Does watering plants with sugar water help them grow?

Sugar does help plants grow. However, excessive amounts of sucrose can be harmful to a plant. For plants growing hydroponically or in a selective medium such as in a petri dish, sucrose is often used as a carbon source for sprouting plants. Plants make sugars through photosynthesis by combining water and carbon dioxide. read more

Sugar water lowers the osmotic potential of water located in the soil, making water less available to plants. This is because water potential in plants must be lower than the water potential in the soil to allow water to flow from the soil into the plant. In some cases, sugar water can help plants grow, although excessive amounts are harmful. read more

But things aren't quite that simple. The effects of sugar water on plants are complicated and not altogether beneficial. read more