A sea of bluebells have suddenly flowered on a hillside on Exmoor for the first time in hundreds of years.
National Park officers believe the plants have lain dormant at Bye Wood, near Winsford in Somerset, for centuries. Clearance work has been going on since last year to create new woodland. As a result, the disturbance has prompted the ancient bluebell bulbs to start sprouting and suggests the site was once completely tree covered.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-61583521
World's biggest plant discovered off Australian coast
The largest known plant on Earth - a seagrass roughly three times the size of Manhattan - has been discovered off the coast of Australia.
Using genetic testing, scientists have determined a large underwater meadow in Western Australia is in fact one plant.
It is believed to have spread from a single seed over at least 4,500 years.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-61655327
Gardeners warned to report weird froth on plants linked to deadly disease
The spittle looks like a ball of spit
https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/gardeners-warned-report-weird-froth-24209380?int_source=nba
Scientists are worried that a deadly plant disease known as Xyella could be spread between plants by the spittlebug as a carrier. The Xyella disease has devastated olive groves in Italy in the past few years and experts have called Xyella one of the world's most dangerous pathogens.
New Reekie: The world's most pungent plant is about to burst into bloom in Edinburgh
The spectacular Amorphophallus titanum (titan arum) is one of the star attractions at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE).
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/new-reekie-the-worlds-most-pungent-plant-is-about-to-burst-into-bloom-in-edinburgh-3737094?itm_source=parsely-api
is A.t. really the only contender? I always thought Rafflesia could be a tough one for that title...
More than 30 plants stolen from floral displays in South Shields town centre - South Tyneside Council slams acts of vandalism
https://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/crime/more-than-30-plants-stolen-from-floral-displays-in-south-shields-town-centre-south-tyneside-council-slams-acts-of-vandalism-3736797
" While Poseidon's Ribbon Weed is a clonal species, the plant is not interconnected as Aspen groves are. Aspen groves are not made of multiple plants, but rather gargantuan root networks intertwining beneath tens of thousands of genetically identical trees over hundreds of acres."
https://www.nbc11news.com/2022/06/02/australia-claims-sea-grass-species-largest-plant-apparently-forgetting-about-pando-kebler-aspen-groves/
In the news today...
"Warning: Aroids may be habit-forming.
Recently, aroid-tattooed next-generation gardeners have been showing up at Plant Delights Nursery open houses in North Carolina, something that Tony Avent, the nursery's founder, credits to the current houseplant craze."
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/22/realestate/aroid-plants.html
Quote from: David Pilling on June 21, 2022, 06:56:59 AMMore than 30 plants stolen from floral displays in South Shields town centre - South Tyneside Council slams acts of vandalism
https://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/crime/more-than-30-plants-stolen-from-floral-displays-in-south-shields-town-centre-south-tyneside-council-slams-acts-of-vandalism-3736797
Were the plant roots nibbled off? Sounds like grey squirrel vandals.
Houseplant from Aldi and Tesco that can keep flies away all summer for just 67p
Flies hate one particular plant that you can pick up in your local Aldi or Tesco. Basil repels flies as they hate the strong smell.
...
Mint is also said to keep flies away
...
If your kitchen has fruit flies, you should half fill a glass with apple cider vinegar and cover it with cling film and poke small holes into the cling film.
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/houseplant-aldi-tesco-can-keep-24329777
Does one need to bruise the basil or mint to release the scent?
That's often the catch with using the smell of plants - they have to be damaged. It's not always the case.
How about a solar powered plant pot/frame that gradually crushes/agitates the plant growing in it, thus providing a constant smell.
Scientists discover new giant water lily species
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-61725827
A new species of giant water lily has been discovered - and it's been hiding in plain sight for 177 years.
The huge plant had been in the archives of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and was growing in a number of aquatic collections but it was mistakenly identified as another species.
Quote from: David Pilling on June 14, 2022, 06:24:45 AMGardeners warned to report weird froth on plants linked to deadly disease
The spittle looks like a ball of spit
https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/gardeners-warned-report-weird-froth-24209380?int_source=nba
Scientists are worried that a deadly plant disease known as Xyella could be spread between plants by the spittlebug as a carrier. The Xyella disease has devastated olive groves in Italy in the past few years and experts have called Xyella one of the world's most dangerous pathogens.
This came out several years ago and the EU banned a long list of plants from being imported into the EU. Daylilies were on that list and it killed the import of new cultivars. In order to receive a phytosanitary certificate, daylily roots are very, very clean, but they are no longer allowed in. Nettles are also on that list that has 595 plants listed as hosts.
Quote from: David Pilling on July 04, 2022, 06:08:17 AMA new species of giant water lily has been discovered - and it's been hiding in plain sight for 177 years.
I thought V. boliviana had already been used, for what is now known as V. cruziana?
5 heat-seeking plants that actually love hot weather
"It's hot, it's muggy and you're starting to wilt – much like a flower from lack of water. Although, come to think of it, some plants thrive under super-hot conditions."
https://pa.media/blogs/pa-editors-picks/5-heat-seeking-plants-that-actually-love-hot-weather/
Whisky makers are turning their backs on peat
"We want to change the way the world thinks about Scottish whisky," says founder Annabel Thomas, "to create delicious spirits that exist in harmony with nature - putting planet, people and profit on an equal footing."
"Extracting peat to burn is not sustainable. Peatlands are created over a very long time. They are a great carbon sink and house enormous biodiversity," she says. "When cut and burned, it impacts both the biodiversity of the peat bog and releases carbon back into the atmosphere."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61596047
Drought resistant plants: 10 of the best heatwave tolerant shrubs and perennials to grow in the UK
https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/homes-and-gardens/drought-resistant-plants-best-heatwave-tolerant-shrubs-perennials-grow-uk-1766430
Bear cub high on hallucinogenic 'mad honey' rescued by park rangers
A brown bear cub has been rescued by rangers at a national park in Turkey, after it consumed a hallucinogen.
Mad honey, or deli bal in Turkish, is a type of rhododendron honey.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-62519493
The late "kleptocratic ruler of Angola from 1979 to 2017, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, is survived by a daughter whose name is Welwitschia dos Santos. Was that intended to give her a lifespan of a thousand years?
The Romans had trouble with honey as well.
https://www.zmescience.com/other/feature-post/mad-honey-deli-bal/
Quote from: David Pilling on August 13, 2022, 03:43:41 AMBear cub high on hallucinogenic 'mad honey' rescued by park rangers
Rhododendron ponticum. http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/371384
It happens also with the related Kalmia spp.
My goat died after eating a tiny bit of Kalmia
Quote from: janemcgary on August 23, 2022, 05:24:16 PMThe late "kleptocratic ruler of Angola from 1979 to 2017, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, is survived by a daughter whose name is Welwitschia dos Santos. Was that intended to give her a lifespan of a thousand years?
Maybe two breasts that never stopped growing.
Climate change: Avocados and exotic plants grow in hot UK summer
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-62665053
Record-breaking hot and dry weather this summer has seen more exotic plants including figs and avocadoes growing in the UK, gardeners have told BBC News.
Is it time we ditched the word 'gardening'?
The botanist James Wong has caused a hoo-ha by suggesting that we should consider ditching the term "gardening". I know, I know, but bear with. The g-word, he says, is loaded with "cultural baggage" and if more young people are to embrace (trigger warning!) "gardening" we may need a term that is more "inclusive".
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/aug/28/james-wong-on-gardening-is-it-time-we-ditched-the-word-gardening-
(warning - article behind a plea wall)
Maybe the term "gardener" has already been used too much, so people need a new term for their hashtags, like #plantdaddy. I assume getting a hashtag is rather like getting a gmail account - put in your suggested name, it's rejected because someone already has it, try another, and another and another.
Some PBS list members have similar "handles" to those hash tags. More difficult to scrap the noun "garden".
The alien shrub that can't be stopped
"Little did von Siebold know, when he sent that first sample to London, that he would become one of the greatest villains in botanical history."
"The surface parts of a Japanese knotweed plant wither and die back each winter, but its rhizomes – actually a kind of gnarled, modified stem – are still there"
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20221006-the-race-to-kill-the-worlds-most-invasive-weed
Japanese knotweed is on the noxious weed list in Oregon and probably also in Washington State. It can be killed. The problem is with the use of glyphosate, although other methods work with a little patience. I had some 30 years ago in the Willamette Valley where I lived and I succeeded in eradicating it, as I did with a large clump here on the coast.
But it spreads quickly and getting rid of large amounts is problematic... The polygonums or whatever they're called these days are a large, nasty and diverse genus... I don't even want the an ornamental species in my garden because the genus leaves such a bad odor.
Snoop Dogg and Souleye fans of Cwmbran's Mr Giant Veg
Kevin Fortey, or Mr Giant Veg as he is known to some, has just claimed his seventh Guinness World Record - this time for a potato plant measuring 210cm (6ft 10).
He has some famous fans, with rapper Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart's gardener Ryan McCallister and Alanis Morrissette's rapper husband Souleye all contacting him for advice on growing supersized vegetables.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63129983
Flower with 'dead rat' smell blooms in UK garden
Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis is emitting its delightful aroma at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden.
The plant, from Asia, flowers every three to four years but "it's very rare to see it in flower outside its natural habitat", the university garden said.
The "total stinker" is irresistible to carrion flies which pollinate it.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-63416265
So plants that are pollinated by flies in the main don't smell pretty? I have both Scoliopus bigelovii and S. hallii which are clearly pollinated by tiny little flies but I've never detected any odor at all. Where these little flies come from, when I don't see them anywhere else or on other plants, always amazes me. I'm assuming that means at least the flies smell them!
I am an aroid fan, no matter the "scent".....
That said, there are plants beyond number that have neither scent/smell nor copious nectar, for which we know of no specific pollinator, or how/why they do the deed, albeit we humans do not have the senses of invertebrates, or even very many vertebrates (ever smelt the pheromones of a moth?).
Nature is indeed a wonderful thing.
