Learning how to water plants to increase growth in pots, container or garden - especially how to water roots and tubers. Specialities: root growth or tuber growth of lawns, fuchsias, geraniums, dahlias and begonias.

10 March 2011

Guttation, Red Edges: All Is Well

guttation produces drops of water on fuchsia leaf first thing in morningThe early morning water droplets on the red edges of this fuchsia leaf are a sign that the re-potting has worked wonders (for this plant, at least). Since more water is being pumped up from the roots (by osmotic pressure) than is escaping from the leaves through transpiration (plant's equivalent of perspiration), and since the cells are turgid (full of water), the excess is shed through special valve structures called 'hydathodes' at the tips of the leaf veins.

Since nutrients are carried in the water delivered to the leaves, guttation is a way of maintaining this delivery whilst normal transpiration cannot take place (e.g. in conditions of high humidity; or when the stomata (leaf pores) are for some reason closed). Plants are extremely resourceful, far moreso than we give them credit for.

P.S. I don't know what causes the red edges, but as pointed out last year , they denote a vibrant, healthy plant.

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