Many transplanted seedlings do not grow because
Many transplanted seedlings do not grow because
(a)
the new soil does not contain favourable minerals
(b)
most of the root hairs grip the new soil too hard
(c)
most of the root hairs are lost during transplantation
(d)
leaves get damaged during transplantation
(c)
Newly transplanted trees or shrubs experience some degree of
transplant shock. This is simply the plant reacting to having been
moved. It is generally caused by damage to the roots of the plant
during the transplant. While the thickest roots are nearest to the
root ball, the most important roots, those that actually “do the
work”, are located the farthest away from the plant. These tiny
roots are covered by even tinier hairs which absorb most of the
water that is eventually carried to the top-growth of the plant.
During a transplant, these fine roots are usually destroyed either
by being cut to keep the root ball size down, by drying out (some
accounts say it only takes 3-4 minutes of exposure to air for these
to die), or simply by being jarred and jostled around in the move.
As a result of the loss of these feeder roots, the plant is not able to
draw the amount of moisture it requires to thrive and grow. The
resulting imbalance between the moisture demands of the topgrowth and the reduced ability of the roots to meet those
demands manifests as transplant shock.
Microtheme: "Biology,Human Physiology" —
21 questions asked in Prelims in the past.