There are 3 major stages of the plant life cycle. The 3 stages are seed, growth, and reproduction. The seed (germination) stage is the beginning of the plant life cycle. The first stage begins when the hard outside of the seed coat melts, exposing the seed embryo to the soil. This stage takes about 1 to 2 weeks for the tiny roots to develop. Once the roots are developed and can maintain adequate nutrients and water the plant will move into the next stage.
The vegetative (growth) stage begins when the root system can support growth which takes between 3-16 weeks. The process of growth and development in a plant starts with a chemical reaction called photosynthesis. During this process, the leaf of a plant converts carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates (sugars) and oxygen using energy from the sun. The leaves on plants are where the actual foundation for growth starts. The energy the plant generates from photosynthesis in the leaves is what drives plant maintenance, growth, and development. The extra energy created from photosynthesis is converted from sugar to starch and stored in the roots, rhizomes, crown, and lower stem.
The final stage of plant growth is the reproductive (flowering) stage, this happens when the plant has matured with the help of photosynthesis. The objective of this stage is to create new plants. The reproduction stage demands the most nutrients to develop buds, seeds, and/or pollen to spread and fertilize for the creation of new plants. Therefore, all absorbed nutrients are directed to the production of seedlings, pollen and/or flowers. Once the final stage is completed the plant dies, but the seeds it produced start the cycle over again.
The above helps us understand the importance of proactively managing grazing animals. Scan the QR code for more information.
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