Root Development
Root Development is how plants grow roots to pull water and nutrients from the soil.
A plant growing roots is like a drinking straw pushed into a glass of juice. The straw reaches down and pulls the liquid up. Roots work the same way — they push into the soil and draw water and nutrients up into the plant. The deeper the straw goes, the more juice it can reach.
Explaining root development by grade level
A plant cutting is a small piece snipped from a plant. You put it in soil and wait. Tiny roots start to grow from the bottom. The new roots drink up water for the young plant.
Projects that explore root development
Hormones can speed root development in cuttings. Dipping geraniums or impatiens in Rootone or industrial-grade Hormex makes them root faster and grow taller.
Radiation stunts plant growth by interfering with root development. You irradiate lima beans at three dose levels, then treat half with Hormex. Hormone-treated plants show longer roots, suggesting Hormex helps roots grow even after radiation exposure.
A greenhouse traps heat and moisture, giving cuttings a better environment for root development. Cuttings under cover grow longer roots than those in open air, with or without Rootone.