As gardeners, we often assign human characteristics to our plants as a way of feeling more connected to them. We talk about their preferences and dislikes for certain environmental conditions and even for each other. The idea that plants have feelings has caused many to believe that plants are sentient and capable of making deliberate choices.… Continue reading this article “Weeding out the Pseudoscience in Companion Planting”
Earthworms have held a secure place in the hearts of many gardeners for quite some time. Charles Darwin himself was endlessly fascinated by these organisms (publishing an entire book about them in 1881) writing: “it may be doubted whether there are any other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world…”.
Recognized for their benefits to soils, including improvements in water infiltration, aeration, porosity, tilth, organic matter, beneficial microbes, and the list goes on, it is not difficult to see why.… Continue reading this article “Earthworms: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly”
…Or “When to Fire Your Landscaper”
We have a guest writer for this week’s GP blog post, Teresa Watkins! She’s a professional landscaper and garden consultant in Florida (her bio is at the end of the column). As a professional she has seen “landscaper results” that will astound, scare, shock, or otherwise perturb you to no end. She has graciously shared photos and input for this blog post.
We hope this will be a series highlighting what to watch for when hiring a landscape company.… Continue reading this article “Landscape Malpractise Cases”
In my blog post last month, I mentioned the likelihood of having a very active Atlantic tropical season, especially because the ocean surface temperatures are so warm. But despite an early start to the season with the first three named storms (including Beryl, the earliest ever category 5 storm in the Atlantic Ocean), it’s been quiet for the last few weeks. The ocean temperatures continue to be very warm. What is preventing the development of tropical storms in such a warm environment?… Continue reading this article “Dust in the wind”
My social media administrator (aka cat herder extraordinaire) reminded me recently that I’d written a post on xylem function and promised to follow up the next month with a post on how phloem works. Well, that was about 18 months ago. Guess I better keep my promise.
Do read the linked post if you don’t remember why “xylem sucks.” In contrast to xylem, functional phloem is an interconnected series of living cells with cell membranes. The presence of a membrane means the plant can regulate what goes in and out of the phloem, and the direction of phloem flow is determined by the relative concentrations of dissolved substances in the water – most importantly sugars derived from photosynthesis.… Continue reading this article “The nitty gritty on movement of chemicals in plants, part 2”
Last month I discussed the forecast for the Atlantic tropical season and pointed out that it is likely to be an active one. As I write this, there has already been one named storm (Alberto, which went into Mexico but dropped a lot of rain in southern Texas) and two more areas of potential development are moving their way through the Atlantic (note TS Beryl formed on Friday, June 28 at 11 pm after this was written).… Continue reading this article “Tropical storms and hurricanes and how they affect your gardens and properties”
It’s been 20 years since I began my Extension position at Washington State University. During that time, I’ve tackled gardening myths and produced peer-reviewed fact sheets and manuals through our Extension Publications department. But because of the way that Google searches work, these resources are often buried far beneath the glitzy but fact-free websites promoting bad science. This month I’ll be shining a spotlight on some publications that are must-reads for those who wish to use science-based information in their garden and landscape activities.… Continue reading this article “The truth is out there – you just need to know where to look. Part 1 – navigating the informational swamp”
We are entering the hottest time of the year for most of our readers except for those who live in the Southern Hemisphere or in tropical locations where there is not a big seasonal cycle. Heat can have a big impact on both gardens and gardeners, so this is a great time to look at a new product that is now available from the National Weather Service to alert people who spend time outside to the dangers of high temperatures.… Continue reading this article ““Hot, hot, hot!” –A new source of heat information for gardeners and a look ahead to the 2024 Atlantic tropical season”
It’s time for our Spring edition of People and Plants. This time we’ll be taking a look at the life and accomplishments of Asa Gray.
Asa Gray (November 18, 1810 – January 30, 1888), now considered the most important American botanist of the 19th century, had very humble beginnings. He was born in the back of his father’s tannery in Sauquoit, New York, the eldest of eight children. From childhood Asa was an avid reader.… Continue reading this article “People and Plants”
As I write this, about half of the lower 48 United States has passed the median date of the last freeze according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. Here in the Southeast, we are well into the planting season even though our usually early planting for crops like corn was delayed due to very wet soil. The rest of you may have to wait for a few more weeks before you can put any heat-loving plants into the ground.… Continue reading this article “What we expect in the 2024 growing season”