Explore the Virtual Plant Growth Laboratory
Grow a seedling to maturity by tuning sunlight, water, temperature, CO₂, humidity and soil nutrients, and watch it wilt, stunt or thrive.
- Free to use
- No signup
- Nothing to install
- Runs in your browser
Illustration. Open the tool for the real thing.
See it in action
The Virtual Plant Growth Laboratory with sample data entered and the result showing.
What is the Virtual Plant Growth Laboratory?
Grow a seedling to maturity by tuning sunlight, water, temperature, CO₂, humidity and soil nutrients, and watch it wilt, stunt or thrive. It runs in your browser, so a change to a setting or a drag on an object shows up at once.
Greenhouse managers, agronomists and hydroponic growers all balance exactly these six factors to maximise crop growth while minimising water and fertiliser use.
3 steps to your result
Open the tool and follow along. Nothing to install.
What you get
A plant's growth follows a logistic curve: fast in the middle of life, slowing as it nears its maximum size.
Liebig's law of the minimum says growth is capped by whichever resource is scarcest, not by the average of all resources.
Too little water wilts a plant; too much drowns the roots by cutting off oxygen.
Run the Ideal greenhouse preset and watch the S-shaped logistic growth curve.
Switch to Drought and see which factor the readout blames.
Push nutrients to zero and watch the leaves turn pale.
Used for
Pick one to see how it fits.
Teachers
For teachers: project the Virtual Plant Growth Laboratory on the board, let students predict the result, then run it together and test this: Switch to Drought and see which factor the readout blames. For students: change one thing at a time and write down what changes.
Try it freeHow it compares
A plain look at this tool next to the usual alternative.
| This simulation | Textbook diagram | |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive | Drag, tap and change settings | Fixed picture |
| Install | Nothing to install | Not needed |
| Cost | Free to use | Depends on the book |
Questions people ask
What is Liebig's law of the minimum?
It states that growth is limited by the scarcest necessary resource, not by the total or average of all resources available.
Why does overwatering hurt a plant?
Waterlogged soil pushes air out of the pore spaces, so roots cannot get the oxygen they need and start to suffocate and rot.
Is the Virtual Plant Growth Laboratory free to use?
Yes. The Virtual Plant Growth Laboratory is free, needs no signup or download and runs in your web browser. It is part of the Botany group of AZRS simulations.
Does the Virtual Plant Growth Laboratory work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The Virtual Plant Growth Laboratory takes touch input as well as mouse input, so you can use its 7 adjustable settings with a finger. A larger screen makes the controls and graphs easier to read.
How do I use the Virtual Plant Growth Laboratory?
1. In the Virtual Plant Growth Laboratory, use the controls to change Sunlight, CO₂ concentration, Temperature, Watering level, Air humidity, and more. The simulation reacts instantly. 2. In the Virtual Plant Growth Laboratory, press "Ideal greenhouse", "Drought", "Cold & dark", "Replant seedling" to start, reset or change what is happening. 3. Start with this experiment: Run the Ideal greenhouse preset and watch the S-shaped logistic growth curve. Drag any glowing handle, object or slider with your mouse or finger and the Virtual Plant Growth Laboratory responds in real time. 4. Change one setting at a time and watch which readout moves, then compare it with this idea: A plant's growth follows a logistic curve: fast in the middle of life, slowing as it nears its maximum size.
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Grow a seedling to maturity by tuning sunlight, water, temperature, CO₂, humidity and. Free to use.
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