Flower Growth
A Quick Guide To Flower Growth
Many things are responsible for, and influence flower growth. It's a matter of nutrition, sunlight, water and soil. But for a complete understanding, it's best to start at the beginning of a flower's life cycle.
A flower contains, among other things, male and female reproductive parts. The male part, the stamen, provides the pollen, which when coming into contact with the female part, the pistil, causes the ovaries at the base of the pistil to become fertilized and produce seeds. So, by the time we purchase some flower seeds for the garden, the growth process has actually already started. Planting the seeds will then take the growth cycle into the next stage. The seed itself will contain an embryo plant, and most often a supply of nutrients, to get germination started.
To start growth, a seed requires certain conditions to get going. Moisture and warmth are usually at the top of the list. Certain seeds may require a certain amount of light, or have to undergo a period of dormancy. It can vary from flower type to flower type. A plant seedling, like a member of the animal kingdom, contains both water and protein, and has tissue serving various functions including storing and converting energy. However, where we require organic foods to survive, flower growth can be occur while receiving nutrition from inorganic elements.
Once the seed case splits, the embryo will form a root, sending it down into the soil and a sprout, which heads in the opposite direction. It is when the sprouts appear above the surface and form the first leaves (actually cotyledons), usually two, that we begin to take note of the growth process. The root meanwhile begins to branch out into rootlets, drawing nutrients from the soil. It is at this stage of the flower's growth where moisture is absolutely essential. If the soil is dry, the seedling will die. As the root system grows and branches, it will eventually form root hairs, which then take on the task of supplying nutrients to the part of the plant above the surface.
Between the two cotyledons of the new flower plant a terminal bud appears, from which the leaf stem emerges. Lateral buds appear on the stem, and from these buds the true leaves emerge. The function of the stem becomes that of supplying food from the root system to the leaves and, eventually to the flower itself. The leaves, through the process of photosynthesis, produce sugar, which the stem returns to the root system, so there is an interchange of energy producing processes.
After producing the original terminal bud (the stem) and the lateral buds (the leaves), the plant will produce another type of terminal bud, from which emerges the blossom. As the blossom opens, its various parts appear, leading to pollination and the start of a new life cycle. A wildflower will do this pretty much on it's own, but for the show flowers and exotic flowers we have in our garden, we usually take a hand in the process, from the time the ground is prepared and the seeds are sown or bulbs are planted , thorough all stages of flower growth by weeding, watering, fertilizing, and pruning.