Identify plant health through cambium: Gardening tips

When winter is gone, plants start to wake up after cold months, and some plants are way more resilient than others.

Even when you can't see it, some branches can be already damaged by cold, and cambium can help you identify that well.

Here are a few things on what cambium is and how to use it well.

What is it?

Cambium is like a hidden part inside the trunk or branches of a plant, sort of like its inner layer. 

It's important for understanding a plant's health because it gives us clues about how well the plant is doing.

Now, let's find out how it works in simpler terms.

Growth Rings

Cambium helps create the growth rings in a tree or plant. 

Each year, a new layer of cambium forms, and this shows up as a new ring in the trunk or branch. Counting these rings can tell us how old the plant is.

Healthy Cambium

When a plant is healthy, its cambium layer is also healthy and active. It continues to make new cells, which helps the plant grow and stay strong.

Damaged Cambium

If something bad happens to a plant, like it gets hurt, infected by a disease, or damaged by pests, the cambium can be affected. 

This often shows up as changes in the growth rings, like gaps or discoloration.

Diagnosing Problems

By looking at the cambium and the growth rings, experts can figure out if a plant is suffering from issues. 

They might notice signs of disease, damage, or stress, which can help them diagnose and treat the plant to make it healthy again.

Conclusion

So, cambium is like a plant's health record. 

By checking it, experts can tell if a plant is doing well or if it needs some help to get better. 

It's a bit like a doctor checking your pulse to see how healthy you are.
 

• Related news:
• trees
• gardening
• plants
• nature
• 11 October 2023

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