Geophytes flowering in the Atacama desert:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/29/desert-bloomed-in-chile-atacama-driest-place-on-earth
Article does mention "geophytes" but does not specify. Drat!
Every few years, more than 200 species of plants bloom, producing a spectacular carpet of purple, pink and yellow flowers on the desert floor. Many of the species are endemic to the area, including nolanas, huillis, and añañucas.
The article could / should have been better. If they are good enough to say "geophytes" rather than "bulbs" they could / should have been specific.
I had seen the two sentences you posted, CG100, and previously (before posting the link) had done a Google search. For añañucas it brings me to hotel information. There is also a line of images that look rather like Rhodophiala. Nolanas are an annual. Nothing on huillis.
And my brother said: " I've seen desert blooms in Peru though not in Chile."
He provided a couple of useful links:
https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/162106018
and
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/27584616454420981/
http://www.chileflora.com/Florachilena/FloraEnglish/HighResPages/EH0255.htm
Corpse flower in bloom at Eastern Connecticut State University
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/11/01/Connecticut-schools-corpse-flower-blooms-emits-foul-smell/8801667328893/
O.K. I'm confused. Here's a link to an article about growing saffron in Kashmir. Indoors!
https://apnews.com/article/business-india-kashmir-climate-and-environment-ceb197472c72837ff001b001f4939826
However the numerous photos show the entire flower being plucked. And I used to read that the high cost of saffron spice is in part due to the intense, meticulous labor of plucking the stamens from the flowers.
I expect that flowering saffron indoors is similar to forcing bulbs for early spring bloom. But do the corms regenerate sufficiently for repeat production is subsequent years? Or is this a once and done situation. What's your opinion / thoughts / comments.
I think the key here is growing them indoors. I have been thinking about looking for bulbs to trial indoors at my department CEA greenhouses, as well as in my home aquaponics system. I had a couple of glads in ebb and flood LECA beds (3'x4') and in 2 years I had so many corms I had to empty the beds to remove them all.
In general, I think of gladiolus (and other crocus species) as easier to grow than Crocus sativus. Greenhouse is lighter / brighter situation than the grow racks in the pictures. Which don't even appear to have grow light units.
Just call me curious. And if curiosity killed the cat, remember that satisfaction brought him back.
Growing stuff indoors is something they like to demonstrate these days. It's often shown on the TV - how to produce salad crops in the centre of big cities. I tried and could not grow saffron crocus to flower here - too dark, cold, whatever. From the text of the article it appears growing saffron in the wild is becoming difficult and that has driven them indoors. That would mean they were not flowering the bulbs indoors one year and then letting them recover in the wild, or bringing in new plants from the wild.
There is a town in England "Saffron Walden" famous for growing Saffron in the middle ages. Not a thing now, but seemingly due to the cost of picking the crop, not climate change.
There's all sorts of totally crazy information online. To wit: hydroponic vertical saffron farming, with roots in a nutrient rich water solution rather than soil. Considering that one of the images in that article is of Crocus 'Pickwick' a popular spring flowering hybrid crocus I am not too sanguine about the accuracy of their information.
Saffron has been grown in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Dutch / Mennonites. It was grown somewhat commercially into the 21st century, I believe, but not currently.
The indoor period should be only for collecting the pistil, the corms should be going to be planted after that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvZzv8LJu0A 16:18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7htnAIBJwc 23:34
Quote from: David Pilling on November 03, 2022, 11:17:03 AMGrowing stuff indoors is something they like to demonstrate these days. It's often shown on the TV - how to produce salad crops in the centre of big cities. I tried and could not grow saffron crocus to flower here - too dark, cold, whatever. From the text of the article it appears growing saffron in the wild is becoming difficult and that has driven them indoors. That would mean they were not flowering the bulbs indoors one year and then letting them recover in the wild, or bringing in new plants from the wild.
There is a town in England "Saffron Walden" famous for growing Saffron in the middle ages. Not a thing now, but seemingly due to the cost of picking the crop, not climate change.
Hi David. For the last 15 years I have been involved with growing veggies of all sorts (fruiting and leaf) in greenhouses which is what I am referring to, not in my house. (Though the glads were in my backyard aquaponics system in LECA).
I have my reservations about the vertical farms with sole source lighting really working on a commercial scale without venture capital spending, but a proper commercial greenhouse with supplemental lighting can produce single or rotating crops year round.
To see a successful business look at Gotham Greens. Once a small rooftop greenhouse in Brooklyn NY the company has something like 7-8 very large greenhouses spread over the US.
Potted flowering bulbs grown as cuts or in pots have been grown in substrates for a really long time. All it takes is time and a market to figure out how to do it. With my upcoming retirement, seems like a great backyard project.
Peter - thanks. Greenhouse might mean natural light and vertical artificial light.
World's largest vertical farm is being built in the UK and it's the size of 96 tennis courts
The world's largest vertical farm is being built to help end the UK's reliance on imported foods.
British retailers already get almost a third of their fresh basil from the team at Jones Food Company (JFC). It is grown, alongside other leafy greens, at Europe's largest vertical farm in Lincolnshire, England.
https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/06/09/world-s-largest-vertical-farm-is-being-built-in-the-uk-and-it-s-the-size-of-96-tennis-cour
Oh, that's not what I consider vertical gardening. The plants are growing on horizontal shelves.
A few years ago there was a lot of true vertical gardening, much of it outside, and popular in one country in particular. Memory fails here. I think they were covering walls with fabric pockets.
The one question I always have about hydroponic and/or vertical gardening is this, and I do not see it addressed. Supposedly, the soil mix and added nutrients replicate whatever the plants need to grow well and produce fruit, i.e. tomatoes. But doesn't terroir or natural native soils impart nutrients and flavor that constructed soil and nutrient mixes do not provide?
It has been years since I've bought tomatoes in a grocery store. They're red, perfect-looking round objects that have no flavor at all. I simply do without until their normal season of fruiting...or use canned tomatoes which certainly taste like real tomatoes.
Is it really worthwhile to grow edible plants in such unnatural conditions, given it seems unlikely to me they can truly provide good quality nutrients and subtle flavors and tastes that an in-ground vegetable or fruit has? I grow ornamental plants of many kinds and they do well for the first two years or so but invariably when planted in native soil, they do much better.
Just curious.
I watched the whole videos from China, they were growing the bulbs outside, harvesting just prior and during flowering, then harvesting whole flowers, while sitting down, then someone else was pulling off the stamens.
It was not vertical farming. Basically vertical processing.
Our lettuce and basil beats organic farmed in flavor, useable lettuce (not one leaf is unusable) and the basil has better flavor. Easy to see who sells out at the farmers market and who doesn't. We sell our basil to a former 3 star chef, who now cooks pizza.
Like it or not, weather happens and outdoor crops fail all over the world. When we have rain, all the lettuce is bad, dirty, and cant be harvested. Lettuce wholesale costs tripled after the last rain. Ours was perfect.
There is a trade off between yield and flavor with tomatoes. There is only so much sugar to go around. Adjusting the EC of the fertilizer water will either increase water content (yield) or decrease water decrease (flavor).
My hobby goal might be to raise saffron in my aquaponics system.
I spent 9 months at Writtle College on sabbatical and we used to go to Saffron Upon Avon all the time!
I hope to learn from all of you, so excuse me if I am being rude.
Robin - here on a small, storm tossed island far North with 70 million people, compromises have to be made. My tomatoes taste better than the ones in the shops, but they're in a greenhouse and grow in peat free compost from the supermarket - best I can do. Anyone from Italy would not rate them.
<insert big argument about interplay of people and nature>
Suddenly wondering that if the Autumn sprouting flowering geophyte forcing for year around is possible, since most geophyte used for forcing should be frozen Spring sprouting ones which are naturally adapted to the frozen winter in the habitat. And if there were difference in the the flavor of fresh saffron and normal ones. (Or there should be 3 version cuisines (Fresh only, normal only, and both) combinations for the customer's experience.)
Quotehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/283595994_Flower_formation_in_the_saffron_crocus_Crocus_sativus_L_The_role_of_temperature
The freshly formed replacement corms of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) had no chilling requirements, but sprouting only occurred after a period of after-ripening. Sprouting could be accelerated by a short curing at 30 °C. Shoot growth occurred at any temperature between 1 and 30 °C. The optimal temperature for shoot growth (23-25 °C) proved also optimal for flower initiation. No flower primordia were present in the resting buds. Flower organogenesis occurred during the early summer growth. The optimal temperature for flower emergence (17 °C) was markedly lower than for organogenesis.
Quotehttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304423804001104
The optimal temperature for flower formation was in the range from 23 to 27 °C, 23 °C temperature being marginally better. To ensure the formation of a maximum number of flowers, the incubation at these temperatures should exceed 50 days, although incubation longer than 150 days resulted in flower abortion. Flower emergence required the transfer of the corms from the conditions of flower formation to a markedly lower temperature (17 °C). Incubation of the corms after lifting at a higher temperature (30 °C), reduced flower initiation and caused the abortion of some of the initiated flowers. No flowers formed in corms incubated at 9 °C. A variable proportion (20–100%) of the corms forced directly at 17 °C without a previous incubation at 23–27 °C formed a single flower. The wide differences in the timing of the phenological stages in different locations we found in this study seemed related to the ambient temperature. Leaf withering was followed shortly by flower initiation, which occurred during late spring or early summer as the rising temperature reached 20 °C. A long hot summer delayed flower emergence which occurred in late autumn as the temperature fell to the range of 15–17 °C.
Quotehttps://www.actahort.org/books/850/850_12.htm
One month after the completion of flowering the plants were transplanted to the open field, and their CO2 assimilation rates were compared to that of plants coming from corms planted directly in the open. In plants grown at a constant temperature, this parameter, in the range 13-20°C, had no significant effect on the number of sprouts nor that of flowers formed per corm. Flowering occurred earlier at 17°C than at higher and lower temperatures. The flowers formed at 20°C had a wilt aspect. The size of the styles was directly related to temperature and therefore was highest at 20°C. In these plants, however, the styles were difficult to separate from the flower. Growing the plants at a 20/10°C term period hastened flowering and resulted in the formation of normal flowers, but also reduced style size. Growth in the chambers resulted in a 90% reduction of the maximum photosynthetic CO2 fixation as compared with plants grown in the open. This loss was recovered in part (about 50%) several weeks after transferring the plants to the open field.
