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Entry Date
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Nick Name
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Location
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Tuesday, February 25, 2025
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Little Ketchup
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Grittyville, WA
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Entry 62 of 73 |
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Healthy roots on the "Jack's plant" aka the one that was given the most opportunity to collect energy. There's many interesting things to note. It seems I could always write even more, but I will cover a few.
I think the main takeaway here is that the number of fine root hairs is probably going to be proportional to the amount of energy being sent to the roots. Secondly, the plant may choose to invest its extra energy into roots rather than growing foliage at a faster rate. The growth rate of foliage/the vine might not correspond to the rate of growth of the fruit as directly as I would have thought? The rate of root growth could correspond better to fruit growth. (The root growth probably shuts down during the reproductive phase. The allocation of energy/growth between the roots and the fruit might be controlled by cytokines. Closing one valve and opening another...)
Last, the roots that appear dead might just be dormant/ inactive... Maybe the tips are still alive. The swings in energy production are probably buffered by the roots.
Out on a limb: We might see a 20% drop in the fruit growth on a cloudy day, but there could be an 80% drop in root growth on that same day. Likewise, when conditions are perfect, the energy going into the fruit might increase 15%... but the energy going into the roots might increase 150%. ...Thats me guessing whats behind a closed door, I dont have time to fully open every door. Maybe someone could keep asking more questions and earn a phd!
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