How Do Plants Grow With Coke?

Photosynthesis

• Plants undergo life processes daily that allow them to grow, produce, create energy and store food. Photosynthesis is one of these processes. During photosynthesis, plants use water, carbon dioxide and sunlight to create food stores and energy. Plants must take water in from the soil around them and carbon dioxide and sunlight from their environment. A lack of any of these key photosynthesis ingredients leads to an interruption in the process. This, in turn, leads to weak, unhealthy plants that eventually die if the problem is not resolved.

Carbonated Water

• Carbonated water is made from distilled water that has carbon dioxide added, called carbonation. The process of carbonation actually adds other essential plant nutrients to the water, such as oxygen, calcium and phosphorous. Adding these nutrients to the plant's soil improves its growth and production, increases its strength and helps it fight off disease and pests. The carbonated water used to make coke is chock full of these nutrients, making that particular aspect of coke an ideal source of nourishment for plants. However, other aspects of the beverage negate its nutrient benefits.

Sugar

• Plant roots are designed to take in as much pure water as possible, as quickly as possible, while taking in impurities more slowly. Sugar is recognized by plants as an impurity; therefore water with sugar dissolved in it is recognized as impure. Sugar water is absorbed by plants very slowly, leading to a decrease in water intake over time. The plants take in less water and begin to dehydrate. Sugar is a main ingredient in coke, meaning plants are unable to absorb the moisture they need from the beverage. Furthermore, because of the resulting dehydration, the benefits of the carbonated water are negated when sugar is added.

An Alternative

• Plain, pure water offers all the nutrients your plants need to survive, with no additional fertilizer added. Fertilizer simply supplements the plant's nutrition and facilitates maximum growth. Tap water is accessible and works well to hydrate and nourish plants, but an even better alternative is distilled water. Distilled water is extra-purified to remove any substances that plants recognize as impurities. Distilled water is so pure that plants are able to take in large amounts of water in very short periods of time.