Re: would plants grow more quickly if watered with a sugar-water solution

Probably not. Plants (except parasitic and ³carnivorous² ones) really depend on the sugar they make by photosynthesis. They probably do have the ability to use some sugar taken in by roots but I donıt think it would make an observable difference in growth rate. On the other hand, too much sugar could cause osmotic problems for the root uptake of water. The detrimental effects of sugar in soil or water probably outweigh any increase in growth that would be effected.

Sugar is often used in the small packets of powder included with cut flowers. The material in these packets is supposed to be mixed in the water in which the cut flowers are placed; the idea is that the life of the cut flowers will thus be prolonged. Floralife, Inc. in Burr Ridge, Illinois 60521 (1-800-323-3689) is a manufacturer of the powder found in many of these packets. A nice lady there told me that the powder contained dextrose (another name for glucose) and an acidifier. I asked her what the acidifier was and she told me that the information was proprietary and that it was keep secret. Aspirin (also known as acetylsalicylic acid) is, of course, a potent acidifier and is often recommended to prolong the life of cut flowers.

The form of sugar probably does not matter because plants are able to metabolize most forms. Sucrose (table sugar) is a direct product of plant metabolism.