Why do plant stems bend?

There are cases where a stem can bend due to lack of light. We tell you what happens depending on whether the plant is young or mature.

Lack of light in young plants or seedlings

When a young plant or a newly germinated seedling is in its first stages of growth, it always seeks sunlight to be able to photosynthesize and generate nutrients. However, if it is in an environment where there is not enough light, the plant will grow abnormally fast, elongating as much as possible in search of access to more light.

This phenomenon is popularly known as threading and it is very common for it to occur, especially in seedbed cultivation. Why especially in nurseries? We normally resort to this method of germination and cultivation when we want to plant species earlier than the climate would normally allow, growing them indoors under warmer, sheltered or controlled conditions. However, precisely because of this, it is common for seedbeds not to always receive all the light they need, since in an indoor crop it is easier for there not to be enough light.

Seeds normally contain enough energy for a plant to develop during its early stages, but if the plant is forced to grow too large in search of light, these nutrients will not be enough, and the plant will eventually bend under its own weight and die.

If you notice that the seedlings in your seedbed or any other young plant are growing abnormally elongated, with a thin, elongated stem that is weak in appearance, you should immediately relocate the plant so that it receives sufficient light or, if this is not possible, install a bulb for plants.

Lack of light in mature plants

It can also happen that a more mature plant shows deformations due to lack of sun or because it falls irregularly on it. When this happens, look at the stem of the plant: if it grows crooked in a certain direction from its base, it is not a problem, but if it only crooks from a certain height, it is very likely a lack of light. It can happen even to plants that seem to get enough light, but if they are always facing the same direction, shaded branches and stems can end up dead. twist looking for the sun.

Here you can read about What is the importance of sunlight for living beings, such as plants.

Yes you don’t water your plants enough or the plant has some other problem that prevents the roots from absorbing water properly, such as soil that drains too quickly or some other problem. root problemthe plant will quickly weaken.

A plant without enough water will not have nutrients to form strong, thick stems. Weakened stems will eventually bend under the weight that they support In these cases, the plant will need an immersion irrigation to revive it if it is in a pot, or an abundant and frequent one outdoors.

Here you can read about When to water plants.

If you are still wondering “why does my plant fall to the side?” because you think none of the above causes fit, maybe this one does.

If you plant many seeds close together, the small seedlings will compete to grow the first to obtain access to electricity before its competition. This accelerated growth can eventually lead to consequences similar to those of threading, which is why never plant more than 2 or 3 seeds together and, when these begin to germinate, the smallest ones are eliminated and only the strong ones are left.

When a stem bends, if it was holding fruits, flowers, or a large number of leaves, these probably will fall to the ground. On the ground, in contact with the earth, which is more humid, it is very likely that rot problems, which can end up spreading to the rest of the plant. Similarly, a bent stem can be damaged by mechanical stress and get to splitbeing necessary to prune it in case of serious damage.

Some species, however, such as tomatoes, aubergines or peppers, may see their stems bent under the weight of their fruit, but this is not necessarily a problem: you can slightly bury the bent stems and they will develop roots.

We give you some tips to raise the stem of a plant that bends:

• If it is due to lack of light, the only thing you can do is move your plants to a new location with more light so that this is corrected before it becomes too severe.
• In the case of pots that receive light only from one of their faces, it will suffice to turn them every 3 or 4 daysso that the solar incidence is compensated without problems.
• In the case of climbing plants or with stems bent by the weight of their fruits, it is best to resort to a plant support. In fact, many species need it. Stick it into the ground at a distance of between 2 and 10 cm depending on how much the planted species is going to grow and help the plant to grow by leaning on it.

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