If you’ve been following the national weather this week, you might be wondering if the groundhog has developed a split personality this year. Is winter over or are we in for six more weeks of cold? While the eastern half of the United States is feeling the effects of record-setting high temperatures and one of the earliest springs on record, the western U. S. is observing cold and snowy conditions all the way down into Southern California.… Continue reading this article “Are we in winter or spring? The answer is YES!”
Category: Uncategorized
The nitty gritty on how water moves in plants, part 1
It’s still too cold here in the Pacific Northwest to see much happening outside, so it seems a perfect time to write about something you can’t see anyway. That “something” is the movement of water and dissolved substances through two pathways: the xylem and the phloem. And before you roll your eyes and go watch TikTok videos, keep in mind that learning about these transport systems is critical to understanding how plants work and caring for them appropriately.… Continue reading this article “The nitty gritty on how water moves in plants, part 1”
Chill out! Winter cold and chill hours for fruit
If you have fruit trees in your garden, then you may already be aware of the importance of winter cold for the development of blooms and fruit. Some fruit varieties like apples, cherries, peaches, and blueberries all need a certain number of hours of temperatures below 45 F to prepare the trees to bloom in the spring. Surprisingly, other trees you might not think of as fruit trees also need a period of cold conditions to produce a good crop, including pecans and olives.… Continue reading this article “Chill out! Winter cold and chill hours for fruit”
Companion plants, they are not what you think!
Companion plants! Great, what a good idea. When you first hear the term and think about the concept it sounds great but there is a lot to not like about it. The term “companion plants” implies that these plants are partners and they “enjoy” each other’s company. The term is an anthropomorphism or overlaying of human qualities on non-human organisms. A more appropriate term may be plant associates or plant associations, a term taken from plant ecology, which has more basis for use.… Continue reading this article “Companion plants, they are not what you think!”
Goodbye to 2022 and hello, 2023!
As we close out 2022, I thought I would spend a few minutes reviewing the weather and climate of the past year, both the average conditions and some of the extremes we saw. While this is skewed towards the United States, I did include some events happening in other parts of the world for our non-US readers.
What were the average climate conditions in 2022?
… Continue reading this article “Goodbye to 2022 and hello, 2023!”
So you think you want a home greenhouse, do you?
Given the growth in home gardening, the fervor around houseplants, and the interest in hydroponics and other growing methods, it makes sense that the interest in home greenhouses is also building. Sure, home greenhouses have been a “thing” for a long, long while – from well-to-do folks with conservatories on their estates to the more common and basic home greenhouse in the last few decades. But shifting interests, and more/cheaper options have made home greenhouses more accessible to the masses. … Continue reading this article “So you think you want a home greenhouse, do you?”
Landscape Fabric Strikes Again–Oh the Horror!
I have a very interesting research project on the effects of urban pressure on Coast Live Oak (CLO). CLO is a California native oak and I am interested in seeing if urban cultural conditions prevent the development of mycorrhizal fungi on their roots. My study is blocked, that means that all the treatments occur in a block and the blocks are repeated for replication. Blocking allows the statistics to account for variability in field locations. Its a good thing too, since one of the blocks has never done well. … Continue reading this article “Landscape Fabric Strikes Again–Oh the Horror!”
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow?
If you follow current weather news, you have likely read the astounding story of the recent lake effect snowfall in Buffalo, New York, and other areas downwind of the Great Lakes, where over 6 feet of snow fell in just a day or two in some locations. My mom, who still lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan where I grew up, reported that in her city some areas got up to 30 inches during the same time frame.… Continue reading this article “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow?”
“This one secret hack will save you time and money!”
I’m resorting to clickbait tactics to get your attention. Here’s another – “Warning! Graphic photos follow!”
Uncorrected roots in containers or landscapes will create chronic water stress problems for trees.
If you have failing trees on your own property or on property you manage, you need to do one simple thing before you assume that pests or disease are responsible: you need to determine whether the root system is healthy and functional.
Now, I know you can’t see underground, but you can draw some informed conclusions based on whether you can see the root flare.… Continue reading this article ““This one secret hack will save you time and money!””
Big Blog on the Block
There’s a new1 blog on the social media block—The Big Blog of Gardening (BBoG). Already it’s a heavy hitter in the gardening social media world. The question is: How may foul balls are hit?
My wife came to me recently saying “Hey! Did you know that your friend Linda Chalker-Scott changed her institution?”
“What?” I said.
“Yeah, she moved to University of Washington. It says right here on this MSNBC article.”
“It’s from the Big Blog of Gardening?