Ask Giz: Why Does Grass Form a Pointed Tip When It’s Cut Straight?

Ask Giz: Why Does Grass Form a Pointed Tip When It’s Cut Straight?

Welcome back to Ask Giz, where we answer your weird and wonderful questions from all around the Giz-o-sphere, be it health, science, tech, gaming or gadget-related.

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Today’s question comes from Adam in Dubbo. Adam wants to know:

When you mow the lawn the blades cut the grass straight, but the blades of grass grow a pointed tip, how does it have a pointed tip when you cut it straight?

Thanks for your question, Adam. We love curiosities like this and we’re on the case.

Why does grass grow a pointed tip when it’s cut straight?

This question can be answered with an easy, throwaway line: “because that’s how it’s supposed to grow”. However, that’s not satisfying enough for us.

Yes, it’s in the DNA of grass to grow into a straight, pointed tip. It does this to reach the sunlight more efficiently, able to send nutrients easier through the grass blade. Here’s All Turf Solutions:

“The growth of grass is heavily dependent on the amount of sunlight the lawn receives. Just like trees and other plants, grass converts energy from sunlight into sugar through the process of photosynthesis. Warm-season turf varieties including buffalo, couch, zoysia, and kikuyu love full sunlight and will thrive in well-lit areas. But with little sunlight turf can often struggle to grow.”

Simply, it would be less efficient for grass to grow flatly without the tip. Additionally, not all grass grows the same: some grass types have more pronounced tips, while some might have thicker blades.

Don’t watch grass grow

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Ask Giz is a fortnightly series where we answer your questions, be it tech, science, gadget, health or gaming related. This is a reader-involved series where we rely on Gizmodo Australia’s audience to submit questions. If you have a question for Giz, you can submit it here. Or check out the answer to our last Ask Giz: Is Water Wet?


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