Pumpkins Squashes and Gourds !!!! Cucurbita (Latin for gourd) is a genus of herbaceous vines native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. They are grown worldwide for their edible fruit and seeds. We grow many of these in our customers rooftop gardens! The five domesticated species are Cucurbita argyrosperma, C. ficifolia, C. maxima, C. […]
CELLS
Plant vs Animal cells Plants, like animals, have eukaryotic cells – meaning they possess a defined nucleus and membrane-bound organelles. Although they share many common features, they have 2 main differences. First, plant cells have a cell wall that surrounds the cell membrane – animal cells do not. This allows them to form an […]
Hardiness
Salt and Ice When you add salt to ice it melts. Why? The melting occurs because the salt molecules sneak in between the water molecules and this increases the distance between the water molecules. By making them farther apart than it would at that temperature they now behave as a liquid. Sugar has a […]
THE TENT MAKERS
TENT MAKERS Summer has come to an end and some of us are looking forward to a cooler seasonal change. Especially the tent making caterpillars !!!!! Really scary picture of a tent caterpillar nest ! LIFECYCLE This is a specialized sub group of butterflies and moths, the young (caterpillars) of this […]
SOIL GRUBS
Grubs Grubs are the immature larvae of various species of beetles: There are endless species of them. This is a mostly invisible pest – living its life cycle in the soil for most of the season. Grubs of different species tend to look similar except for their overall size The Adult Beetles […]
CAULIFLORY
NO… this is not about cauliflower ! Cauliflory is an evolutionary adaptation in which flowers and fruit develop directly from the trunks and woody branches of plants. Cauliflory means “ stem flower”. It occurs in a distinct vertical zone below the forest canopy. Its found throughout the world. It is most prevalent in the […]
BUD WORMS – YUCK !
The Tobacco Budworm This is a familiar garden pest we encounter every season. It is a caterpillar that loves many of our favorite plants. It is also an agricultural pest of both tobacco and cotton. In our gardens it feeds on the flowers of geranium, petunia, snapdragon and nicotiana – sometimes even […]
REPRODUCTION IN PRIMITIVE PLANTS
BRYOPHYTES (mosses) Bryophyte umbrellas ! When a bryophyte spore settles somewhere, it sprouts and grows into a gametophyte. This then is egg and sperm producing plant. It is this stage we mostly see as green. This attached plant is green and leafy, but usually very small. Commonly called liverworts, their reproductive organs (eggs and […]
MODERN FLOWERING PLANTS
FLOWERING PLANTS Although still very old ( as in 125 million years ! ) flowering plants are considered “modern”. This is because they produce a seed inside a vessel. Unlike their ancestors, they also produce a flower containing both male and female reproductive structures. Flowering plants evolved into two main groups. Monocotyledons and dicotyledons. […]
