Why don't plants grow when they are given milk rather than water?

Answer 1

Plants will grow just fine when given milk, provided it is kept sterile.

If the milk is allowed to rot then the plant's roots will become infected and the plant will die.

Of course if I forced you to live in a bth of rotting milk you would also die.

Answer 2

Because plants need the water and it is hard for them to extract that water from the milk.

Answer 3

There is no problem with absorbing water from milk...Milk is a very sutable env for bacteria...fungi...Worms..And etc...The soil has a lot of these things but milk causes a really big increasement of them and affects plant life...

Answer 4

Milk will produce lactic acid whilst decomposing. However this and the rest of the solids in milk will add neutrients to the soil. Hoever don't use it on potplants as you won't like the smell.

Answer 5

interesting question.

differences in nutrient requirement. to answer your question, we need to know what are the components of milk, where it came from, and the nutrient requirements of plants.

WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OF MILK?
Milk is primarily made up of fat, protein and calcium.
A serving (1 cup or 250 ml) of commercial milk contain since 1950's 2%-fat milk contains 285 mg of calcium, which represents 22% to 29% of the daily recommended intake (DRI) of calcium for an adult. Depending on the age, 8 grams of protein, and a number of other nutrients (either naturally or through fortification):

* Vitamins D and K are essential for bone health.
* Iodine is a mineral essential for thyroid function.
* Vitamin B12 and Riboflavin are necessary for cardiovascular health and energy production.
* Biotin and Pantothenic Acid are B vitamins important for energy production.
* Vitamin A is critical for immune function.
* Potassium and Magnesium are for cardiovascular health.
* Selenium is a cancer-preventive trace mineral.
* Thiamine is a B-vitamin important for cognitive function, especially memory
* Conjugated linoleic acid is a beneficial fatty acid that inhibits several types of cancer in mice, it has been shown to kill human skin cancer, colorectal cancer and breast cancer cells in vitro studies, and may help lower cholesterol and prevent atherosclerosis; only available in milk from grass-fed cows.

WHERE DOES MILK COME FROM?
this one's a no brainer. Milk most often means the nutrient fluid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals. The female ability to produce milk is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. Mammals, in turn, got their nutrient requirements from lower organisms or from plants.

WHAT ARE THE NUTRIENT REQUIREMENT OF PLANTS?
The elements C, H, O, N, P, and K (Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium, respectively) are the primary (often referred to as macronutrients due to the relatively large amount/quantity needed by plants) nutrient requirement of plants for them to grow, develop and complete their life cycle.

Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, which, together with nitrogen, form the structural matter in plants, are freely available from air and water. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, on the other hand, may not be present in quantities or forms sufficient to support plant growth. In this case, the absence of these nutrients constitutes a limiting factor.

Aside from the CHONPK, plants also need micronutrients for growth, namely: S, Ca, Mg, Cl, and Na (Sulphur, Calcium, Magnesium, Chlorine and Sodium, respectively).

Now to answer your question.

Plants dont grow when given milk because the nutrient content of milk (i.e. fat, protein, and calcium) is not needed by the plants. Milk content is too complex and needs to be broken down by the plant for them to be assimilated (aside from the fact that milk contents came from the plants in the first place). As you might know, breaking down involves energy...and life generally follows the process which is the most efficient. even though if plants were to breakdown the nutrients present in milk, much of the end products would not be needed by the plants thus a waste of energy and a very inefficient process. so why utilize nutrient contents from milk when a more ready and available one can be found in air and water?

Answer 6

I'm not so sure this is true because I have a lot of houseplants. They get coffee, milk, Gatorade,juice, tea and anything else we drink. I recycle it all. I have flourishing bromilliades, Christmas cactus and several types of aloe.

Answer 7

Who says that they don't grow?

Answer 8

you mean you've never seen a plant breast feed? weird.