Tropism

Tropism is  a biological phenomenon, indicating growth or turning movement of a organism . Geo-tropism is a plants response to gravity. Positive Geo-tropism is what leads to stems growing up and negative Geo-tropism leads to roots growing down. Spud is experiencing this currently!

Growth Explained! - P.S. I don't know why the text is white

From this picture you can see that I added a cactus to encourage the growth of Bud and Spud.Spud listened......but obviously Bud didn't. Spud is growing towards the sun ! This is because of the plant hormone auxin which causes the elongation of cells in shoots and is involved in regulating plant growth. It causes plants to move towards the light because auxin elongates the shaded cells. Cytokinin is what causes the cells to divide. Theses to hormones need to be balanced with each other in order for cells to grow big and tall. Plant growth occurs in areas called meristems, that are the site of repeated cell division of nonspecialized cells. Apical meristems are located in the root and shoot tips of the plants. This is where primary growth occurs with mitosis. Thickening of the stem occurs in the lateral meristems which is required by perennial plants that grow year after year, and need the structural support to continue growing. Secondary growth is what causes the thickening and this occurs in the vascular cambium and cork cambium of the perennial plant. Vascular cambium grows outward in rings that thicken the plant over time. The outermost layer protects against pathogens and this is called the cork cambium. 

Growth Update!

Look at how beautiful Spud is getting! You can see he has two very big leaves, and a couple tiny ones on each of his sprouts. I know I will have to explain how all this growing is occurring, but I am waiting to do that till Spud gets bigger, and Bud actually sprouts. That is when ill explain the tissues and everything I have too. For now though I am just nurturing them and hoping they survive! Ill update back soon with a growth update!

The Weather Confusion

I told Bud and Spud that it was the first day of Spring, but I don't think they believe me with the weather conditions that are outside currently. They need sun and warmth to grow the best, but its snowy and cold. Poor Bud and Spud

They Grow Up So Fast!

Spud is growing so fast! Yet I think I may have killed Bud because he never grew. I swear I was a good mom but I guess not good enough. Happily though Spud has two little leaves that emerged from the terminal bud! Well it either emerged from the terminal bud or just a normal bud. The terminal bud is the primary one and it increases the length of the plant. I cant really see the terminal bud at the moment, so it may still be forming. A bud is what blossoms into the leaf or flower of the plant. It is what makes a plant be able to grow. The two little leaves are what perform transpiration and absorb the sun for photosynthesis!  So I am a very proud mother as Spud grows!

Roots Roots Roots!

Well Spud(tomato) is still the only one growing with two cotyledons. I have no clue what happened to the third seed I planted though:( These plants are getting quite tall  and that is due to their strong root system which is a fibrous root system Fibrous roots(Lateral roots) develop  from adventitious roots(primary roots that form on organs other then other roots) arising from the plants stem and usually do not  penetrate the soil very deeply. Most monocots have a fibrous root system. These roots absorb nutrients and water for the plant. 

Buds(Corn) root system is slightly different though. Bud is a dicot and has a tap root system. A tap root system is a strongly developed primary root which grows downwards and grows lateral roots much smaller than itself. The tap root comes from the radicle and goes very deep to get sources of water deep in the ground. Both roots systems store a lot of minerals for the plant also. Tap roots go deeper then fibrous roots.

The Germination Explanation

You many be wondering how Spud (and hopefully Bud) are going from a seed to a little green cotyledon(sprout) . Well the key is that the speed was getting the elements right. In order for a seed to germinate, the temperature must be right and there must be water to soak the seed. Some seeds also need light. If all the seed's needs are present, it will start to grow like Spud has done. The food reserves are turned into a form the plant embryo can use for energy to grow. First, the root (radicle) emerges from the seed coat, followed by the shoot (plumule). The root always grows downwards into the soil, while the shoot always grows upwards towards the light.Obviously Spud had the conditions he needed, but many Bud is just a late bloomer (literally).