Learn The Six Plant Growth Stages

Plants' lives may be as short as a few weeks or months, but they go through distinct changes as they grow, just as people do. The stages that plants go through are from seed to sprout, then through vegetative, budding, flowering, and ripening stages. Similarly, the nutritional needs of people and plants change as they grow. This graphic shows how a plant develops (in this case, a tomato) and highlights the changing nutrient needs for plants as they grow.

Plant Growth Stages

1 Sprout

Seeds contain all the nutrients they need to germinate and grow their first pair of leaves.

2 Seeding

As roots begin to develop and spread, plants need a bost of quickly absorbed, well balanced nutrients.

3 Vegetative

Nitrogen is most important for plants when their energy is directed into growing stems and foliage.

4 Budding

Full-grown plants need extra phosphorus during the transition to the blooming stage.

5 Flowering

Potassium is essential for the development of healthy flowers and fruit.

6 Ripening

As flowers or fruit reach full maturity, the plants no longer need nutrients - just water

Sprout

Each seed contains a small parcel of nutrients that is all they need to germinate and begin growing their first pair of leaves.

Seedling

As plants' roots develop and spread, a boost of quickly absorbed, well-balanced nutrients fuels the rapid growth from spindly seedling to healthy plant.

Vegetative

Nitrogen is a key component of chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants, so it's the critical nutrient when their energy is focused on growing stalks and foliage.

Budding

Phosphorus is in extra high demand at the start of a plant's reproductive cycle, the transition from growing leaves to forming buds.

Flowering

Potassium plays a primary role in producing and transporting the sugars and starches plants use up as they develop healthy flowers and fruit.

Ripening

When flowers and fruit are verging on full maturity, they need a week or two of just water without nutrients, a process known as "flushing," so they can use up all the nutrients they have already absorbed.

Protect Your Plant Growth

During the stages of plant growth, you can focus on getting the best results at the end of the season by utilizing an arsenal of tools to defend your plants against pests and diseases.

Between the stages of vegetation and ripening, your plants might be attractive to different pests. Put our Safer® Brand 3-in-1 Ready to Use Garden Spray into action during these stages. Not only does this spray control fungus and disease, but it kills insects on contact. It’s safe to use on flowers, fruits, trees, and other vegetation.

Or, you can use our Safer® Brand Ready to Use Fungicide, which will kill insects at any stage of life (eggs, larvae, and adults), plus prevents and eliminates black spot, mildew, and rust. You can use this convenient spray on flowers, fruits, trees, shrubs, and house plants.

It’s important to pay attention to the ripening stage of your plants, as you don’t want ready-to-harvest vegetables to get sabotaged in the last growth stage! When you start to see your fruit and vegetables appear, you can apply some Safer® Brand Insect Killing Soap, which will kill soft bodied insects on contact. This product can be used safely up until the day of harvest.

The State of Your Plants

What stage of growth is your favorite crop at right now? We’d love to see how your plants are doing, so send us a picture at the Safer® Brand Facebook page, where you can interact with the organic growth community. Also, be sure to subscribe to the Safer® Brand E-Newsletter for ideas on using your favorite OMRI Listed® products and other helpful articles about gardening and lawn care.