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Plant Anatomy 101: The Roots of Good Things to Come

© Kate Berry

Living in the Midwest, I am surrounded by farmers, by the children of farmers, by people who lived on farms as children, or whose third cousins are farmers. They gather at my fence while I work in the garden, leaning elbow-to-elbow, shaking their heads in disbelief.

"Why aren't you planting those flowers there in rows?" they ask as I set out plants in drifts of color. "It makes it easier to get between them and spray for bugs. You've got to kill off the bugs, or you won't have any flowers."

I smile, nod, and merrily continue planting. I am not about to start a neighborhood riot by explaining that there are some bugs I actually want, and I'm willing to leave it to them to kill off the bugs that I don't want. The truth is, they tick me off. The farmers, that is.

Most recently, my gaggle of onlookers has clucked disapprovingly over the fact that I'm still setting out new plants despite this summer's heat. I would rather avoid a conversation entirely than be placed in a situation where I'm tempted to be rude (a skill at which I excel). So, in the interest of a peaceful neighborhood, I have acquired the habit of gardening with a grimace on my face, a vicious look in my eyes, and a pair of cordless headphones which, whether in use or not, provide a suitable excuse for ignoring their comments.

Were it not for the soothing strains of Mozart floating between my ears, I might be tempted to tell my former-farmer neighbors (who've never thought fit to grace their own yards with anything more aesthetically appealing than a Webber grill) that planting in the summer is perfectly fine provided one understands a few basics about plants.

This four-part series on plant anatomy - which will address roots, stems and bulbs, leaves, and flowers - will help you provide the attention, environment, and preventative maintenance needed to help your plants flourish, and to keep your neighbors scratching their heads in dumbfounded silence at your success. (If not, you can always buy your own cordless headphones.)

The Roots of all Things

Roots not only serve to anchor plants into the ground, but their cellular structure is designed to absorb and deliver water and nutrients to the stems and leaves. From the first tiny root, or radicle, that forms when a seed germinates, to the secondary ones that bristle with microscopic hairs, roots are biologically programmed to push downward through the soil in search of moisture. Although the tissue system of roots is similar between plants, root structures typically fall into one of three types: standard taproots, swollen taproots, and fibrous roots.

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