Flower and Nursery Stock Care Methods and Nutrient Uptake Characteristics Explained

Plants mainly absorb mineral elements through their root systems, and each type of plant has its own characteristics in absorbing mineral elements, which are mainly shown in the following aspects:

(1) The relationship between root absorption of mineral elements and water absorption. Mineral elements can only be absorbed by plants when dissolved in water. Water directly affects the absorption and transport of mineral elements, but there is no direct proportional relationship between the two; each has relative independence.

(2) Plant roots have the characteristic of selective absorption of mineral elements. The number of salt ions absorbed by the root system is not proportional to the ions in the solution; even the anions and cations of the same salt enter the plant body in different proportions, causing the composition and pH of the nutrient solution to gradually change.

(3) Single-salt toxicity and the antagonistic effect between ions. If any plant is placed in a nutrient solution containing a single salt, it cannot grow, which is called single-salt toxicity. If a small amount of other salts is added to it, the single-salt toxicity can be eliminated. This phenomenon, in which ions can mutually eliminate toxicity, is called antagonism. Therefore, when determining and selecting a nutrient solution formula, the formula should be chosen according to the characteristics of different species.