Botany for Gardeners: Photosynthesis

Cibotium schiedei - Mexican Tree Fern @DC LAH 042cIf you ever took high school biology, you’ve heard about photosynthesis. You know that it’s the way a plant takes in sunlight and carbon dioxide and produces oxygen. You probably remember it has something to do with chlorophyll—the pigment that causes plants to be green. But how often have you considered photosynthesis since you passed your final exam that year?

Most people, even gardeners, take photosynthesis for granted. It’s just something plants do. But knowing a bit more about the process can help us have healthier gardens—more, tastier veggies, sweeter fruit, prettier flowers. How so? Let’s take a look.

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