Plant Talk

Two recent articles shed light on different ways plants communicate. The Huffington Post described a study by BMC Ecology in which sound wave vibration emitted by plants affects growth of neighboring plants.

Mycorrhizae

The article stated, “Despite the separation, chili seeds germinated faster when basil was a neighbor, suggesting that a message was getting through. Because light, touch, and chemical “smell” were ruled out, the team proposes that the finding points to a new type of communication between plants, possibly involving nanoscale sound waves, traveling through the dirt to bring encouraging “words” to the growing seeds.” BBC released an article delving into a study by the University of Aberdeen, the James Hutton Institute, and Rothamsted Research on plant communication between fungus networks. These networks, called “mycorrhizae”, have the ability to relay warning signals from damaged and infested plants to their neighbors.

Not only are both studies mind-boggling, they hold potential for agricultural systems to better understand how to arrange and strategize their crops.

Sources: Andrew Porterfield, The Huffington Post, May 7 2013; BBC, May 10 2013

Image: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22462855

Protect Your Plants from Late Frost!

I thought it was time for a bit of a more light-hearted post. Over the past few days, I have heard many people discussing their concerns over the cold and how to protect the plants they may have already put in, or those that have germinated in their gardens. Here are two helpful links, one from Robin Erb of the Detroit Free Press and one from Michigan State University’s Extension Office, through which I received my master gardener training. Both of them emphasize that using fabric is preferable to plastic. Take a look! Detroit Free Press; MSU Extension

Sources: Robin Erb, Detroit Free Press, May 12 2013; Bert Cregg, MSU Extension, April 11 2013

Image: http://www.EIPerfecto.com