Plants · A plant’s recipe

What does a plant need to grow?

Name: What does a plant need to grow?
Uploaded: 2026-10-25
Duration: 26 s
Description: Almost every plant runs on the same recipe: light, water, air, and a few minerals. Leaves catch sunlight and breathe in carbon dioxide. Roots drink water and minerals from the soil. In the leaf, light splits the water, builds sugar from the carbon, and lets the oxygen go. Sugar is the plant's food. Get those four right, and almost anything grows.

What you’ll see

Almost every plant runs on the same recipe: light, water, air, and a few minerals. Leaves catch sunlight and breathe in carbon dioxide. Roots drink water and minerals from the soil. In the leaf, light splits the water, builds sugar from the carbon, and lets the oxygen go. Sugar is the plant's food. Get those four right, and almost anything grows.