Roots Roots are in a perpetual search for new sources of food and water. This continuous growth habit is never ending. They move away from the center of the plant and can go in any direction except up, or into sunlight. There are substances in the roots sensitive to gravity and this keeps them […]
Mineral Deficiencies
Something looks off ! To the average person most nutritional deficiencies in plants are not easy to diagnose. They all tend to look the same to the untrained eye. You can tell there is something wrong but not exactly what. However, by focusing on the the pattern and color differences between the veins and […]
Going Banana’s
Ornamental Bananas Ornamental bananas differ from the edible kind only in that they are mainly used for decorative purposes. Although the genus of all bananas is Musa – the species or both edible and ornamental differ immensely. The subgroup Ensette is also an ornamental banana. NOTHING screams tropical summer display more than an ornamental […]
The English Cottage Garden
History The English invented the cottage garden, probably in the 1400s, to produce food for families. Every bit of space was planted with herbs, fruit trees, and flowers – all jammed together. Aside from being practical, it was charming – even to this day ! English gardener Gertrude Jekyll (1843–1932) is the patron saint […]
Husbandry
Husbandry in Ants Husbandry is the practice by many ants to farm, care for, tend to, and otherwise raise other insects like humans do with livestock. It’s a really amazing product of evolution ! They also perform a rudimentary farming by collecting fungi for food which they feed little bits of leaves ! […]
PARTHENOCARPIA
What is in a name ? Parthenocarpia is a scientific word derived from classical Greek – Parthenos (virgin) + Karpos (fruit). It refers to fruit that can grow and mature without any viable seeds inside. Fertilization triggers the formation of an embryo (inside the seed). In plants this releases hormones which are responsible for […]
Good Gourd!
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. […]
