What are the effects of Vitamin C, Salt Water, Tomato Juice, and Benadryl on basil plant growth?
You will know from your studies that what a plant needs from the soil is water, minerals, oxygen and support. Water can only be taken up from soil if there are very low concentrations of salts dissolved in the water. At higher concentrations (even as little as is found in sea water) plants start to have difficulty taking up the water. Minerals need not only to be present in the soil, but in the right form (called “available”). If a mineral is locked up in an insoluble form, or the pH (acidity) prevents the plant from taking it up, then it does not matter how much of that mineral is present, the plant cannot benefit from it. Oxygen also needs to be present – roots need to be able to release energy from sugars (by “respiration”) in order to pump the minerals into the root. In order to find an answer your question, you need to find out how each of the substances you list will change the soil conditions to affect the availability of water, oxygen and minerals. In some cases, it is not easy