I have only forced the usual run of spring flowering geophytes - narcissus, tulips, hyacinths, muscari, etc. Once potted up they require a chilling period for rooting. Refrigerator temperatures, that would be 38 to 42 degrees Fahrenheit - are considered suitable.
I remember one year, the New York Botanical Garden had a greenhouse display of Dutch bulbs. As with all their exhibitions it extends for a couple of months, determined by the powers that be rather than horticultural staff. The major problem was not coaxing the bulbs into early bloom but retarding them.
Obviously the Dutch have figured something out, as tulips as cut flowers may be had practically year round.
Judy
I think many of the cut flowers we see in markets are from Southern hemisphere locations like Columbia and Kenya
Judy - we often see on UK TV the preparations that go on for the Chelses flower show, there's a whole business of holding flowering bulbs back for it. Big fridges.
While living in a cabin near Fairbanks, Alaska, I got a catalog from a Dutch bulb company suggesting that bulbs could be "forced." I bought some, potted them, and put them under my bed to chill. At times they froze solid: no temperature control in that place. Nevertheless, they grew and flowered (under a grow-light), and I brought them to my university office to delight and amaze all. I especially remember the fragrance of Iris reticulata. That was when I started on the long road to my love of these plants.
In the mid 80's I was working for a large potted plant grower along the west coast. We were just getting into the potted Freesia boom.
We had weekly plantings of 5000 pots of 4" (3 corms each) and 2000 6" pots (5 or 6 corms each ).
It was a long time ago, so I am not sure what the season was, but some of the cultivars would pupate and not grow.
The challenge was not the lack of bulbs but how they responded throughout the seasons, especially after too long or short a chilling period.
Freesias want to grow in Winter. Here in the UK it is common to find "prepared" Freesias sold in Spring, Heat treated and designed to find the UK Summer, Winter like and grow and flower.
I also had luck sowing seed in early Spring and getting flowers in the same Summer.
I have plenty of Freesias which have reverted to type, growing in Winter, but never flowering.
Quotehttps://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/29/james-wong-on-gardening-hybrids-for-brighter-tougher-bulbs-best-of-both-worlds
Hybrid after Polyploidization? (Or find the naturally polyploid population if the species is.)
Quotehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/304704666_The_role_of_polyploidization_in_bulbous_flowers
The role of polyploidization in bulbous flowersJuly 2016NERINE Nerine bowdenii (2n = 2x = 22) is the main species of Nerine grown for flower production. The colour range is very limited. Therefore intergeneric crosses are produced using in vitro embryo rescue techniques. The intergeneric hybrid of Nerine bowdenii x Amaryllis belladonna was sterile therefore a fertile autotetraploid was produced (Van Tuyl et al 1992). Backcrosses of N. bowdenii x N. bowdenii x A. belladonna (Fig. 2) were produced and released to the growers.
Since Some species is naturally multi?polyploid?
Quotehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4152747/
Several authors reported variation in ploidy level (3x to 7x) in several species of the genus (Sato 1938; Neto 1948; Naranjo 1969; Lakshmi 1980; Arroyo 1982; Beltrao and Guerra 1990; Zou and Quin 1994). It is interesting to point out that several polyploids previously analysed were considered to be autopolyploids, because they have similar basic bimodal karyotypes to those described in diploid species (Naranjo 1969; Naranjo and Andrada 1975).
Table 1.
Origin, accession numbers and ploidy level of the Hippeastrum species.
Species Ploidy level Origin Kew accession or Herba Nt.
H. machupijchense (Vargas) Hunt 2x Perú, Cuzco, Machupichu 376-76-03600
H. solandriflorum Herb. 2x Argentina, Corrientes 301-79-02627
H. aulicum Herb. 2x Brazil, Santa Catarina 434-79-04428
H. hybrid Sealy 2x Brazil 344-79-03154
H. argentinum (Pax) Hunz. 2x Argentina, Catamarca ATH18258
H. psittacinum (Ker Gawl.) Herb. 2x Brazil 088-60-08801
H. evansiae (Traub & Nels.) Moore 2x Bolivia 302-79-02858
H. tucumanum Holmb. 2x Argentina, Tucumán 361-75-03430
H. parodii Hunz. & Coc. 2x Argentina, Corrientes, Três Cerros 400-76-03888
H. correiense (Bury) Worsley 2x Brazil, Sao Paulo 419-72-03854
H. rutilum (Ker Gawl.) Herb. 2x Brazil 501-66-50111
H. morelianum (Lamaire) Traub 2x Brazil, Sao Paulo, Serra do Mar 419-72-03853
H. puniceum (Lamb.) Kuntze 3x Guyana, Mt Roraina, Kako 236-80-02247
H. reginae (L.) Herb. 4x Peru, Cuzco, Marcapata 408-53-40803
H. rutilum (Ker Gawl.) Herb. 4x Brazil 006-69-16919
H. starkii (Nels. & Traub) Moore 4x Bolivia 487-67-48702
H. blossfeldiae (Traub & Doran) Vam Scheepen 4x Brazil, Sao Paulo 139-74-01555
H. scopulorum Baker 5x Bolivia, La Paz 037-72-00389
H. rutilum (Ker Gawl.) Herb. 5x Brazil, Pelotas 396-70-03892
H. cybister (Herb.) Benth. ex Baker 5x Brazil 418-72-09675
H. puniceum (Lamb.) Kuntze 6x Brazil, Sao Paulo, Araras 277-78-030023
Quotehttps://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/9/1709/htm
Similarly, in the genus Hippeastrum, apart from diploids (2n = 2x = 22), there are triploids (2n = 3x = 33) in H. puniceum (from Guyana); tetraploids (2n = 4x = 44) in H. reginae, H. starkii and H. blossfeldiae; pentaploids (2n = 5x = 55) in H. scopulorum and H. cybister; and hexaploids (2n = 6x = 66) in H. puniceum (from Brazil) [65,75,76]. A number of Hippeastrum species are euploids, including H. forgeti (2n = 23) and H. iguazuanum (2n = 24), and aneuploids—H. blumenavia (2n = 20) [75,77,78].
Marks and Spencer sorry after displaying 'poisonous' daffodils next to food and under sign saying 'eat well'
"Daffodils are easy to mistake for a vegetable before they bloom but can be very harmful if eaten, with one expert comparing ingesting one to "swallowing a box of tiny needles". The flowers contain a toxic chemical called lycorine which can cause stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting if consumed.
But, despite the potential for a dangerous mix-up, a display in one M&S store featured bunches of daffodils next to spring onions, with the plants and vegetables indistinguishable at first glance."
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/marks-spencer-sorry-poisonous-daffodils-26359520
I was visiting a brother who had a pot full of very narrow, tubular, blue-green monocot leaves. I asked whether they were chives. He responded yes. I plucked one and began eating, finding no chive taste. At the same time he said "Or maybe those are those tiny little daffodils." I spit it out and had no ill effects. I again told my brother why labels are useful.
More than 40,000 plant species now stored in Kew Gardens' seed bank
"The Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) is celebrating a major milestone after banking more than 40,000 different plant species in an effort to preserve rare, threatened and important wild plants.
Dubbed the Noah's Ark for plants, the MSB holds the Guinness World Record for the largest seed bank facility on Earth.
It stores 98,567 seed collections sourced from 190 countries and territories across all seven continents, nine biogeographic regions and 36 biodiversity hotspots."
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/research-scientists-david-attenborough-royal-botanic-gardens-kew-gardens-b2297812.html
Cambridge moonflower: Rare bloom flowers again
A rare Amazonian cactus has bloomed, but its beauty was short-lived as it starts to die after just 12 hours.
The moonflower, or Strophocactus wittii, is part of the collection at Cambridge University Botanic Garden.
The plant is "very rare" in captivity and when it bloomed in February 2021, it was believed to be the first time one had ever flowered in the United Kingdom.
It bloomed again at about 17:00 GMT on Saturday.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-65006334
Amorphophallus titanum is about to flower at the New York Botanical Garden.
"If you've never seen an Amorphophallus titanum, or the "corpse flower," now is the chance to visit The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) where one is on display in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory for the public to see, and eventually smell, when it blooms. The spectacular blooming flower gets its macabre nickname from the distinct odor, which some have described as similar to the smell of rotting meat, during its brief 24- to 36- hour bloom. Its smell serves a purpose, though, attracting pollinators that feed on dead animals. The final opening of the bloom is unpredictable but is expected to occur in the next week or two.
The full media alert is available here:
https://www.nybg.org/content/uploads/2023/03/Media-Alert-Corpse-Flower-Bloom-2023-ADA.pdf (https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUfehP6NoChotHtC-2F0c2WzuQYJv6-2FLs-2B8svinvgaAfBsyWt8HMRQyE7IolOFZB2LU9cXUPkW-2Bp-2FGMEFd8AaQRo6g7ay7uChHaN4hQeKHT-2Buj13vOkRoNqywKLvNF-2B17oEtA-3D-3DSflR_q-2BF6gFUIBJF1ZJZNH8eAlgIqKJDAfGBNFqOMAAsZqgNuddef5CftfirTF1lsv59CJ4CgHO5aYr-2BMEOk4O3xZN2EMQjfzC0By7eX9IzjEe8XAA7NIkxNzLGIwt6YOQf66PyskZL8s6XoDjidBeBhVfX2MHJP35FbM2YPndjjJaljRgZstfMWp4ggSBkwJfp2rg-2FyiAi7khtPNMr1gBWXTvr-2FeNTylM7frl7Am1bnoZctm3oHkHCntzze7OoWWImj-2BWwFdF7Yh-2FeFdvwu53L758oDPSsHzjJLH-2FrRvxY9V-2BVMmsgqW7dVSl8vIYHuHGM5vOe4UzgOvn2KA9lTDkbMNRw-3D-3D)
Please consider sharing this news with your audience.
