How Plants Cope With Stress

Literally rooted to the spot, plants cannot escape the environmental factors that can cause them stress.

Plants have to deal with fluctuations in light, water, temperature and humidity and fight off pests and diseases, fight for nutrients and deal with herbivores. The life of a plant is such that they have all this to deal with and cannot move away like animals if the conditions are lacking. In order to deal with stress, plants react by intentionally slowing growth to conserve energy and resources. They use various enzymes, metabolites and signalling methods to alert us of stress like curling or drooping leaves and stems; making their roots grow longer to get to underground water; or reducing the size of the stomata on the leaves to preserve water. The reaction of changing the size of the stomata (‘stoma’ comes from the Greek for ‘mouth’) on the surface of the leaves will allow the plant to conserve water, reduce the rate of photosynthesis and slow growth.

Using bio-stimulants

While there is still much that scientists have yet to study on plant stress, some work has gone into reducing stress using bio-stimulants. A bio-stimulant can be in the form of enzymes, proteins, micronutrients, amino acids like humic and fulvic acids and other compounds. It is defined as containing substances and/or micro-organisms whose function it is to stimulate the natural processes of growing plants to benefit nutrient uptake and efficiency; increase the tolerance of negative environmental factors such as drought, soil salinity, low and high temperatures and more; and improve the plant’s quality. This is done independently of the products own nutrient content.

Wonder Organics Super Bloom

Encourages prolific flowering without compromising on leaf quality for super healthy plants with Wonder Organics Super Bloom. It includes all the nutrition needed for flowering plants and roses including nitrogen for stronger, bigger blooms and greener foliage with added calcium for better water retention in the soil. The biostimulants will help the plant absorb these elements that will make the plants vigorous and less stressed which will improve their resistance to pests and diseases.

Wonder Lawn Booster

Lawns more than just about any other part of the garden will only look good with regular feeding. Wonder Organics Lawn Booster is formulated for any type of lawn to make it lush and green. It promotes soil health which in turn makes for a more resilient lawn. The bio-stimulants increase soil microbes and the uptake of nutrients for greener and thicker growth.

Wonder Veggie Garden

What you need in the veggie garden is healthy plants with quality, quantity with better flavour and nutrients. Wonder Organics Veggie Garden has everything packed into a slow-release fertiliser including some extra elements such as calcium for growth and development and potassium for improved water and nutrient uptake.

Wonder Kelp

For all types of plants to stimulate and increase health and flowering, Wonder Kelp is an organic seaweed concentrate that is made from sustainable South African seaweed and packed with bio-stimulants. It contains natural growth stimulants and is an ideal treatment for stressed plants after transplant shock, frost, heat, insect damage and disease.

Wonder Plant Food Stix

Wonder Plant Food Stix will feed all your indoor plants for 2 months with a slow-release plant food. There is no chance of overfeeding or underfeeding your houseplants with this easy-to-use product that will enhance foliage and flowers for all indoor and patio plants.