the science of sweet
Providing the nutrients
necessary to ripen
fruits and vegetables
is like assembling the
ingredients for
a recipe."
zinc, a mineral important for many
plant enzymes to function properly.
Zinc deficiency can also reduce
the amount of acetic acid in plant
roots, making them susceptible to
rot. This is only one well-known
example of the potential drawbacks
of soil depletion.
Research into the impact of
trace elements on plant growth
is ongoing, and our knowledge is
still incomplete. Some experts list around
20 important nutrients that directly or indirectly
aid in plant development. They’re broken into categories
as macronutrients, secondary nutrients and micronutrients
(needed in very small quantities). We now know that some
vegetable, fruit and herb varieties benefit from exposure to
dozens of nutrients. The tomato is often used as a model for
fruit ripening, and extensive testing has helped produce a
nutritional profile that includes more than 50 minerals and
trace elements that contribute to creating the optimally ripe,
juicy tomato. There’s still much more to learn about the way
plants use nutrients.
No single nutrient blend is all things to all plants, either.
Plants will often have a set of changing nutritional requirements to meet different developmental milestones. Making
many nutrients available to every plant at every phase of its
development isn’t the answer, either. High concentrations
of some minerals can be damaging or reduce a plant’s ability to use other elements in the soil, creating nutritional
deficits even when trace compounds are present.
In hydroponic and aeroponic systems, understanding
how nutrients impact specific plant varieties is important
because all the nutrients necessary for plant development
are being supplied as part of a closed system. This is why
there are so many nutrient “recipes” out there designed
for different plants and hydroponic gardening goals. From
a nutritional standpoint, most macro- and micronutrients
perform multiple functions in the life cycle of a plant. Here
are a few examples of these nutrients and their fruitingrelated functions:
Nitrogen: Increases seed and fruit production
Phosphorus: Aids in the formation of carbohydrates
and sugars and encourages blooming
Potassium: Improves sugar production, texture, yield,
pungency, vitamin content and weight in many fruits
Boron: Aids in seed development, fruit growth and
sugar production
Calcium: Enhances cell stability
Copper: Aids in the development of key enzymes and
in the utilization of proteins
Magnesium: Triggers enzymes necessary for growth
Molybdenum: Helps in the utilization of nitrogen
Silica: Enhances nutrient uptake
Sulfur: Promotes seed production
Zinc: Regulates the production of sugars and is important in the production of the enzyme auxin
Providing the nutrients necessary to ripen fruits and
vegetables is like assembling the ingredients for a recipe,
and like a good recipe, these separate ingredients work
together to produce a delicious meal or snack that is
greater than the sum of its parts, which is what successful
gardening is all about.
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Maximum Yield USA | January 2015