How Ph Of Soil Affects A Plant

’s Growth Essay, Research Paper

How pH of Soil affects a Plant’s Growth

For the experimental aspect of the research report, four sets of two plants are to be studied. They must either be checked according to size for the same height, or started from seed to ensure equality. Two identical sets of roses are to be cultivated, as well as two sets of corn plants. The flora must all be given the same amount of water and sunlight each day. The only variable to be changed is pH. One of each set will be planted in the acidic soil, and one set will be rooted in a basic soil.

After the research is conducted, pH will be presumably have a strong effect on the growth of both plants. It is believed that the rose’s growth will be more pH dependant than the corn plants.

The pH level of the surrounding soil can have extreme results on the growth rate and overall health of a plant. The pH is technically defined as the negative base ten logarithm of the effective hydrogen ion concentration in gram equivalents per liter. It is measured on a scale of 1-14, with each reading being shown as an acid, base, or a neutral solution. If the measurement is less than 7, it is considered an acid. Such acids are vinegar, orange juice, and battery fluid. If the measurement is over 7, it is considered a base solution. Some examples of these solutions are lye, Tums brand medicine, and baking soda. If a solution has exactly one acid part for each base part, it has a pH of 7 and called a neutral solution. Test kits are available for measuring the acidity of a solution. They are in pill, drop, or powder form. Also, battery operated, digital electronic meters are sold commercially.

Two plants that may have adverse reactions to different pH levels are corn and roses. Corn is a much simpler plant, with a very little list of requirements to grow and thrive. It grows fast, with only light and small amounts of water. It has an erect, solid stem unlike most other grasses. It can vary widely in height, with some dwarf varieties only reaching a maximum height of two feet. The rose is a flower grown mostly as a gift and for its sweet-smelling fragrance. Today, it is most popularly cultivated as a garden flower. The genus contains 100 species, with most being native to the North Temperate Zone. With selected breeding, many hybrids and new varieties have arisen. Several hundred new species of rose are bred each year. In the U.S. 20 million plants are commercially sold for cut flowers, with another 40 million being sold for landscape and ornamental use.

Main Research Body

How soil pH affects the Growth rate of Plants

After the research is conducted, pH will be presumably have a strong effect on the growth of both plants. It is believed that the rose’s growth will be more pH dependant than the corn plants.

The pH level of the surrounding soil can have extreme results on the growth rate and overall health of a plant. The pH is technically defined as the negative base ten logarithm of the effective hydrogen ion concentration in gram equivalents per liter. It is measured on a scale of 1-14, with each reading being shown as an acid, base, or a neutral solution. If the measurement is less than 7, it is considered an acid. Such acids are vinegar, orange juice, and battery fluid. If the measurement is over 7, it is considered a base solution. Some examples of these solutions are lye, Tums brand medicine, and baking soda. If a solution has exactly one acid part for each base part, it has a pH of 7 and called a neutral solution. Test kits are available for measuring the acidity of a solution. They are in pill, drop, or powder form. Also, battery operated, digital electronic meters are sold commercially.

Two plants that may have adverse reactions to different pH levels are corn and roses. Corn is a much simpler plant, with a very little list of requirements to grow and thrive. It grows fast, with only light and small amounts of water. It has an erect, solid stem unlike most other grasses. It can vary widely in height, with some dwarf varieties only reaching a maximum height of two feet. The rose is a flower grown mostly as a gift and for its sweet-smelling fragrance. Today, it is most popularly cultivated as a garden flower. The genus contains 100 species, with most being native to the North Temperate Zone. With selected breeding, many hybrids and new varieties have arisen. Several hundred new species of rose are bred each year. In the U.S. 20 million plants are commercially sold for cut flowers, with another 40 million being sold for landscape and ornamental use.

The pH is very complicated to define, but is quite easy to measure. The measurement is based on a scale of 1-14. The higher the number the more base parts there are in solution in proportion the amount of acidic parts. A pH of seven is neutral, which means the amount of alkalines is equal to the amount of acids. Each unit is ten times greater that the previous, for example: a pH of 9 is ten times more alkaline than a pH of 8. Some examples of acids are vinegar, orange juice, and battery fluid. Some examples of basic solutions are lye, baking soda and ammonia. When acids are mixed with base solutions, they react with each other chemically. These reactions produce by-products and leave the resulting solution with a pH ranging somewhere between the two original solutions. The more difference