Lets Talk About Photosynthesis

Plants have developed an amazing ability to harvest the suns energy, and essentially store it in chemical bonds. They uptake carbon dioxide through tiny holes (stomata) in their leaves, water from their roots, and creates itself some glucose, and us oxygen gas. This ability to transform energy is hidden in the leaves in tiny organelles called Chloroplasts, which produce the organelle chlorophyll. Absorbing red and blue light off the spectrum the plant organizes its biological activity, its growing patterns, its bloom times, and partly in setting its seeds germination times. It is incredible! If you wonder why plants are green it is because of these organelles, they reflect green into our perceived visual spectrum!

Sunlight travelling to our planet is essentially measured by the plant, this is essentially why we have seasons of foliage with deciduous trees, and herbaceous perennials. They sense the changes in light, and heat as we move around the sun. The lack of this light through the season causes the plant to stop producing chlorophyll, and the other pigments in the leaf take hold. Stunning fall foliage sets in, the plant absorbs whatever glucose, water, and nutrient it can from the leaves, and stores it in the roots. The stipules of the leaves weaken falling to the ground with time, and weather, as the remainder of water, and nutrient are removed the leaves drop.

So, given this unique ability, the plant invests a great deal of energy to create chlorophyll, grow leaves, create vascular tissues for the flow of phloem (glucose), and xylem (water), and quickly grows leaves to catch all available light. This is why pruning timing is absolutely essential to the health of your plant. Think of the size of some of your plants, think of the incredible amount of energy needed to grow and support the organism. Now think about how chopping off the organs needed to create its food source, heal its wounds, and fight the heat. This is incredibly stressful, and harmful.

For example if you prune in the hottest time of the year (summer) you are creating a very stressful time for the plant. Chlorophyll proteins work to harness the suns energy; but, they become non functional, and unable to complete their reactions if the temperature outside is 25 degrees Celsius! Enzymes are themselves proteins, their shape determines their function. So, when we cook an egg and denature its proteins it no longer functions as an egg. The heat and radiation also denatures the chlorophyll. Photosynthesis STOPS. Those damaged chlorophyll have to be replaced, and the plant uses glucose for energy out of its reserves. Now imagine cutting a huge proportion of its available energy, its ability to create food, and then add incredible heat day to day. It wont matter how much water you give it, or fertilizer you feed it. The remainder of the leaves are not operating at their needed potential. They could have less chlorophyll in them, and you are going to damage them. You have reduced its food availability, and now it has a very short time in the season to build its glucose reserves.

Depending on the plant, its overall health, and a number of other factors, you are going to harm its ability to heal, its growth, allow diseases or pests to take hold, or simply kill it. We prune for health, we prune when pests and diseases are less active, we prune when all its energy is stored in its roots (dormancy). When we prune is largely dictated by photosynthesis, and optimizing it!

Plants are absolutely incredible when you study the exact science. Plants in generally hot places where temperatures are often above 25 degrees Celsius have developed ways to continue photosynthesis in various ways, and processes. We will touch on this topic in another post. It is a clever adaptation. But, for the nearly 90% of plants on this planet. There is no alternative.

Plants presence on this planet has created the foundation of the intricate food webs everywhere on land, the biodiversity in our ecosystems, and provides food to all 7 billion of us. They are a major part of our economies. They are the primary source of food for all land life. I honestly believe that we need to start acting towards lowering global temperatures. It is literally a complex and politicized issue. Plants are resilient. But, like any biological being they have limits. Without them no animal will survive. It is as simple as that.

So when you water, fertilize, or prune, you are trying to optimize photosynthesis. I hope this helps to inform you for your own gardening ventures. It is an essential concept to caring for any landscape, and placing a plant in its ideal sun position. It is to allow the plant to optimize its photosynthesis and flourish!!!!