Thank you,
The NYBG Communications Team:"
Here's a link to the entry on my BelleWood Garden's web site from July 2016:
https://www.bellewood-gardens.com/2016/NYBG%20-%20Corpse%20Flower_2016-07.html
Plants emit ultrasonic sounds in rapid bursts when stressed, scientists say
Thirsty or damaged plants produce up to 50 staccato pops in an hour, which nearby creatures may respond to, researchers find
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/30/plants-emit-ultrasonic-sounds-in-rapid-bursts-when-stressed-scientists-say
The National Desk has released more photos of the California superbloom (near Santa Margarita). Check the link here https://thenationaldesk.com/news/from-the-desk/gallery/california-superbloom-bursts-to-life-after-record-breaking-rain-levels-historic-rainfall-explosion-of-color-santa-margarita-san-luis-obispo-county-goldfields-tidy-tips-baby-blue-eyes-lupine-california-poppies?photo=1
Quote from: David Pilling on March 31, 2023, 03:40:57 AMPlants emit ultrasonic sounds in rapid bursts when stressed, scientists say
Thirsty or damaged plants produce up to 50 staccato pops in an hour, which nearby creatures may respond to, researchers find
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/30/plants-emit-ultrasonic-sounds-in-rapid-bursts-when-stressed-scientists-say
I wonder if it's the snapping of the water columns in the tiny xylem cells, considering the cut the stems or had them wilting. I recall in my plant physiology class 100 years ago that tiny microphones could pick those snaps up.
The breaking of these columns is non reversible and if its happening in lots of areas results in permanent wilting of that part.
Quote from: petershaw on April 14, 2023, 06:32:52 AMI wonder if it's the snapping of the water columns in the tiny xylem cells, considering the cut the stems or had them wilting. I recall in my plant physiology class 100 years ago that tiny microphones could pick those snaps up.
Interesting comment. The story was in many places and they promoted it as a new discovery. But they did explain that the noise was of physical origin, like the way wood crackles when burnt.
BBC host Monty Don says year of weather extremes wreaked havoc on his garden
Monty admitted he is ready to replace citrus trees, cannas and dahlias with "truly hardy" plants that can withstand the havoc wreaked on his garden caused by Britain's changing climates.
"Watering expensive plants when animals and even people are going without is unacceptable, along with a level of winter protection that involves unsustainably expensive and immoral use of fuel, which directly contributes to climate change, thus exacerbating the problem."
https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/1758240/monty-don-gardeners-world-herefordshire-havoc-uk-weather
Sheffield scientists call for ban on artificial grass
"Householders should receive a council tax discount if they garden sustainably", researchers have said.
Artificial grass and pesticides should also be banned to help protect the environment, according to a study by the University of Sheffield.
Professor Ross Cameron said gardens must be "full of plants to be beneficial to the local environment".
"Gardens account for a third of all our urban areas and are vital spaces in terms of keeping our buildings and city environments cool in summer, absorbing rain to avoid flash flooding and providing an important refuge for wildlife," he said.
"Many residents use artificial grass that kills much of the soil life underneath it, and when real plants are present, we wrongly assume we need to hit them with a cocktail of chemicals to keep them alive and free of pests."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-65375197
Abaxial leaf surface-mounted multimodal wearable sensor for continuous plant physiology monitoring
Wearable plant sensors hold tremendous potential for smart agriculture. We report a lower leaf surface-attached multimodal wearable sensor for continuous monitoring of plant physiology by tracking both biochemical and biophysical signals of the plant and its microenvironment. Sensors for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs), temperature, and humidity are integrated into a single platform.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ade2232
Only old-fashioned gardeners kill weeds, says BBC presenter
Rachel de Thame urges people to 'put nature first' as Chelsea Flower Show gets ready to show that wildflowers can shine
Killing weeds is "old-fashioned", according to Rachel de Thame, who has urged gardeners to let them grow freely on flower beds to motorway verges....
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/05/16/killing-weeds-old-fashioned-gardener-rachel-de-thame
(paywall)
Since many weeds that afflict our gardens are not native to our particular region, allowing them to crowd out other plants and spread to the vicinity is not what most people would consider a benefit to "nature." Last night, on the other hand, I sat through a polemic about choosing "native plants" (those recommended were not, in fact, native to our region, but to a nearby area with greater extremes of temperature and much less precipitation), and it was tiring. So, is your nature-lover happy with the shiny geranium? And does anybody know how to get rid of it? It's far too natural for me.
I frequently pull off the growing centre of numerous plants, but have not checked if the fleshy roots reqrow. Am I fooling myself by not digging it up? As it grows in cracks and crevices it would be quite a job to remove all the roots.
Quote from: OrchardB on May 18, 2023, 01:39:32 AMI frequently pull off the growing centre of numerous plants, but have not checked if the fleshy roots reqrow. Am I fooling myself by not digging it up? As it grows in cracks and crevices it would be quite a job to remove all the roots.
Of course, it totally depends on the plant. Dandelions are the worst, being near geophytes, sprouting from anywhere on the taproot. My local native bulbs have adapted to incidental browsing by having a weak connection at the top of the bulb (bulb reserves are much larger than the needs of a year's growth).
Persistence can help, keep at it so the plant never gets to photosynthesize. In some situations, targeted use of chemicals (natural or otherwise) may be a better solution than digging up a rocky area.
I was specifically referring to previous posting on Shiny Cranesbill, which does not have a taproot. Apologies.
A delightful, fun to use - and I think qualifies as organic or at least non-chemical method of weed destruction especially useful in killing weeds in pavement, gravel, etc - is the Flaming Dragon torch. It is an igniter wand that fits on a small workshop propane gas tank.
I have a Dragon but have not quite managed to develop the necessary techniques and in summer here it gets too dry to use in some areas.
However, one remedy for horsetail I do use (anti-chemical users - go hide) a brush killer undiluted in a small squeeze container, nitrile gloves on. I squirt a drop or two into the stem when I cut off the horsetail at ground level which I do immediately after cutting. So far, it's working well, but is incredibly time consuming so I only do it when I'm fed up with the things. Am trying this on cherry tree shoots this year but have doubts about effectiveness. We'll see.
But yes, thanks for the Dragon reminder which I can use in the driveway and the rock garden, very carefully.
Quote from: Robin Hansen on May 21, 2023, 10:25:22 AMHowever, one remedy for horsetail I do use (anti-chemical users - go hide) a brush killer undiluted in a small squeeze container, nitrile gloves on. I squirt a drop or two into the stem when I cut off the horsetail at ground level which I do immediately after cutting. So far, it's working well, but is incredibly time consuming so I only do it when I'm fed up with the things. Am trying this on cherry tree shoots this year but have doubts about effectiveness. We'll see.
This method of treatment for fresh cut hardwood works variously well. Rosaceae seems to be in the middle of the range of effectiveness...probably won't damage the root the sprout is coming off of. Heaths can be very sensitive. Poison oak/ivy is mildly sensitive. Oaks tend not to be very sensitive. Rhamnaceae...if you treat the new cut main stems it will usually kill the entire plant. Note that this is by practical application maintaining hiking trails, not garden practice.
Do Trees Really Support Each Other through a Network of Fungi?
Trees communicate and cooperate through a fungal web, according to a widespread idea. But not everyone is convinced
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-trees-support-each-other-through-a-network-of-fungi/
For multiflora roses, Robert, here's a suitable, targeted method.
Get a number of those florist's tubes that look like a plastic test tube with a perforated rubber cap. Carefully add herbicide to tube and recap. Cut off a portion of the current season's growth, shove remaining flexible stem through cap into tube while making sure that the cut end is into the herbicide. Best to use a flexible branch and try to angle it so tube points down to ground rather than up in air. Herbicide will be absorbed into plant and down to roots.
Of course A) you need several (dare I say "multiple"?) units per shrub and B) you then have a dead shrub to dig and dispose of. Not so useful for thin stems such as Japanese honeysuck.
I did kill a rose that simply grew faster every time I tried to cut it back out of the way. What kind it was I have no idea but I cut it off at about three inches and painted every cut surface with undiluted Lily Miller Brush Killer. I so far have not had to repeat. It was not in the best location, afternoon shade and no water much of the year but it refused to quit blooming and was no deterrent to my dog who persists in barking at the pit bull he cannot see on the other side of the fence.
Next step, a row of Mahonia along that fence. I need to increase their fertilizer though or it may take longer than I'm on earth! Too bad cactus wouldn't grow there.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show, taking place from 23-27 May 2023.
"The Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year 2023 winner is Agapanthus Black Jack ('Dwaghyb02'), a deep purple perennial perfect for a bold planting scheme within borders or in a container – its compact size makes it a great choice for smaller gardens."
https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/chelsea-flower-show-rhs/
Alan Titchmarsh: The Chelsea Flower Show needs to stop pandering to trends and remember that it's a celebration of gardening
"To allow one garden predicated on no intervention from Man to be considered Best in Show is risky, but should it happen then the RHS could legitimately be accused of shooting itself in the foot. Why are we so frightened of promoting gardening?"
https://www.countrylife.co.uk/gardens/gardening-tips/alan-titchmarsh-the-chelsea-flower-show-needs-to-stop-pandering-to-trends-and-remember-that-its-a-celebration-of-gardening-255918
Kew Gardens: Endangered orchid species flowers in UK first
"A species of endangered orchid has flowered in the UK for the first time.
Dendrophylax lindenii, known as the Florida Ghost Orchid in the US and Cuba, has blossomed at the Royal Botanic Gardens, in Kew, south-west London.
It was flown into the UK from Chicago two weeks ago, with the bud displayed at Chelsea Flower Show.
Prof Mike Fay, senior research leader at RBG Kew, called the UK flowering a "positive conservation story".
