Geotropism

Upside Down Planter

There is a special Planter advertised on TV that allows you to grow a tomato plant upside down.

I wondered how successful this would be and designed a planter. The planters shown were designed by Amida and her sons.

When potted, the stem and leaves of the small tomato plant were pushed through the opening in the planter. The roots and soil kept the plant from falling through the hole.

The planter was filled with potting soil. After wetting the soil with water, a cover was secured over the open top of the planter. Strings attached to the planter were used to support the planter and its contents.

Amida and I got the same results. Our tomato plants did not grow down. Instead, the stem made a U-turn and turned upward. This behavior is called GEOTROPISM. Geotropism is a plants response to gravity by sending its roots system downward  and its shoot system upward.

Gravity also affects these things:

1. diffusion of gases that a plant gives off
2. drainage of water through the soil
3. movement of water, nutrients, and other substances within the plant