planteskudd

Planteskudd is a term used in Danish and Norwegian horticulture to denote a young shoot that emerges from a plant. It is a growing axis that can develop into a new stem and leaves, contributing to the plant’s vegetative growth and, when mature, flowering and fruiting. Shoots originate from meristematic tissue, often at the tip of a stem (apical bud) or from axillary buds along the stem; they may also arise adventitiously from roots or damaged tissue (epicormic shoots).

Structure and development: A shoot includes a shoot apex, nodes, internodes, and leaf primordia. Growth is regulated by hormonal balance, primarily auxins from the apical bud which suppress lateral buds (apical dominance). When the apex is removed or conditions change (light, temperature, nutrients), axillary or epicormic buds may break dormancy and form new shoots.

Types: Apical shoots (primary growth), lateral shoots (from axillary buds), epicormic shoots (from hidden buds under bark after damage), and root shoots or suckers (from roots).

Function and uses: Shoots expand the plant’s photosynthetic capacity and can serve in vegetative propagation. In agriculture, many shoots are edible (bamboo shoots, asparagus, pea shoots). In horticulture, shoots are often pruned and trained to shape plants, stimulate fruit set, or control size.

Examples and importance: Understanding shoot growth helps with pruning plans in fruit trees and ornamental shrubs, balancing vegetative growth with flowering.