While awaiting Thursday's bloom, he said: "This is a wonderful example of a successful collaborative conservation project, with several universities and botanic gardens in the USA working together for the greater good, highlighting the importance of orchid conservation around the world."
There are only about 1,500 ghost orchid plants left in south Florida and 500 in Cuba, Professor Fay said."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-65767550
I have had a private communication about the ghost orchid
"
There is a wonderful quick read involving this orchid: https://www.susanorlean.com/author/books/the-orchid-thief/
In early 1969, as an undergrad at the University of Miami, I went on a field trip to the Fakahatchee Strand in the western Everglades that was led by the well known tropical orchidologist Dr. Calaway Dodson. Ostensibly there to do water testing, several ghost orchids were found but we were chased away by gunshots from members of the local native tribe. The area is now part of: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/fakahatchee-strand-preserve-state-park/history Professor Dodson went on to become the first director of: https://selby.org/
"
Rare plants flowering for only time in Devon after 10 years
Three plants which have taken more than 10 years to flower are currently in bloom at a garden in Devon.
The furcraea longaeva are more than 5m (16ft) high and will only flower for a couple of weeks before the plant dies.
They were planted 10 years ago by gardener Sam Elliott at the National Trust's Overbeck's Garden, near Salcombe.
"It will leave tiny 'bulbils' that we will use to propagate future plants. They can take another 10 years to flower, but possibly up to 25 years in some cases."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-65929412
Venomous gympie-gympie plant locked up at Alnwick Garden
"One of the world's most venomous plants which causes pain like being "electrocuted and set on fire at the same time" has come to Northumberland.
The Dendrocnide moroides, known as gympie-gympie, has been introduced to Alnwick Garden's Poison Garden, where it will stay under lock and key.
The plant, housed in a glass case, has its own minder because even a slight brush with it can cause extreme pain."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66101616
Are you going to visit it?
I will grow it - get rid of ne'er-do-wells from the property - what could possibly go wrong. Now the do-gooders have made giant hogweed notifiable...
Is the Poison Garden just a curiosity to attract paying visitors, or are some of the plants used for serious research - like antidotes to poisons?
Diane - I think it is just the fear factor, people like being scared and may not realise the properties of plants.
https://www.alnwickgarden.com/the-garden/poison-garden/
"Do you dare to enter?
The Alnwick Garden plays host to the small but deadly Poison Garden—filled exclusively with around 100 toxic, intoxicating, and narcotic plants. The boundaries of the Poison Garden are kept behind black iron gates, only open on guided tours.
Visitors are strictly prohibited from smelling, touching, or tasting any plants, although some people still occasionally faint from inhaling toxic fumes while walking in the garden.
Entry to The Poison Garden is included with your day ticket."
Placebo effect enabled there.
Two different corpse flowers blooming in San Francisco, one now and the other two years ago. The older one is a more amusing article.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/05/corpse-flower-san-francisco-bloom-pungent-smell
and
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/19/corpse-flower-san-francisco-bay-area
I'm sure this flower (Amorphallum) has its attractions but dividing Thalictrums provides me with a rotten-enough smell that I don't need to search for any more! As a design of mother nature though, it is exquisite in form.
Climate change: Could a Daffodil diet for livestock help save climate?
"Scientists from Scotland's Rural College have successfully extracted a chemical from the flower called Haemanthamine.
In the laboratory, using an artificial cow's stomach, they showed it could reduce emissions by 30% when added to feed."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66147726
Please note that daffodils are highly poisonous to people and you should not eat them.
Deer and rabbits don't eat daffodils, nor do horses. That's above ground. Haven't noticed underground consumption which I assume would be voles.
During the Hunger Winter of WWII the Dutch ate tulip bulbs but never daffodils.
By now the story has been part of a BBC TV program "Countryfile" - it's only a chemical extracted from daffodils they feed to the cows.
Experiments are now under way. The gas comes out the front end, so measurements just require a gas mask.
An expert on the show said that it was an example of 'greenwashing' and that nothing short of a complete abandonment of live stock farming and reforestation of the land used would do.
Hemlock: Anger after poisonous plant found near Bucklesham school
"The head teacher of Bucklesham Primary School in Suffolk said pupils had to walk in the road to avoid the hemlock, which can be fatal if ingested.
A village parish councillor warned "children's lives are at stake" and called for the plant's urgent removal.
Suffolk County Council said Monday was the earliest it was able to clear the path because a road closure was needed."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-66136682
Are they just going to cut it down and leave it there for the seeds to drop?
Conium maculatum only lasts one year, so if it isn't allowed to drop seeds, it can be eliminated from an area in a short time.
Quote from: Diane Whitehead on July 10, 2023, 05:18:29 PMAre they just going to cut it down and leave it there for the seeds to drop?
Not clear from the story, but you make a good point.
They've done a follow up article:
The dangerous plants lurking in plain sighthttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-66154244
However, daffodils, yew, rhubarb leaves, green potatoes. Any trees that might fall on you. All the plants with thorns.
Edited three weeks later - this has been debunked:
Hemlock is not a big threat to school children – crumbling pavements and busy roads arehttps://www.skeptic.org.uk/2023/07/hemlock-is-not-a-big-threat-to-school-children-crumbling-pavements-and-busy-roads-are/
Of course, a poisonous plant needs to be attractive to cause children to eat it. One with brightly coloured berries would be more deadly than Conium.
Gardening Can Be Murder by Marta McDowell will be released by Timber Press in September. She has written another interesting, easy to read book with a focus on other authors fiction where gardening plays a lethal role. Such as rhubarb leaves, green potatoes, and more.
Quote from: Judy Glattstein on July 11, 2023, 03:52:46 PMGardening Can Be Murder by Marta McDowell will be released by Timber Press in September.
There are reviews. Interesting how books come out before they are printed these days - on Kindle etc.
Many an episode of Midsomer Murders has started with a view of wolfsbane/monkshood/aconitum napellus - and I do see it around, worryingly in neighbour's gardens.
The human panthogeon in the garden soil or plants an animal remains seem to be more danger than most garden and wild plants. Though the visitors of the garden which are Homo Sapiens might share more zoonoses than the other animals visitors and even invading wild plants in the garden.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/health-and-wellbeing/minimising-health-risks-in-the-garden.
Families with bigger gardens could also see growing water bills, Thames Water boss warns
'We're looking for proxies for relatively high income households,' she told Bloomberg at following a London Assembly environment committee meeting.
'One of those proxies might be big gardens, and therefore high levels of water use.'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12289239/Families-bigger-gardens-growing-water-bills-Thames-Water-boss-warns.html
The secret to avoiding brown lawns in summer
"Planting clover instead of grass this summer will keep lawns green, the Royal Horticultural Society has said.
While grass varieties fade in colour during sunnier months with little or no rain, clover is more resistant to drought, a spokesman for the RHS said."
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/07/10/royal-horticultural-society-secret-avoid-brown-lawns-summer/
Can houseplants purify the air in your home?
"Most people don't realise just how many pollutants are swirling around indoors, where they typically spend most of their time.
This is one reason that it's so appealing to think of potted plants as passively, and inexpensively, cleaning the air. Essentially, plant leaves take in carbon dioxide and other pollutants, which are then used in various plant processes or broken down."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66186492
Spoiler, there's a law of headlines that says when they ask a question the answer is usually "No".
Alan Titchmarsh warns of garden trend he 'hates' that will be 'catastrophic' for wildlife
Despite the growing need and popularity of rewilding and eco-friendly gardening, well-known gardener Alan Titchmarsh has warned against embracing the trend, arguing that it could pose a risk to wildlife and reduce biodiversity.
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/garden/1791839/alan-titchmarsh-garden-trend-warning
3 gardening 'mistakes' you need to stop that 'attract rats' and 'bigger pests' to gardens
"Nobody wants to spot a rat in their home or garden - especially when there's a group of them. An expert has warned there are a few mistakes gardeners are making that encourage rats and often "bigger pests" into their gardens."
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/garden/1793986/gardening-mistakes-to-avoid-attracting-rats-pests
'King Charles' visits Blackpool to launch garden attraction
"A waxwork replica of the King took time out from his Royal duties at Madame Tussauds just along the promenade to come to Blackpool Tower to launch the "summer of smiles garden".
With more than 50,000 colourful bloom, creating the perfect selfie moment spots 380-feet in the sky, the garden is said to bring smiles to faces whatever the weather is doing outside."
https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/23681307.king-charles-visits-blackpool-launch-garden-attraction/
Quote from: David Pilling on July 22, 2023, 04:10:42 PMAlan Titchmarsh warns of garden trend he 'hates' that will be 'catastrophic' for wildlife
Despite the growing need and popularity of rewilding and eco-friendly gardening, well-known gardener Alan Titchmarsh has warned against embracing the trend, arguing that it could pose a risk to wildlife and reduce biodiversity.
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/garden/1791839/alan-titchmarsh-garden-trend-warning
Native shrubs and trees are especially important to birds. All of the smaller birds, even insectivorous ones, feed their young caterpillars. Native plants support large and diverse populations of caterpillars; ornamentals are more like supermarkets with bare shelves in the baby food isle. That being said, the world is full of interesting and wonderful plants that are a delight to have in one's garden. It's nice to have both native and non-native.
I'm sorry, I think this man is on another planet. His remark about nothing available to eat in the winter is nuts. This might possibly be true in some areas of the world but mostly not. Diversity yes, including natives, but ignoring natives that are adapted to the area where you live requires using up more resources than are needed or even essential, certainly more water.... And it requires garden practices that may be detrimental to the soil, i.e. pesticides and herbicides, among others.
Perhaps wild Britain is as bare as all the landscapes I see on the mystery programs I watch on TV. There are no trees or bushes at all - just short green stuff that is probably grass. The programs might all have been photographed up in Scotland, and maybe further south there are woodlands, but generally, it's a good thing that people plant gardens.
Quote from: Robin Hansen on July 30, 2023, 09:56:05 AMI think this man is on another planet.
