How Do Plants Grow? ~ For Kids

A lot of things that you use in your daily life are produced by plants. This is way more than you probably think it is. Let’s have a closer look at your daily life. It already starts with your bedding and the clothing that you put on. Most of the time, they are produced by plants. The same counts for the furniture in your house, the pencils you write with in school, and do not forget all the food you eat. Did you know that around 80% of all the food you consume is produced by plants? Therefore, plants are crucial for humans. It is important that we know a lot about the growing process of plants because we can not survive without them. How much do you know about this process? 

Before you will learn about how plants grow, it is important that you first know more about the anatomy of plants. The four central parts of a plant are the roots, stem, leaf, and flower. They all have different jobs that are necessary for the plant to grow. 

  • Stem: The stem connects all the parts of a plant together. It is the main structure that supports the other parts. It is also used as a road to transport food and water and as food storage. 
  • Roots: The roots are the parts of a plant that grow underground. They have two important jobs. The first one is to gather water and minerals from the soil. The second job is to improve the stability of a plant. Roots can grow really deep and spread out really far, which causes the plant not to fall over. 
  • Leaf: The leaf is a very special organ of the plant because it is able to make energy out of sunlight and carbon dioxide. You can find carbon dioxide in the air around you. During this process, a leaf also produces oxygen. Green cells are cells that you can also find in a leaf. They make food for the plant and provide support. 

Flower: The main job of a flower is reproduction. Reproduction is the process of making more plants from the same species. The petals of the flower are designed to attract insects and bees, so that pollen can be transferred to other flowers.  

Now that you know more about the anatomy of plants, I will tell you more about the growing process of a plant; 

1. The life of a plant starts with a seed. The growing process that starts with the seed is called germination. Before a seed can start growing, it needs to be in proper conditions. This means the right level of moisture and temperature, the right amount of sunlight and the right quality of the soil. After the seed is sowed underground, it consumes a lot of water from the soil in a short time, resulting in swelling and softening of the outside of the seed. 

2. From the beginning, there was already a baby plant inside the seed. The baby plant starts growing because of all the water and food it gets. The water is absorbed by the seed from the soil, and the food was already in the seed from the beginning.  

3. After some time, the seed sprouts and small roots come out. The roots will slowly get bigger and bigger. Therefore, it will be able to get deeper into the ground, where it can absorb more water and nutrients.  

4. With all this extra water and nutrients, the baby plant is able to grow more, and together with the seed, it will eventually reach the surface.  

5. Until now, the seed gave food to the plant for energy to grow. However, after the plant is able to make energy out of sunlight and carbon dioxide, the seed will fall off the plant and land on the ground, where it will turn into soil. The process by which plants make energy is called photosynthesis. 

6. Photosynthesis causes the plant to keep growing and develop all its organs. In comparison to animals, plants will always keep growing. However, plants will eventually grow slower than they used to. 

Now, that you more about the growing process of plants, you can maybe even use your knowledge in your own garden. As you could read, plants are really important and the way they grow is very special. Therefore, it is amazing to see the whole growing process by yourself and the feeling of harvesting your own fruits or vegetables is even more special. 

25-05-23 

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