Respiration and Tomato Plants
It is useful to understand respiration because by creating the right conditions, plants grow faster, produce more tomatoes and are healthier.
So what is respiration?
It is a process that happens when plants combine the sugars they make during photosynthesis, with the oxygen they mainly absorb through their roots.
In other words, respiration is the process of combining sugars and oxygen to create energy for growth.
So what can we do to optimise respiration in our tomato plants – or least make sure we don’t hinder it!
The most important thing is to provide plenty of oxygen for plant roots. This can be achieved by using perlite, vermiculite, air and fabric pots etc.
Respiration plays an important role in organics too. A well aerated rich soil will encourage friendly bacteria, and they need oxygen to play their role just as much as the tomato plants do!
There’s always a trade-off between moisture and air in the root zone. Too much of one leads to a reduction of the other – the challenge is to maintain a regular supply of both.