Alan Tictmarsh, is a secular saint, celebrity royalty and a winner of the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour. If you're in his pay bracket, you may encounter problems like wanting to turn the one acre field next to your large home into garden and being told by the local planners that a flower meadow would be more beneficial for the environment.
I suspect that is the problem, do-gooders saying what has to be done. They're sort of neo-gardeners.
Left to its own devices, re-wilding if you like, most of the UK would revert to woodland as it was before all the trees were cleared for fuel and ships. Some of the more exposed places would turn back to tough grass.
The current state is maintained by grazing sheep and other uses. Some of that is very pretty.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Titchmarsh
The reason for retaining edible landscape for wildlife should also be consider about introducing the concept such as novel food species for human and for wildlife.
For example, the native chestnut for food in the EU is Castanea sativa. Castanea mollissima and Castanea crenata (Japan) which are traditionally consumed by the East Asia people are novel food for the European people. And the concept should be also applied to the wildlife.
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https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/notification/419168
NOTIFICATION 2020.0577 Novel food in chestnut snack notified 5 FEB 2020 by Italy | last update 5 FEB 2020
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https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/notification/580714
NOTIFICATION 2022.6799 Nuevo alimento (Castanea mollissima) no autorizado procedente de China // Novel food (Castanea mollissima) non authorised from China notified 22 NOV 2022 by Spain | last update 22 NOV 2022
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https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/notification/622333
NOTIFICATION 2023.4663 Unauthorized novel food (castanea mollissima) in chestnut jam and from China notified 11 JUL 2023 by Italy | last update 26 JUL 2023
Nothing is cut and dried, nothing is simple.
In mild-wintered UK there is invertebrate food available in all except the worst weather. Many native and non-native plants produce food for wildlife, especailly woody species, especially in winter, although fruits and berries are foods of last resort for most birds as they can digest rather little of them, crows being a major and obvious exception.
As for rewilding - that name covers all manner of sins, from long grass to endless scrub, and almost nowhere in the UK is it unmanaged, using flooding, livestock, and/or mechanical methods to produce what somebody has arbitarily decided is what "should" be created.
The major "natural" modifiers of the UK landscape (in addition to man) are not even native - roe and fallow deer are introduced and there is increasing debate over whether red are introduced or not. Add in Reeve's muntjac, Chinese water, and sika (and the tiny managed herd of reindeer), plus rabbits - also introduced,. and you have a potentially, actual in some areas, huge grazing/browsing pressure.
As for trully natural habitat - where the soil, climate and aspect allow, it is now reckoned that the UK was something like what the New Forest currently is - a patchwork of open woodland.
Quote from: Diane Whitehead on July 30, 2023, 12:35:59 PM.......bare as all the landscapes I see on the mystery programs I watch on TV. There are no trees or bushes at all - just short green stuff that is probably grass.
That will be rather small areas, proportionally, where arable agriculture is profitable, and the green will be very largely cereals.
Very little grazing livestock in the UK is housed (or held in yards), except dairy and some (rather few) beef cattle for the worst of the winter weather when pasture would be puddled to death.
Huge areas that are grazed are rough, largely "unimproved" land - all of the moors in the SW, large areas of Wales and Scotland, the Peaks, the Lakes, Breckland - the list is almost endless.
You have a very mistaken impression of UK countryside - not all of it is like Lincolnshire (which is in large part, recalimed bog/marsh).
Lake District: New Zealand Pigmyweed spreads in Derwent catchment
"Conservationists are in a race against time to stop the spread of a highly invasive weed in the Lake District.
New Zealand Pigmyweed, which can spread from a tiny fragment, has taken hold throughout the Derwent catchment.
Swimmers, anglers and water sport enthusiasts are being asked to check, clean and dry their equipment to make sure it is free from weeds.
New Zealand Pigmyweed was recently found in Crummock Water and has been detected in Bassenthwaite Lake, Derwentwater and Loweswater.
Izzie Mullin, invasive species officer with WCRT, said: "It is incredibly adaptable and the smallest fragment measuring only 2cm can see it spread from one area to the next and it just grows into great dense mats on the water surface, completely outcompeting everything else."
"
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-66440401
Alan Titchmarsh hits out at Kew Gardens' plan to move botanical collection
"Alan Titchmarsh has said there is "no possible advantage" to Kew Gardens moving its historic botanical collection of dried specimens to a science park in Reading.
The proposed move has sparked anger among hundreds of scientists as the Herbarium, which dates from 1853, holds more than seven million specimens dating back to the 17th century, including a Galápagos fern collected by Charles Darwin and plants from the East India Company that launched the tea trade.
The Royal Botanic Gardens wants to relocate the plant library an hour away in the Thames Valley Science Park, a decision which botanists say will end careers, damage science and lead foreign countries to take back their collections."
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/09/alan-titchmarsh-no-advantage-relocate-kew-gardens-library/
Quote from: David Pilling on August 09, 2023, 06:42:14 PMLake District: New Zealand Pigmyweed spreads in Derwent catchment
I bought some dwarf water-lillies 3-4 years ago and had a "discussion" with the seller about what he listed as this plant by Latin name. He insisted that what he was selling was not NZ pigmyweed. It was illegal to sell it then, as it is now.
A more recently banned plant in the UK is water hyacinth - Pontederia crassipes - but I have seen that being sold in a garden centre this year. (I have always liked the idea of growing it in an indoor tub, it is interesting in all stages of growth and the flowers are rather pretty.
Alan Titchmarsh brings audience to tears with stunning performance on All Star Musicals
"The Classic FM presenter earned a standing ovation on last night's All Star Musicals, following his beautiful performance of 'Some Enchanted Evening'.
Alan Titchmarsh, a Classic FM presenter and Britain's favourite gardener, stunned viewers on ITV's new show All Star Musicals."
https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/videos/alan-titchmarsh-all-star-musicals-performance/
Gardener shares £1.50 plant that 'small pests' hate to repel them from shrubs
"As well as being a flavour booster in Italian cooking, the fragrant natural oils in basil can also trick insects. It contains a chemical called methyl eugenol, which masks the attractive odours of food that bugs flock to by blocking their sensory receptors."
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/gardener-shares-150-plant-small-30675060
Lahaina's Banyan Tree Stands Yet Much Hawaiian History Is Gone
"The historic Hawaiian port town's massive Banyan tree — standing over 60 feet tall with a canopy that has grown to cover more than half an acre — has been the backdrop for endless selfies. "
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/14/opinion/maui-fire-lahaina-banyan-tree.html
TREE OF THE YEAR 2023
"Vote for your favourite tree to help us crown this year's Tree of the Year.
Our amazing shortlist was handpicked by our expert panel, along with one People's Choice tree chosen from public nominations on social media. Now is your chance to vote for your favourite urban contender and help us crown a Tree of the Year 2023 champion. The winner will represent the UK in the European Tree of the Year competition!"
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/tree-of-the-year/
Photosynthesis photography: Making images with living plant leaves
"How to make photographs using plant leaves: the technique, examples, f/0.5 camera lens construction, and tips & tricks that I learned along the way."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qETedzsFIE
Huntington Gardens's corpse flower is starting to open-this is the live stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP62Xh_12z0
Here's the main page: https://huntington.org/corpse-flower , which also has a time lapse video from 2022.
Warning over Christmas gnomes being left in people's gardens - as police reveal sinister motive
"North Wales Police said it was aware of gnomes being left in people's front gardens in the Broughton area of Flintshire.
If the gnome is not collected by the resident, the property is likely to be empty and burglars could view it as an easy target."
https://news.sky.com/story/christmas-gnomes-are-being-left-in-peoples-gardens-and-theres-a-sinister-motive-12955389
(the old reverse Trojan horse ploy).
The turbo-charged plants that could boost farm output
"One aspect of plant growth that hasn't seen significant improvement is conversion efficiency - how effectively a plant converts solar radiation to biomass through photosynthesis.
Prof Long says that photosynthesis in current varieties of crops, like wheat and soybeans, has barely improved in decades.
He is principal investigator and director of a project called Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (Ripe), which aims to genetically tweak plants to increase their yields by improving their ability to photosynthesise.
Prof Long and his team have used powerful computers to build a digital twin of the photosynthesis process. It can tweak that process in millions of ways.
From those millions of options the software can identify those that will make the biggest improvements."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66798680
Devious parasitic plant convinces host to grow into its own flesh
"These mushroom-like flowers shed significant amounts of their core genes, including those related to photosynthesis, in order to achieve better synchronisation with its host plants."
https://news.sky.com/story/devious-parasitic-plant-convinces-host-to-grow-into-its-own-flesh-12966128
Not bulbs, however these fascinating plants with gigantic flowers are now declared at risk of extinction.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/world-s-largest-flower-is-in-danger-of-extinction-scientists-warn/ar-AA1h6xzo?cvid=a6971990ed3d479e885ae1be40ef6f63&ei=19
Alan Titchmarsh mourns closure of world's oldest gardening magazine
"Amateur Gardening publishes its final issue in October after rising costs of print and cover-mounted seeds and a fall in advertising revenue"
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/27/alan-titchmarsh-amateur-gardening-closure-percy-thrower/
Yesterday I received a similar message from the Hobby Greenhouse Association:
This issue marks a new era for HGA with going with an all-digital format/delivery system. We have reduced our membership rates to $10 per year and $18 for 2 year memberships to reflect the lowering of overhead of printing and mailing the paper copy. This was a very difficult decision for the HGA Board as everyone loved the paper copy. The loss of our printer and being unable to find another printer forced us to make this decision. We hope you will stay with us through this difficult time. We have a lot more indoor plant knowledge to share along with the articles members submit to help others grow their plants to their full potential.
Enjoy the Fall Magazine as you ease into the next season. Stay safe and healthy.
