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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Think of it like a plant that you have growing. There's water in the ground, probably with some dissolved nutrients, and there is a more concentrated solution of nutrients and other plant matter, inside the plant. There is either osmotic pressure, where there's a difference across the cell membrane, or there isn't, in which case there is equilibrium, and nothing gets transported. The cells are aiming to achieve equilibrium, hence facilitating transport of the solution, when there is a differential.
The root cells have little holes in them, through which certain chemicals can travel. In this instance, the water, and weakly dissolved nutrients, will pass through the root cell membrane, via the process of osmosis. The root cells will then allow the solution to travel through the rest of the plant, partly aided by other factors, such as transpiration, from leaves. Thus the plant increases the volume of liquid that it contains.
If you over fertilise your plants, the soil water becomes stronger than the solution inside the plant, and water is drawn out of the plant, into the soil. This ultimately will dry your plant out, perhaps looking like it's burnt. Similar thing happens if you spill some on its leaves, and it's more highly concentrated than the solution inside the leaf, and water is drawn out of the leaf.
OK, it's a while since I did biology etc, but that's how I see it in my garden."
Smartarse!! 
(But very impressive "knowledge") |
