What is abiotic and biotic stress in plants?

Our much-loved indoor plants thankfully don't have to deal with the extremes many outdoor plants have to cope with, but still have their fair share of biotic and abiotic stress us indoor plant parents should keep an eye out for. 

Both biotic and abiotic stress are types of environmental stress that can harm or even kill our plants. Biotic stress comes from living things, and abiotic from non-living factors in the environment.

Examples of biotic stress includes attack from baddies like some fungi, viruses, harmful bacteria and insects like spider mites, fungus gnats and mealy bugs.

Abiotic stress examples include extreme weather like floods and drought, extreme temperatures, both hot and cold and excess salts in the soil.  

Luckily it's much easier for us house plant hobbyists to reduce an indoor plant's exposure to biotic and abiotic stress, not to mention nature's secret weapon - Silicon - which builds up a plant's natural defence system when under attack. For more about Silicon, check out ProTekt liquid silicon supplement for indoor plants.