of our physical body . Botanical life , such as plants , are made up of a mind-drowning 90-95 percent water . That stat almost makes you wonder why you have to water them at all . But unless you ’ re growing tumbleweeds , you do . Naturally , the type of plant you are growing dictates its water requirements in general , as some plants demand more while others require less . Annuals like impatiens versus cacti are an example of two types with opposite water needs . There is a balance to be struck regardless of the plant you are growing . Under watering a plant is not good but often , a seemingly dead plant can be brought back with a good soaking . But over water them and your Garden of Eden can quickly become the new Atlantis , sinking beneath the waves , never to be seen again .
Under Watering
The effects of under watering a plant become obvious with time . First drooping , then yellowing leaves that wither and begin dropping off . Soil that begins to crack and split until it subsequently hardens . Over time the roots will shrivel up while being squeezed by the ever-compressing dirt as its moisture content wanes , losing their root ’ s ability to transport food and water if there was any . Pretty simple . No water and eventually the roots dry up and die , taking the plant with them . Plants are quite resilient though and sometimes a good drink is enough to bring them back from a moribund state . A tumbleweed can blow around the desert for nearly a hundred years without water ( true ) and should it get blown into a puddle or get rained on , can begin to grow again .
“ Water is the driving force of all nature ” - Leonardo da Vinci
At the Root of it All
The roots of the plant serve several critical functions necessary for the plant ’ s survival . Roots are the mechanism that allows for the uptake of water and nutrients as well as providing a ground-securing anchor for the plant . They also act as a storage facility by stockpiling food for the plant to consume when nutrients may be scarce or depleted . When it comes to roots , plants are typically divided into two groups : tap root or fibrous . The fibrous variety , known botanically as dicots ( dicotyledon ), include grasses , roses , pansies , sunflowers , and about 200,000 other plants . Dicots ’ roots tend to grow closer to the surface than a solo tap root . The fibrous root system of a dicot is very effective at taking in food and water while helping hold the plant to the ground . The other root system belongs to plants with a signature or single tap root . Essentially , they have one main root with many flanking roots growing from that . Plants with this root system are classified as monocots ( monocotyledon ). Root vegetables like parsnips and turnips as well as carrots and others fall into that category by virtue of their thick taproot . This larger root allows the plant to burrow deeper into the earth and store larger amounts of food to be used when nutrients in the soil are low . It also serves as a strong anchor .
38 Maximum Yield