Plant Nutrition

What do plants eat?

 Photosynthesis

• Plants make their own food using

sunlight.
• The light is absorbed into their
leaves.
• This is called photosynthesis.
• However, they also need food
(nutrients) from the soil...
 The main nutrients
needed by plants:

•Nitrogen
•Phosphorus
•Potassium
They also need (in smaller
amounts):

•Magnesium
•Calcium
•Sulphur
 Plus even smaller
amounts of:
• Boron
• Chlorine
• Copper
• Manganese
• Molybdenum
• Iron
• Zinc
 Why each nutrient is
important:
• Nitrogen – important for leaf growth.
• Phosphorus – needed for root growth.
• Potassium – needed for flower and fruit
development, to help fight disease, and to
protect against frost and drought.
• Magnesium – needed for photosynthesis.
• Calcium – helps the plant grow big and
strong.
• Sulphur – for making the cells (building
blocks) of the plant.
 Plant food

• Sometimes soil hasn’t got enough

nutrients in to keep the plant
healthy.
• We can buy ‘plant food’ from shops
that contains the nutrients.
• Have a look at the ‘ingredients’ on
some plant food boxes/bottles.
 We (humans) also need
some of these nutrients:
• Calcium and phosphorus – to build
strong teeth and bones.
• Potassium – important for balancing
water in our bodies.
• Nitrogen – needed for digestion and
growth.
• Magnesium – helps our muscles to
move.
• Sulphur – needed for growth.
 Natural fertilisers
• Natural fertilisers are other plants that
attract nitrogen from the air and put it in the
soil for other plants to use. Natural fertilisers
include:
• Clover
• Peas
• Beans
Farmers use these in ‘crop rotation’.
Can you think of any other ‘natural fertilisers’
that people use?
 Task

Match the pictures of

‘poorly plants’ with the
nutrient deficiencies.
Which nutrient is needed
to make them better?