Turgor Pressure

Turgor pressure is one of the most important concepts in plant cultivation, yet it is largely overlooked by most growers. Plants utilize water as a means of distributing nutrients through their cells. If turgor pressure is lost, then the plant can no longer appropriately distribute nutrients. 

Plants are highly adapted to specific environments. Depending on the environment from which a plant has evolved affects the adaptations that the plant possesses. Often this affects the ability and speed for the plant to recover from manual disturbance. 

When working with plant material it is important to understand how to treat the plant in order to minimize shock and stress for optimal growth. Rather than explaining everything in detail, this simple risk matrix will help explain how specific plant physiology can influence turgor pressure:

Plants that inhabit areas with high rainfall amounts expect lots of water. Although these plants may have adaptations to survive periods of drought, they generally rely on consistent available moisture. Conversely, plants native to dry regions generally have adaptations focused on retaining internal moisture. These plants, such as many species of Cacti, have adaptations like the ability to completely close their stomata. 

Generally flora that have the ability to regenerate their root systems results in a plant that can operate with more turgor pressure disturbance. Most plants have the ability to completely regenerate, even from a few cells, however plants vary in their ability to regenerate successfully, especially in a competitive environment. This ability can vary greatly, and is dependent upon the plant retaining the necessary types of cells to engage in root growth. The roots function as the anchor and intake, allowing water to pass up through the plant into its leaves. 

Flora of certain regions and geographies may be adapted to constant mist or high velocity winds. Wind speed is another physical component to understanding turgor pressure. 

The leaves of a plant can certainly be demanding! If the root system has been compromised it is highly recommended to manually thin the leaf proportion of the plant in order to reduce immediate water needs. As wind speed increases, it may be necessary to shield the plant from losing too much moisture through its stomata, which can occur passively especially among high-rainfall adapted plants.