Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →

Sugar Water Effect on Plants

...
spoonful of sugar image by Brett Mulcahy from Fotolia.com

It is a myth that adding sugar to your plants will increase their vitality. Gardeners sometimes mistakenly dissolve sugar into their irrigation system after hearing rumors of the compound's ability to help plants thrive. Unfortunately, this is not true, and long-term use can be very detrimental to the overall biological functions of the plant.

Plant Nutrition

Caring for your plants is the best way to bring out their full potential. Simply provide adequate sun, water and the various macro-nutrients found within fertilizer. Adding other unnecessary compounds like sugar can increase the risk of environmental threats such as pests and disease by attracting them to your soil. Make sure to take precautionary measures to avoid such infestations.

  • It is a myth that adding sugar to your plants will increase their vitality.
  • Unfortunately, this is not true, and long-term use can be very detrimental to the overall biological functions of the plant.

Food

Sugar compounds are naturally created within plants by absorbing water, sunlight and carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. These sugar compounds are then used to create energy for the plant to help it accomplish necessary biological processes such as reproduction and growth. Since these sugar compounds are highly different from the processed sugar you buy at the store, adding sugar to the water can negatively impact the plant's ability to make its own food and halt these productions.

Micro-organisms

Processed sugar will stimulate micro-organisms found within the soil of your plants near the roots. These micro-organisms aid the absorption of water and nutrients but can be overstimulated and stressed by sugar. This stress will make it more difficult for root systems to nourish the rest of the plant and can lead to long-term complications.

pH Levels

Dissolved sugar added to a plant's soil can disrupt the sensitive pH balance present there. The pH levels of the soil directly affect a plant's osmosis within the roots. If this balance is changed too much for the plant, it will be prevented from absorbing nutrition from the soil. Also, sugar water forces soil to retain moisture for longer periods of time, increasing fungal growth in the area and possibly causing dangerous infections.

  • Sugar compounds are naturally created within plants by absorbing water, sunlight and carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.
  • Since these sugar compounds are highly different from the processed sugar you buy at the store, adding sugar to the water can negatively impact the plant's ability to make its own food and halt these productions.

Claims

Gardeners from around the world have made claims about sugar's beneficial effects for their plants, but there is little scientific research that backs these claims. Most researchers have found that sugar blocks a plant's natural ability to grow, and experiments involving sugar water regimens have yet to produce any such additional vitality in any part of the plant.

Related Articles

Sugar Water for Plants
Sugar Water for Plants
Can Gatorade Make Plants Grow Faster?
Can Gatorade Make Plants Grow Faster?
How Plants Grow with Different Kinds of Liquids
How Plants Grow with Different Kinds of Liquids
How to Fertilize With Sugar
How to Fertilize With Sugar
How Do Different Types of Liquid Affect Bean Plant Growth?
How Do Different Types of Liquid Affect Bean Plant...
Vitamins & Plant Growth
Vitamins & Plant Growth
What Substances Are Produced by Photosynthesis?
What Substances Are Produced by Photosynthesis?
How Does Caffeine Affect Plant Cells?
How Does Caffeine Affect Plant Cells?
Why Add Sugar to Grass Seeds?
Why Add Sugar to Grass Seeds?
Types of Soil Bacteria
Types of Soil Bacteria
Can Bone Meal Be Used as a Vegetable Fertilizer?
Can Bone Meal Be Used as a Vegetable Fertilizer?
How to Plant Sugar Beets in East Texas
How to Plant Sugar Beets in East Texas
The Effects of Vitamin C & Folic Acid on the Growth of Plants
The Effects of Vitamin C & Folic Acid on the Growth...
What Are the Effects of Sugar Water on Plants?
What Are the Effects of Sugar Water on Plants?
How to Water House Plants with Epsom Salts
How to Water House Plants with Epsom Salts
Garden Guides
×