Abiotic refers to the nonliving physical and chemical factors in a plant’s environment that affect growth, health, and development. In gardening, this includes light, temperature, water, humidity, air movement, soil texture, pH, and mineral content. Abiotic conditions shape how well a plant can photosynthesize, take up nutrients, and tolerate stress, and they are distinct from biotic factors such as pests, fungi, bacteria, and other living organisms.
Abiotic stress occurs when one or more of these conditions falls outside a plant’s preferred range, such as drought, frost, low light, heat, or salt buildup in soil or potting mix. Many common plant problems, including leaf scorch, wilting, chlorosis, and slowed growth, are caused by abiotic factors rather than disease.
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