Summer is the season when nature’s energies reach their peak. As the days get longer and the nights warm up, plants respond with prolific growth and amazing displays of flowers and fruit.
However, these ideal conditions can sometimes take a turn for the worse, as warmer weather can also bring unpredictable temperature extremes, relentless hot winds and persistent drought.
To cope with such adversity, plants have evolved various survival strategies over the last 460 million years that enable them to become more adaptable and resilient. But in order to survive unforgiving hot weather, they have to make some major sacrifices.
PLANTS AND STRESS
When plants encounter stressful environmental conditions, such as water shortages, their roots release the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA), which stops general growth to conserve resources so they can be redirected…
You're reading a preview of
Good Organic Gardening (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue #11.5 - 2020