Does vinegar kill weeds? Expert advice on getting rid of unwanted plants
"Get the lowdown on whether vinegar can destroy the weeds that invade flowerbeds and borders"
https://www.homesandgardens.com/gardens/does-vinegar-kill-weeds
Farmers turn to tech as bees struggle to pollinate
"Based on a moshav, or collective farm, in central Israel, Mr Sade is the founder of tech firm BloomX. He says that the company has found a way to mechanically pollinate crops in a similar way to bees."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66807456
How to turn a bare patio into a year-round flower yard
"Arthur Parkinson shares his advice for gardening in pots for year-round character and interest, even in the smallest of outside spaces"
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/how-to-grow/how-to-turn-a-bare-patio-into-a-year-round-flower-yard/
Quote from: David Pilling on September 28, 2023, 05:44:30 PMDoes vinegar kill weeds?
Long ago I went to a garden supply store to get some vinegar to kill weeds. It wasn't in the main part of the store, but was in a separate room with dangerous chemicals. I forget whether one needed a permit to buy it. I didn't get any, and continued my usual routine: don't let weeds go to seed, and dig them out.
I believe people put vinegar on their fish and chips... can't be that bad.
Quote from: Diane Whitehead on September 29, 2023, 12:55:16 PMI went to a garden supply store to get some vinegar to kill weeds.
Britain's Sycamore Gap tree felled in 'deliberate act of vandalism'
'Britain's Sycamore Gap tree, a much-loved landmark whose dramatic silhouette featured in a Hollywood movie and was photographed by tourists from around the world, was cut down overnight in what police called a "deliberate act of vandalism".'
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britains-famous-sycamore-gap-tree-deliberately-felled-2023-09-28/
Hi, three of my mate Narcissophiles went in 2021 to the 'deep Galicia' in NW Spain and found one single hybrid cyclamineus × pseudonarcissus.
These are native here, unlike in UK, where cyclamineus is a feral plant, and maybe also pseudonarcissus. But the hybrid appeared here long ago and was namen Narcissus × monochromus.
This eas the first report of a truly wild specimen of this hybrid.
Here is the link to the paper:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12225-023-10129-5
Carlos
Lost Flower Makes a Stunning Return
From New Scientist, 4 November 2023, in Really Brief section on page 19
The mini galaxy (Moraea minima), a small plant with pale yellow iris-like flowers, is unique to a tiny area of South Africa. It hadn't been seen since 1981 and was thought to be extinct, but it has now been found blooming in the middle of a gravel road.
Peace lilies 'flower like crazy' and 'grow faster' when using 13p solution 'once a week'
Posting a picture of her thriving houseplants, She wrote: "I have been watering my peace lily with banana peel water.
It has been flowering like crazy with big flowers and growing faster. I have also been watering my other plants with banana water. All are going great."
Bananas contain a ton of potassium, which is one-third of fertiliser (along with nitrogen and phosphorus).
Potassium helps plants move nutrients and water between their cells. It is especially helpful for plants that flower - like peace lilies.
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/garden/1833496/peace-lily-flowering-grow-faster
Ukraine's national seed bank relocates from Kharkiv to safer place
KYIV, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Ukraine's national seed bank, one of the world's largest, has been successfully moved from the frontline eastern city of Kharkiv to a safer location, Crop Trust, a non profit organisation said on Thursday.
"As part of a year-long effort, the Ukrainian genebank system... has successfully and safely transported over 50,000 seeds from Kharkiv to a more secure location," Crop Trust, the body set up by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, said in a statement.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-national-seed-bank-relocates-kharkiv-safer-place-2023-11-23/
Popular garden plant BANNED after it turns out to be rapid-spreading invasive species
"A popular garden plant has been banned after being identified as a rapidly-spreading invasive species.
The South American giant rhubarb plant, also known as Gunnera (manicata), spreads quickly and chokes native flora."
https://www.gbnews.com/lifestyle/gardening/giant-rubard-banned-invasive-species
(talking about the UK, aka "Brazilian giant rhubarb")
Quote from: David Pilling on December 09, 2023, 03:53:54 AMPopular garden plant BANNED after it turns out to be rapid-spreading invasive species
True to a point, apparently. Mentioned on GQT? Somewhere on R4 for sure.
Apparently someone checked the genes of a lot of different Gunnera in the UK and the great majority is a hybrid (details of the other partner, apart from true G. manicata, will be found online somewhere....). The non-mannicata species was already banned, but the principal with hybrid anything is that the hybrid assumes the position of the "worst case" parent.
It really is total nonsense. Whatever the plant is or is not in the UK, it is borderline hardy once you get away from warm coastal areas and the SW.
The plant will not have to be removed from UK gardens, but propagation and sale are now illegal, unless you can prove that the plant is not a hybrid, but genuine mannicata.
I have no idea if it is still there, but there was a Gunnera "forest" around the lake in Paignton Zoo - very, very impressive.
I recall many happy gardeners proudly showing off their Gunneras on BBC TV's Gardeners' World - enviro-criminals.
The story is in many of Saturday's UK newspapers. The Telegraph reckons it might be illegal to water the plant.
Shows the powers that be will change the rules when they want to.
Interesting that they use an English name "giant rhubarb." In Chile people harvest the stems and not only cook them (after peeling off the spiny outer layer) but also make a kind of liquor from them. Learned that when we happened on a group of locals getting the stems in a stream drainage. They were going to make booze.
Quote from: janemcgary on December 09, 2023, 04:10:05 PMInteresting that they use an English name "giant rhubarb."
I don't think that I have ever heard anyone with any kind of gardening interest or knowledge use the name in the UK - it is always called Gunnera.
Otherwise, I suppose it is an obvious common name to pick.
Quite why there is now this hue and cry about it is difficult to understand. Apart from Paignton Zoo, I have never seen anything but (very) modest clumps and in most of the UK it needs to be buried under plenty of straw each winter to protect againgst anything but very mild frosts.
Quote from: CG100 on December 10, 2023, 12:48:23 AMQuote from: janemcgary on December 09, 2023, 04:10:05 PMInteresting that they use an English name "giant rhubarb."
I don't think that I have ever heard anyone with any kind of gardening interest or knowledge use the name in the UK - it is always called Gunnera.
Otherwise, I suppose it is an obvious common name to pick.
Quite why there is now this hue and cry about it is difficult to understand. Apart from Paignton Zoo, I have never seen anything but (very) modest clumps and in most of the UK it needs to be buried under plenty of straw each winter to protect againgst anything but very mild frosts.
Presumably G. tinctoria is already banned? No surprised that it hybridizes freely...they are pretty similar. It volunteers freely in Golden Gate Park, but it appears that gardeners weed it preferentially when seedling appear out of place. Otherwise quite marginal given the frost sensitivity and moisture requirements. There are some impressive stands in the park, often placed under tree ferns (or in some cases, over planted with tree ferns).
Quote from: Robert_Parks on December 10, 2023, 07:38:24 AMPresumably G. tinctoria is already banned?
Yes, banned a few years ago, hence my comment about worst case parent.
If you look at the "logic" of the whole thing, it is being banned because it is a hybrid of a banned species, no other reason. Maybe somewhere down in SW England, or somewhere very close to the coast in the W of Scotland (which actually has a very mild climate over large parts due to it getting "hit" by the Gulf Stream), there are large stands of the plant outside of gardens and parks, "feral"?
I have lived in S Devon and W Scotland, and saw no evidence of any problems.
Quote from: CG100 on December 10, 2023, 08:11:13 AMQuote from: Robert_Parks on December 10, 2023, 07:38:24 AMPresumably G. tinctoria is already banned?
Yes, banned a few years ago, hence my comment about worst case parent.
If you look at the "logic" of the whole thing, it is being banned because it is a hybrid of a banned species, no other reason. Maybe somewhere down in SW England, or somewhere very close to the coast in the W of Scotland (which actually has a very mild climate over large parts due to it getting "hit" by the Gulf Stream), there are large stands of the plant outside of gardens and parks, "feral"?
I have lived in S Devon and W Scotland, and saw no evidence of any problems.
Sounds like there is someone who has a hate on for tinctoria, and they are well connected or very persistent to drive this. Next they'll try for manicata. I think the next Gunneras in cultivation are quite a bit smaller.
The paper about Gunnera is available from here:
https://journals.rbge.org.uk/rbgesib/article/view/1998/1917
An investigation of large-leaved GunneraL. (Gunneraceae) grown outside in Britain and Ireland
No. 22 (2022): Sibbaldia the International Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture
Page 4, towards the top of the RH column -
"There have been no reports of it becoming problematic in the wild"
This is the one sign to tell if someone is 'drowning in money' - and it's found in their kitchen
A young woman has revealed a fool-proof way to tell if someone is extremely wealthy simply by looking in their kitchen.
Zoya Biglary, a food entrepreneur from the US, proudly showed off the massive jar of saffron she uses sparingly when cooking.
Australia produces 10kg of saffron annually and imports around 3,500kg of the spice from Spain and Iran each year.
... it takes 150 flowers to produce one gram of dried saffron
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-12902707/Saffron-Australia-price-wealthy-kitchen.html
Quote from: David Pilling on December 28, 2023, 03:33:29 AMA young woman has revealed a fool-proof way to tell if someone is extremely wealthy simply by looking in their kitchen.
A judge of stupidity as well perhaps. It goes stale like all natural products and a large jar but sparing use.................... Mine (a very few grammes) is kept in the freezer in a foil bag.
Apparently world production is around 300 tonnes per annum, with Iran producing approaching 90% of it. The amount did surprise me - one hell of a lot of paella and/or pilau rice!
There was mention a year or two back, that somewhere in the Saffron Walden area was looking to enter the traditional trade of the district.
Quote from: CG100 on December 28, 2023, 03:50:30 AMApparently world production is around 300 tonnes per annum
That's about 150 million flowers, perhaps enough to see from space but a long way short of a mole of flowers.
Saffron keeps better in the freezer. I also keep paprika and poppy seeds there. Now that I have a whole lot of Crocus sativus, apparently thriving in the veg garden, I will not worry so much about the purchased supply, however.
Quote from: janemcgary on December 28, 2023, 01:25:51 PMSaffron keeps better in the freezer. I also keep paprika and poppy seeds there.
