Have You Tried Botanical Pesticides?
By Elizabeth Richey I’m sure everyone is thinking the same thing I am, plants are frickin awesome! We all want to have happy healthy plants in our homes to clean the air, brighten the space, and make it more lively. But, I also know that they can be hard to care for and sometimes expensive. […]
Why is the Monstera deliciosa fruit popular?
By Emily Kang An interesting new trend is sparking across social media, which is shining a spotlight on the Monstera deliciosa and its fruit. Originating from a TikTok video, multiple people discovered what has been coined, “the most dangerous fruit in the world” (Mr. Beast). The monstera is a very sought after outdoor and indoor […]
Little Turtles Trek To Sea
By Maggie Wetzel Imagine you wake up, a little confused but knowing you need to be somewhere. It is completely dark, with only a small light on the horizon. For some reason, deep down you know that is where you must go. You begin moving, slowly but surely, gaining more strength as you get closer. […]
Dumbing Down a Scientific Paper and Relating it to Mushrooms
By Abby Ayling Introduction “Plant secondary metabolites altering root microbiome composition and function.” (Koprivova & Kopriva 2022) – That’s a technical title ?. Let’s unpack it. Plant secondary metabolites – what the hell does that mean? Unless you’re really into the science of plants and soil, you’ve probably never heard of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs). […]
Soil and the Human Gut Biome: They Are More Related Than You Think
By Larina Evstafyeva Key words: soil microbiome, gut microbiome, microorganism diversity, soil health, gut health, soil management A lot of the latest dietary advice is pointing to the importance of the human gut biome. People are now more interested in what foods they should eat to keep a healthy gut biome or what liquids help […]
Stress is Good? Mycorrhizal Fungi Feel Stressed Too
By: Alexis Billings As humans, we understand stress as something we commonly experience, and other species on this planet also experience it, affecting us all physically. We humans also either own plants or have some knowledge of how they work; we know they react to a lack of basic needs in the way we would […]
Why Can’t we “Bee” Friends? Plants Compete for Pollinators
By: Abby Satterwhite Growing up in the Midwest, I came face-to-face with my first pollinator while laying underneath a trampoline located on a bed of dandelions and wild violets. My sisters and I liked to take turns performing solo dances and one-woman-shows on top of the trampoline while the spectators laid below on their backs, […]
Folk Medicine in Nepal Claimed to Prevent COVID-19
By Ashley Washington Folk medicine, also known as ethnomedicine, has been a long-standing tradition in the Eastern hemisphere. On the other side of the world in Nepal, India, Nepalese people has gained scrutinized attention after claiming that medicinal plants can prevent and cure COVID-19 (Coronavirus). The World Health Organization (WHO) has come out and warned […]
Stop Taking Turns: Your Garden Will Thank You for Cover Crops!
By Kayla Humphries Let’s say that you have just started a fruit and vegetable garden in your backyard. You’ve sown your seeds and done most of the preparation. But, there’s one problem- you’ve left massive patches between your plants bare! Think about it- what happens to patches of bare soil? Weeds will invade the area. […]
How do plants communicate?
By: Akshith Ragukumar MicroRNA (miRNA) plays an important role in plant communication. miRNA trafficking has been described between the plants and the host for communication. It is found that the presence of miRNA in the phloem sap helps transport the miRNA to the entire plant and plays an important role in long distance signaling. It […]