Did you know that plants need iron? No iron, no chlorophyll, and therefore no photosynthesis.
Ornamental Plants
Chlorine in Plants
You may be surprised to know that chlorine is an important nutrient in plants. It plays a key role in splitting water to produce oxygen.
Boron in Plants
To say that boron is important to plants would be the height of understatement. To put it more plainly, plants simply would not exist without boron. The reason boron is so crucial to plant health is that it is involved in ion exchange and the movement of other nutrients across cell membranes. Without boron, plants […]
Aluminum in Plants
Most people probably don’t think of aluminum as a key nutrient for field, garden, or orchard crops, and indeed scientists don’t consider it essential for plant growth. Nevertheless, it appears to have an important role in keeping pathogens in check. In particular, we know that aluminum helps prevent late blight in potatoes, and it appears […]
Broad-Leaf Wood-Oats
Broad-leaf wood-oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) is a very unique plant that goes by many names: Spangle grass. Indian wood-oats. Wild oats. River oats. Northern sea oats. Inland sea oats. The spikelets are the most distinctive feature, being flat, broadly oblong, and about 1/2 inch to 1-1/2 inch long and 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch wide. These […]
A Brief Guide to 13 Common Garden Mulches
You don’t have to read many gardening books or websites to catch on that mulch is highly recommended for all gardens. But knowing that you ought to mulch your garden and deciding what to mulch it with are two different things. First off, it is important to recognize that everyone’s circumstances are unique. Factors that […]
A Rainbow of Natural Dyes
Craftsy folks frequently share a do-it-yourself ethic. While it’s always easier just to buy cheap, pretty yarn at the craft store, some (particularly homesteaders) prefer to create their own dyes. In fact, if you own sheep or other fiber animals, this may be a logical next step to adding value to your products. You can […]
Indian Grass
Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) is a medium-sized grass that ranges from three to seven feet in height. It frequently grows in clumps, but it may also be found growing as a single stalk. The stem is hollow but stiff and upright. The leaves are blue-green in color and flat. They may grow anywhere from 2 […]
Side-Oats Grama
Side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) takes its name from its peculiar inflorescence. It grows a stalk varying in length from 3 to 16 inches and tending to zigzag. Somewhere between 12 and 60 very short branches grow from this stalk, dangling to one side. Each branch has three to eight spikelets resembling oat seeds, especially as […]
Eastern Gamagrass
Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) is a tall bunchgrass species that ranges from four to eight feet in height. It forms clumps one to four feet across and connected with tough, knotty rhizomes. The plants have roots that extend as far as 20 feet below the surface of the ground, and they are further anchored by […]