Anything fatty, such as poppy seeds, and nuts definitely keep for ages.
I actually buy all the herbs and spices that I regularly use, in small catering packs - it depends on what it is but 100-250g packs, and they are in the freezer. The first time that I bought whole bay leaves, I had no idea how many I was buying and that pack lasted something around 15-20 years and were prefectly OK when I used the last ones.
Quote from: janemcgary on December 28, 2023, 01:25:51 PMI have a whole lot of Crocus sativus, apparently thriving in the veg garden
Every few years I buy some Crocus sativus bulbs, but they never flower after the first year.
I am unsure how similar the growing conditions are but La Mancha and Iran may be a lot closer to each other in that respect than to Saffron Walden in the UK (which, long ago, was at the centre of a thriving saffron "industry", hence the name.)
Very dry all year, heavy alkaline soils would be where to start - S.W. is in East Anglia - my home area and it is not a desert only by virtue of the fact that the meagre rainfall is evenly spread over the entire year. Historically, huge tracts were used for sheep grazing as the land was fit for not much else - numerous towns and what are now villages made fortunes from the wool industry.
Lots of information should be online, but I used to live near Long Melford - a large village today - which has an enormous church, fit to be declared a small cathedral, and lots of other features, all paid for by the medieval wool trade.
In my former garden, Crocus sativus did well in a sandy, somewhat acidic raised bed, until the voles got to it. The current crop came to me after a researcher sent a large quantity of surplus corms to Mark Akimoff (Illahe nursery), which Mark shared with me. They were already in flower on arrival here, and I quickly stuck them in the raised bed where I grow vegetables in a mix of native clay soil, coarse sand, and organic compost, occasionally limed but still a bit acidic. They flowered well the second year and are now in leaf, which they'll be through winter. Some growers believe that plants from alkaline-soil habitats do well without high pH as long as they have adequate fertility. I don't add lime to my bulb soil mix, but I do use soluble complete fertilizer on the bulbs grown under cover, and a cool-season slow-release fertilizer on the open garden. The veg garden stays "chemical" free; it's really chemicals all the way down, of course, but nice to reassure friends who get the surplus zucchini.
Kew Gardens reveals its top 10 plants and fungi discovered in 2023
Last year, the Botanic Garden's researchers named 74 new plants and 15 fungi, but these 10 discoveries are the strangest by far.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-12950627/Kew-Gardens-reveals-10-plants-fungi-discovered-2023-orchid-dormant-volcano-carnivorous-flower-devours-insects.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67930823
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-ten-fungal-species-science.html
People left 'mind blown' after learning what paprika is actually made of
"Learning that paprika is just dried and crushed red bell peppers was really shocking. Like I dunno why I thought there was a Paprika tree somewhere."
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/lifestyle/people-left-mind-blown-after-31967460
^^^
Sad, very, very sad.
Loads of kids have no idea where milk or eggs (or cheese/butter) come from.
Although I note, yet again, the resort to an American name for something very everyday.
We Brits will all shortly be walking along the sidewalk in sneekers, being careful not to jaywalk, to go to the mall to buy scallions and rutabegas. Although we will probably have lost the use of our legs and have to drive the 100 yards in a 6 litre 4x4 by then.
Rare moonflower set to bloom again in Cambridge
Cameras are poised on a rare Amazonian cactus that blooms once a year and for only 12 hours before its flowers die.
The moonflower, or Strophocactus wittii, is part of the collection at Cambridge University Botanic Garden.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-68131271
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(24)00011-3?utm_campaign=Press+Package&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=291495129&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8HT9QjNiKBNNmJu2ANxznsQa9UbQTLhR6wU2-21biSLrwLsUkHfjQHn7_cZDon87TskKxb4JDF0aI1gCAE0HwLDjh2Dg&utm_content=291495129&utm_source=hs_email
https://gizmodo.com/alien-looking-fossil-trees-uncovered-in-canada-unlike-1851218709
Plants can talk to each other and scientists say it should make us rethink how we treat them
Scientists in Japan observed plants sending tiny, mist-like messages to each other through the air.
This is the first time we've seen visual evidence of plants talking to each other.
The researchers think the plants are warning each other of dangerous threats.
https://www.businessinsider.com/plants-talk-to-each-other-scientists-record-for-first-time-2024-1?r=US&IR=T#:~:text=And%20for%20the%20first%20time,detects%20certain%20chemicals%20as%20light.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN7ONxZZlJc
I bought a £10 moisture sucking plant from B&M and it's worked wonders for damp and mould in my home
In fact there are quite a few clever houseplants that can suck moisture from the air and help prevent the build up of mould.
Eager to give one a try, I managed to find a snake plant - also known as a Sansevieria - at B&M, costing £10.
Other common house plants that can help banish mould include spider plants, orchids, Boston fern, English ivy, peace lily and palm plants.
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/bought-10-moisture-sucking-plant-28630964
OK, admission first.......
Do I beleive any of the many and various claims about (house-) plants absorbing anything significant from the air?
No.
But I will work through any claims that people make, unless insanely daft before I even get that far.
The problem with trying to rationalise anything involving something like household conditions, including damp, is that there is never information about how and why things are damp, for how long, or when. There are countless imponderables.
However -
As a very general rule, the dew point inside an "average" UK house, will generally be about 1-2C higher than outdoors. There will be "stagnant pockets" of air that may creap higher (or even stay lower) in RH, but for mould to be a problem, not just a "dark mark" in a small corner of the room, we must be talking the bulk of any room.
Mould requires 70+% RH to really get going. At a room temperature of 20C, the air will contain something around 15g of water per cubic metre at that RH.
So let's say we need to be around 50% RH to be at least reasonably clear of mould, and the room is 20 cubic metres - quite small. So around 20 x 15 x (50/70) = 214g of water will have to be removed.
That assumes no more ingress of moisture.
Think about it.
I grow lots of Sansevieria, all indoors, I don't notice desication of anything.
I don't believe the claims - I have a dehumidifier running 24/7, every day I pour away 3 litres of water. Can a plant derive its water from the air and store it in its tissue - yes. Can it store 3 litres a day, no chance.
As a child adults would say that plants had to be removed from the room at night for safety - due to the CO₂ emitted. I one set up a CO₂ monitor, it is interesting how high CO₂ will get without ventilation (and that was a room without plants).
More folly, I just cannot understand how such waste of resources gets financed, for little more than garnishes.
The last section says it all.
One of UK's 'most advanced' vertical farm opens (msn.com) (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/one-of-uks-most-advanced-vertical-farm-opens/ar-BB1iyq22)
I'd love to see some costings to understand the "logic". Especially at today's (or last year's) cost of electricity - so high, along with the price of gas, that many growers across Europe left their greenhouses cold and empty winter-spring 2022-2023.
Maybe the lighting is at a low level compared to producing anything but young plants/seedlings, which this sort of "farming" does. Maybe the plants have no time to etiolate?
Maybe the fast growth of seedlings allows fast enough turn-around of the growing space that output is high enough to offset the vast cost of running the growing room?
Interesting that the article lists a few companies that have gone bust in that line of business.
Climate change is turning the trees into gluttons
Sep27,2022
The study, recently published in the Journal Nature Communications, finds that elevated carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have increased wood volume – or the biomass – of forests in the United States.
This phenomenon is called carbon fertilization: An influx of carbon dioxide increases a plant's rate of photosynthesis, which combines energy from the sun, water, and nutrients from the ground and air to produce fuel for life and spurs plant growth.
https://news.osu.edu/climate-change-is-turning-the-trees-into-gluttons/#:~:text=Although%20other%20factors%20like%20climate,forest%20groups%20across%20the%20country.
Giant redwoods: World's largest trees 'thriving in UK'
Giant redwoods - the world's largest trees - are flourishing in the UK and now even outnumber those found in their native range in California.
The giants were first brought to the UK about 160 years ago, and a new study suggests they are growing at a similar rate to their US counterparts.
An estimated 500,000 trees are in the UK compared to 80,000 in California.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68518623
Poland's 'Heart of the Garden' crowned Tree of the Year
The monumental common beech tree grows in an old park in the University of Wroclaw's botanical garden. It's the third Polish tree in a row to win.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68351596
Quote from: David Pilling on March 20, 2024, 05:26:40 PMPoland's 'Heart of the Garden' crowned Tree of the Year
Of all plants, trees must be by far the most difficult to appreciate in photographs. There are a couple of this beech and one makes it look of no major consequence, the other is very different.
There are some fabulous beeches in the UK, not all of them huge. Some are very gnarled and stunted as a consequence of where they grow.
North Korea TV censors Alan Titchmarsh's trousers
Central TV aired a 2010 edition of Alan Titchmarsh's Garden Secrets for its morning audience, but made sure that viewers could not see his jeans.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-68664644
'Otherworldly' plant blooms for first time in decade
Birmingham Botanical Gardens said the Puya alpestris, from the Chilean Andes, began to flower in one of its glasshouses last week.
It is described as a "truly rare event" with visitors told they have just days to see the "exquisite" plant.
Staff, meanwhile, face a race against time to pollinate it by hand.
Puya alpestris is native to the mountainous regions of central and southern Chile and distantly related to the pineapple, the botanical garden said.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crgyw895qnko
I should lend them some hummingbirds - they pollinate Puyas in Chile.
On the BBC news at lunch time they had video showing a bloke up a ladder pollinating the puya and they said humming birds did it in habitat. It said that it spends years looking like a pile of dead vegetation before throwing up a huge flower spike.
It shouldn't look like dead vegetation. I grew this Puya for years in a big pot in a solarium, and it finally flowered. However, I got rid of it because I was tired of getting stabbed by its hundreds of fishhook-like marginal spines. In Chile, P. alpestris provides shelter for a rare species of chinchilla, and is encouraged to grow in the preserve dedicated to this little nocturnal mammal. The Chinchilla Reserve is also an excellent place to see many plants in flower around December, and interesting birds too. Puya species seem to be fairly easy to propagate from seed.