Most plants reproduce sexually. In this case, male and female cells are formed in the plant. Fertilisation occurs, that is the cells join together and after this fruits that contain seeds are formed. Seeds contain the embryo of a new plant. When they germinate, they open and a new plant called seedling begins to grow.
But sometimes plants can reproduce asexually. That is a new plant is formed without needing to be fertilised. No sex cells are involved and new individuals are formed from just one plant.
There are various forms of asexual reproduction. In plants without flowers, mosses and ferns, asexual reproduction occurs by forming spores. Although these plants can also reproduce sexually.
In other plants asexual reproduction may occur by vegetative reproduction. Vegetative reproduction is when plants create new individuals froma a particular organ, usually from the stem. New plants may grow from bulbs. Bulbs are underground stems with thick leaves, examples are onions and tulips. They may also grow from tubers, which are also underground stems that contain many nutrients, for example, potatoes. They may also grow form stolons, shoots that grow from the plant and root when they touch the ground, for example, strawberry plants.
We did an experiment to observe vegetative reproduction. We observed how new plants grow from potatoes. To do this we placed potatoes in plastic cups with water using tooth picks to hold them.
We changed the water often and after some time observed how roots and stems began to grow from the potato. Look at these photos!
At this point, we decided to plant the potato in soil. Beautiful potato plants grew. We were also able to see potato plant flowers and therefore realised that potato plants also reproduce sexually.
PLANTING THE POTATOES IN SOIL
POTATO PLANTS
POTATO PLANT FLOWERS
SOME POTATOES BEGAN TO GROW NEW POTATOES IN THE PLANT POT
We recorded all of the changes we observed by drawing pictures in our experiment book.
WRITING THE RESULTS
