By Margaret Bayne, OSU Extension Staff-retired, OSU Master Gardener
March 2018
Start thinking bee–mason bee! Watch Brooke Edmunds, OSU, share a little about the amazing native pollinators and how we can help them from early spring to early summer. (KATU-On Your Side) http://bit.ly/2Cd7hnf
More on Mason Bees-(Kym Porkorny, OSU; Brooke Edmunds, OSU) http://bit.ly/2Ez4cmI
The active ingredient in Roundup does not cause cancer, according to scientists at the National Cancer Institute. Researchers followed over 50,000 people who used pesticides to see if the ones who used Roundup developed any kind of cancer. The results were published Thursday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. (Kate Sheridan, Newsweek) http://bit.ly/2hns0R3
Meet the butterflies from 200 million years ago– Newly discovered fossils show that moths and butterflies have been on the planet for at least 200 million years. (Heidi Ledford, Nature)
http://go.nature.com/2ndFE8N
Garden myths busted-Part 3 with Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, WSU. Check out this informative podcast about Biochar, Corn Gluten, worms, ‘starter’ fertilizers, street lights, copper, red mulch with tomatoes and much, much more. (The Joe Gardener Show) http://bit.ly/2Er7S7p
How trees conspire to make us rake leaves year-round. (Howard Garrett, Dallas news) http://bit.ly/2G7ukSD
See how scientists use high-speed videography to investigate and learn from the clumsy flight of the bumblebee. (Spine Films, California Academy of Sciences) http://bit.ly/2mjINRS
Do Chestnut, lemon or peppermint scents repel spiders? (Entomology Today) http://bit.ly/2siYn7S
The lost art of looking at plants- Advances in genomics and imaging are reviving a fading discipline. (Heidi Ledford, Nature) http://go.nature.com/2ndFE8N
What is the state of agricultural education? “Once wellsprings of chemical innovation, our nation’s colleges and universities are finally rising to meet student demand for a more sustainable future.” (Brian Barth, Modern Farmer) http://bit.ly/2E843UM
Being around natural greenery may cheer up even adolescents- Exposure to trees and other greenery has been shown to stave off depression in adults, and a new U.S. study finds the same may be true for teenagers. (Mary Gillis, Reuters) http://reut.rs/2EB2IbI
While honeybees help Farmers, some believe they don’t help the environment. (Dan Charles, NPR) http://n.pr/2DUCb8I
Soil Management in Home Gardens and Landscapes– an informative publication that explores the interrelationship of a plant and the soil in which it is rooted. (Jim Sellmer, J. Robert Nuss, Penn State Extension) http://bit.ly/2o2Guoq
The crucial role of microbes-“Just as the micro-organisms in our gut are increasingly recognized as important players in human health and behavior, micro-organisms are critical to the growth and health of plants, a new study by a University of Toronto researcher has found.” (U of Toronto News) http://bit.ly/2H8c2SM
First-Ever Evidence That Mosquitoes Can Be Trained-´”Disease-carrying mosquitoes can learn to associate near-death experiences with scent and will stay away after an attempted swat.”(Michelle Donahue, National Geographic) http://bit.ly/2DMhZTh
Beekeepers are blamed for fueling the decline of wild bees by breeding insects purely for honey and reducing easy access to pollen.(Victoria Allen, Daily Mail) http://dailym.ai/2BUzqE1
Beautiful Pollination and Pollinators poster. (University of Wisconsin-Madison) http://bit.ly/2G4x2s9
A chance discovery could tackle the honeybee’s worst enemy: Varroa mite-German scientists from the University of Hohenheim have stumbled on a new method of wiping out this parasitic pest without harming the bees. (IFLScience) http://bit.ly/2nfHTrm
Root discovery may lead to crops that need less fertilizer. (Jeff Mulhollem, Penn State News) http://bit.ly/2EYvyjK
USDA Plant Hardiness Map. http://bit.ly/1kzrtob
Translating the Language of Seed Packets: Hybrid, Heirloom, non-GMO, and more. (Garden Professors.com) http://bit.ly/2G5ZWIA
This Isn’t Even My Final Form! A Pothos Story–(In Defense of Plants) http://bit.ly/2nSdvV4
Plants’ Bacterial zoos- The key to healthy plants is healthy microbiomes. (Anthony King, Chemistryworld) http://bit.ly/2soI8X8
Don’t pass up perennials when starting seeds in spring. “When perusing spring seed catalogs, don’t pass on perennials. These long-lived plants require a bit more commitment than annuals, but provide pleasure year after year.” (Kym Pokorny (OSU) http://bit.ly/1yM9e5l
