It’s a fact that you usually learn early on. It’s so ingrained in us that most of the time we never think to ask the question: why exactly do plants need water? Since we’re moving into Arkansas’ hot, dry time of year, we thought we’d provide insight into why everything from your garden to your office plants need water to survive. Need some help keeping them alive? Give our Green Team at Leafscape a call at 888-821-5770 or visit our contact us page to get in touch. We’ll help with all your event plants, plant maintenance or plant rental needs in Little Rock and around central Arkansas.
Plants acquire nutrients from water just as all living things – humans included – do. Being 90% water means that plants require sufficient hydration for every biological function, including growth. Water is a natural solvent, which means that it has the ability to catalyze all kinds of chemical reactions by breaking down barriers. Notice that when you don’t water your plants they start to droop? That’s due to a lack of turgor – the water pressure inside plant cells that make up the “skeleton” of the plant.
However, that’s not water’s only use when it comes to plant health. Water helps jump-start photosynthesis – the process that generates food for the plant and oxygen for the rest of us.
As water moves through the plant, it takes up residence in small pores on the plant’s leaves called stomata. The water evaporates through these pores, and carbon dioxide takes its place. This process, called transpiration, can only occur when the sun is out to help with evaporation. Notice how plants have a thick layer of dew in the early morning? That’s because they’ve been pushing water up through their leaves all night when it can’t evaporate.
Once the plant has a decent supply of carbon dioxide, water helps break down that CO2 into sugar with the help of energy from the sun. So, basically water helps supply nutrients to plants and then helps synthesize those nutrients into something the plant can use for food.
One of the greatest problems for plants isn’t that their owners don’t water them enough, it’s that they actually get too much water. In fact, plants can survive longer with too little water than they can with too much. After all, humans are living things made up of 50% to 60% water, but we still can’t stay underwater forever.
Too much water can actually drown the roots, leading to rot and suffocation. If the roots are unable to get nutrients from the surrounding soil, they can’t get the minerals they need to fuel their natural processes. Furthermore, parasites are drawn to places of high moisture. If you water your plants too much, it may lead to parasitic infections that could cause your plants to meet an early demise.
Need help finding that sweet spot between underwatering and overwatering? Need help choosing the best plants for your event or business? Then give our Green Team at Leafscape a call or visit our contact us page today! We’ll help you decide what plants are best for your situation, provide the plants and even take care of them so you never have to worry about day-to-day care. Contact us and let us get to work for your business today!
