Jerry Baker's Old-Time Gardening Wisdom: Lessons Learned from Grandma Putt's Kitchen Cupboard, Medicine Cabinet, and Garden Shed! (Jerry Baker Good Gardening series): Jerry Baker, Kim Gasior: 9780922433353: Amazon.com
Earth's Internet & Natural Networking: Mycorrhizal Fungi run the Largest Mining Operation in the World
Up to 85% of plants depend on fungi to survive. Plants and fungi depend on each other for nutrient cycling and water absorption "If you sift the mineral particles from conifer forest soil, wash them, and examine them under a microscope, you will discover a startling detail: tiny tunnels, three to ten micrometers across" "The tunnels curve and branch and sometimes more than one pierces the same particle. Jennifer Frazer There was a nicely done article which came out on the journal Scientific American by science writer, Jennifer Frazer, who has degrees in biology, plant pathology and Mycology. "The tunnels seem like they were made by something … alive. She then provided another beautiful illustration of something that the average person can actually see feel and touch. "But why would a fungus tunnel into a rock? "There is a precedent: lichens. Sure enough. "But the shafts in the photos at the top of the page were found nowhere near a lichen or a boulder. "Fungal mining has many advantages.
How We Unwittingly Bred The Phytonutrients Out Of Our Food
Studies published within the past 15 years show that much of our produce is relatively low in phytonutrients, which reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and dementia. The loss of these beneficial nutrients did not begin 50 or 100 years ago. Unwittingly, we have been stripping phytonutrients from our diet since we stopped foraging for wild plants some 10,000 years ago and became farmers.
The 7 Deadly Homemade Weed Killers
“And the weeds of the garden shall be visited upon the gardener.” I can certainly think of the 7+ weedy sins of the garden but knowing how to cleanse my garden of these weeds is even better. Especially if it can be done cheaply and with household items. Murdering weeds is a fun past time. So, for your reading enjoyment, here are The 7 Deadly Homemade Weed Killers, guaranteed to help you eradicate the weeds you find in your garden. Boiling Water – Yep, that’s right. As an added bonus, many of these 7 homemade weed killers can be combined to produce super results. You can also add a few drops of liquid dish soap to the liquid homemade weed killers for added effectiveness. Since most of these homemade weed killers are all-or-nothing weed killers, you may want to use a weed killer shield with them to prevent sprays and splashes on desirable plants. So, go forth and cleanse thy garden of its weedy sins.
16 Of The Most Magnificent Trees In The World
How do I love thee, tree? Let me count the ways; you change carbon dioxide into the oxygen we breathe, you sequester carbon, and you provide shelter for countless critters. There are many reasons for which we should all be tree-hugging hippies, but within the scope of this article, all we’ll focus on is how amazing some of them look. Granted, not all of these amazing beautiful trees are trees (the Wisteria is a vine, Rhododendrons are shrubs, and bamboo technically belongs to the grass family), but we’ll give them a pass because they are amazing, huge and beautiful. So once you step outside and take a breath of fresh air, hug the nearest tree and say thank you! If you know of an amazing tree not on this list, you can submit it at the bottom of this post. 125+ Year Old Rhododendron “Tree” In Canada This huge 125-year-oldold rhododendron is technically not a tree – most are considered to be shrubs. 144-Year-Old Wisteria In Japan Image credits: tungnam.com.hk Wind-Swept Trees In New Zealand
Sheep-Eating Plant Blooms For First Time; Puya Chilensis Started Growing 15 Years Ago (PHOTOS)
An exotic "sheep-eating" plant, so-called because it kills and "eats" sheep, has bloomed for the first time at the Royal Horticultural Society's Garden Wisley in the U.K. The plant, known formally as Puya chilensis, has been at the garden for 15 years. In that time, it has reached a height of 10 feet and grown its signature base of razor-sharp, hook-shaped spines. Per a BBC report, in its native habitat of Chile, the plant uses the spines to ensnare sheep and other small animals. After they starve to death and decompose, the animals nourish the plant through the soil, acting as a gruesome fertilizer. Speaking of the plant's first-ever flower, Cara Smith, a horticulturist at the Garden Wisley attributed the success to keeping the plant nourished on a liquid fertilizer. Smith added, "[P]arents coming along with small children [to see the flower] don’t need to worry about the plant devouring their little ones. PHOTOS of Garden Wisley's sheep-eating plant and others that have flowered:
10 Mosquitoes Controlling Plants for Home
Mosquitoes are among the biggest nuisance of monsoon that ruins the outdoor fun. Bites of mosquitoes are extremely itchy as well as spread diseases such as malaria. People use mosquito coils, mosquito repellent creams, electronic mosquito repellents and herbal mosquito lotions to keep mosquitoes at a bay. Some people are allergic to these things and get nasal cavity, skin and throat problems. People also use chemicals to control mosquitoes which cause bad effect to health and environment. Mosquito Repellent Plants 1) Rosemary Rosemary herb contains oil which acts as a natural mosquito repellent. 2) Citronella Grass Citronella grass is excellent for controlling mosquitoes. 3) Marigold Marigolds have peculiar odor that many insects, humans and animals dislike. 4) Catnip Catnip is an herb which is connected to mint family. 5) Ageratum Ageratum plant is another mosquito repellent plant. 6) Horsemint Horsemint also helps to control mosquitoes. 7) Neem 8) Lavender 9) Basil 10) Lemon balm
Plants Exhibit The Same Senses As Humans And See, Touch, Smell, Hear and Even Taste
By: Daniel Chamovitz, Director of the Manna Center for Plant Biosciences at Tel Aviv University In Israel, Guest Contributor Have you ever wondered what the grass under your feet feels, what an apple tree smells, or a marigold sees? Plants stimulate our senses constantly, but most of us never consider them as sensory beings too. In fact senses are extremely important to plants. Whatever life throws at them, they remain rooted to the spot – they cannot migrate in search of food, escape a swarm of locusts or find shelter from a storm. Plants have scientifically been show to draw alternative sources of energy from other plants. What do plants see? Studies have shown that plants bend to the light as if hungry for the sun’s rays, which is exactly what they are. We now know they do this using phototropins – light receptors in the membranes of cells in the plant’s tip. Plants see red light using receptors in their leaves called phytochromes. Plants live in a very tactile world. Source:
Studying Seemingly Immortal Lichens, in a Place for the Dead
In this bucolic cemetery, steps from the headquarters of Harvard’s research forest, she was pondering mortality. But she wasn’t thinking about the Frenches. She was thinking about lichens. Pale green and vaguely ruffled, like calcified doilies, lichens grow all over the tombstones and the old stone walls that fringe properties in this part of the world. For eight years, Dr. Biologists call it senescence: the grim reality of decline with age. Lichens are not individuals but tiny ecosystems, composed of one main fungus, a group of algae and an assortment of smaller fungi and bacteria. Once attached, they hardly lead a carefree life. While lichens are communities, Dr. The clear exception is yeast, a single-cell fungus that does senesce and that researchers use as a model to study aging. No one has ever proved that, though, or even collected much data. Does that mean Armillaria and many of the world’s other fungi are not aging? “What you know is based on the organisms you study,” she said.
