Even the most shade-tolerant plants needsome light to thrive, and this is because plants use sunlight to make their own food, in a process called photosynthesis.
During photosynthesis, plants harness the energy in sunlight and use it to fuse water (absorbed from the soil) and carbon dioxide (absorbed from the air) to form simple sugars, releasing oxygen as a by-product.
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The process of photosynthesis
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The large surface area and thin, translucent structure of leaves lets as much light as possible reach chloroplasts â the site of photosynthesis â inside their cells.
Leaves are arranged so they don't shade those below them and in many plants are held on a stalk, or petiole, that lets them turn to face the sun throughout the day.
Without enough light, plants canât produce the food they need to function. So, if you see your plants producing weak, pale, spindly shoots, it may be because light levels are too low for them.
The sugars (such as glucose) produced by
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants make their own food, harnessing the energy in sunlight to fuse water (absorbed from the soil) and carbon dioxide (absorbed from the air) to create simple sugars.
In ideal conditions, leaves produce more sugars than are needed straight away. The surplus is converted to starch and stored for future use, either in granules in stems and roots or in specialised storage organs such as
These are fleshy, rounded, underground storage organs, usually sold and planted while dormant. Examples include daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, lilies, onions and garlic. The term is often used to cover other underground storage organs, including corms, tubers and rhizomes.
This is important to bear in mind when growing bulbs and pruning woody plants:
- Bulbs contain lots of starch to fuel new growth after a
Dormancy refers to a period of inactivity in plants, during which they slow down or stop their growth, conserving energy and resources. This is a natural process that helps them survive harsh conditions, such as winter or drought. Dormancy in seeds is a mechanism that prevents them germinating until environmental conditions are favourable for growth.
- Woody plants store starch in older, ripened wood. Pruning spring-flowering shrubs immediately after flowering allows plenty of time for new growth to ripen, so you are rewarded with a good display the following spring.
Daffodil foliage left to die down
