Plant Growth Environment 2

In class this week, we covered topics regarding nutrients in plants: where plants get nutrients, which nutrients are essential, what happens if plants are deficient of nutrients, and methods to correct these deficiencies. An essential plant nutrient is a chemical element that is important to a plant's growth and survival. There are 16 chemical elements in total that fulfill the nutritional needs of plants. I've organized these elements into the table below, which shows where they belong categorically.

To account for any nutrient deficiencies in plants, fertilizer is often used to feed the plants and enrich the soil in which they grow. The main ingredients of most fertilizers are the primary macronutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

In the garden this week, everyone had to be on top of their game, as we were going to get graded on our garden maintenance. As usual, I started the day weeding. After eradicating countless weeds, I checked my existing plants for any visual signs of nutrient deficiency. Many of my peppers had yellowing leaves near their base, which is a sign of nitrogen deficiency, so I fertilized my peppers to help correct this issue.

In other exciting news, we received our lettuce transplants this week. I planted eight lettuce plants, each six inches apart, and fertilized. Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera on hand this week, but I will update with pictures at a later date!

To finish up my day in the garden, I again applied Thuricide and Neem to my plants to ward off pests. Many of my plants are showing signs of pest activity, so I am hoping this treatment will help to reduce the damage in the future.