Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Factors that affect garden growth - Coggle Diagram
Factors that affect garden growth
Fertilisation
Over-fertilisting
Fertiliser burn: Salts in fertiliser pull moisture from the roots and causes them to wither/turn brown and damage water and nutrient absorption (PennState, 2011)
Nutrient Imbalance: Causes extreme growth of leaves, but that crowding and energy usage disrupts fruit/flower growth. And too much of one can disrupt the plant from absorbing any other vital minerals (WVUniversity, 2022).
Under-fertilising
Stunted growth: little flowering or fruit, wilting leaves, short stem
Lack of nutrients: poor leaf growth, root development and disease resistance
Sunlight
Lack of sunlight
Plants cannot perform photosynthesis
Plant lacks the sugar needed for growth and stems become etiolated (thin and long) to stretch for light (ABCNews, 2023)
Plant can no longer produce fruit or flowers
Too much light
Photosynthesis overload; stresses out cells and generates damaging molecules that can destroy cells (D'Alessandro, 2020)
Moisture Loss: water is evaporated from the leaves causing dehydration and stress, leaves have burnt sections
Energy depletion: plant uses energy to repair the damage cuased by sunlight, reducing the energy available for other necessary growth processes
Water
Overwatering
"Drowns" plant by air pockets in soil that provide oxygen for the plant roots to absorb (MissouriBotanicalGarden, 2024)
Lack of oxygen causes root rot where bacteria and fungi attack the roots of the plant and impair their ability to absorb water a nutrients (Cota, 2023)
Underwatering
Lack of water causes a loss of turgor - the pressure that keeps the stems and leaves sturdy and open. The lack of water causes the cells to deflate (Trifecta, 2020)
Reduces photosynthesis rate
Impairs the plant's ability to transport nutrients through the roots and throughout the organism
Pests
Insects
Eat, burrow or rasp leaves: reducing surface area for photosynthesis processes (Coleby-Williams, 2021)
Bores into stem/trunks causing entry points for disease
Garden Animals ie, Rabbits
Tramples on plants; damaging plants
Eats plants, seeds and roots stunting future growth
Termperature
Low temperatures (too cold) - (AquaGardening, 2024)
Slows metabolism and growth
Prolonged exposure causes tissue damage
Entirely ceased growth <4°C
High temperatures (too hot) - (VanDerZanden, 2008)
Dehydration
Leaf burn
Abnormal growth
Increased energy needed for transpiration, less energy left for fruit development (SingularGreen, 2024)
Optimal Air Temperature: 21-29°C (AquaGardening, 2024)
Soil Quality
Healthy Soil
Organic matter; enriches soil with nutrients, improves structure and helps soil retain moisture
Minerals: creates a texture that allows for drainage and aeration for water, air and other necessary materials
Nutrients: ie. nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fuel the plant and provide essential materials for photosynthesis
Unhealthy Soil
Poor drainage: lack of correct minerals reduces amount of poors and leads to an inability to gain oxygen and water
Lack of nutrients: plants cannot continue to grow, exhibit symptoms such as yelowing leaves and thin stems
Lack of organisms: no microbial life, dead organic matter not decomposed, no nutrients for plants to uptake (Andreote, 2017)