From the plant's perspective, the development of flower buds is an energetically expensive process. We require a significant amount of photosynthetic energy (sugars) to transform a vegetative meristem into a complex reproductive structure. If light levels are insufficient, we simply cannot produce enough carbohydrates to sustain all developing buds. This creates an internal energy deficit. As a survival mechanism, we must prioritize resource allocation. Aborting some or all buds is a strategic decision to conserve our limited energy reserves for maintaining essential vegetative functions, such as root and stem health, ensuring our long-term survival rather than a costly reproductive event that could weaken us fatally.
Water is the universal solvent and transport medium within our systems. Both excessive and insufficient water availability disrupt our internal homeostasis, directly impacting bud development. Under-watering (drought stress) causes cellular turgor pressure to drop, leading to the wilting and abscission of the most sensitive tissues first—the buds. Conversely, over-watering creates a different crisis: saturated soil conditions suffocate our roots, preventing oxygen uptake. Anaerobic conditions lead to root rot, which cripples our ability to absorb water and nutrients. From our standpoint, this is effectively a self-induced drought, and the response is the same: jettison the buds to reduce the demand for water and nutrients we cannot supply.
We are highly sensitive to our immediate environment, especially during the bud stage. A sudden change, such as being moved to a new location, a drastic shift in temperature (e.g., a cold draft or hot, dry air from a vent), or a significant drop in humidity, triggers a physiological shock. These changes disrupt our transpiration rate—the process of water movement through us and evaporation from our stems. Buds are incredibly vulnerable to humidity fluctuations. A rapid drop in atmospheric moisture accelerates water loss from the tender bud scales faster than our vascular system can replenish it. This desiccation forces us to sever the connection at the abscission layer to prevent further water loss from the main body of the plant, sacrificing the bud to protect the whole.
Flowering requires not just energy from photosynthesis but also specific mineral nutrients. A key element is phosphorus, which is vital for energy transfer and cellular processes within the developing flower. A lack of necessary nutrients, particularly during the bud formation stage, leaves us unable to complete the intricate developmental program of blooming. Furthermore, an overabundance of nitrogen can be equally detrimental. Excess nitrogen promotes vigorous vegetative growth (stems and leaves) at the expense of reproductive growth. From an internal signaling perspective, high nitrogen levels tell us to keep growing vegetatively, leading to the abandonment and dropping of buds as we redirect resources toward new stem production instead.
