By Margaret Bayne, OSU Extension Staff-retired, OSU Master Gardener
May 2018
Residential beekeeping: Best-practice guidelines for nuisance-free beekeeping in Oregon. This publication outlines guidelines for best practices for beekeeping in residential areas. It outlines the steps residential beekeepers can take to operate their bees in nuisance-free manner. (Andony Melathopoulos, Ralph (Mike) Rodia, Jen Holt, & Ramesh R. Sagili, OSU) https://bit.ly/2IIvkOy
Give the garden a facelift with 6 shrubs sporting dramatic foliage. “It’s easy to grab the pretty flowers staring back at you from the nursery shelves but try straying from the usual and plant vibrant shrubs to spice up the garden.” (Amy Jo Detweiler, OSU; via Kym Pokorny, OSU) https://bit.ly/2qltUmv
Got aphids in your greenhouse? “As a biological control strategy, banker plants offer a novel non-chemical approach to managing commonly encountered pests in the greenhouse.” (Edward Ricciuti, Entomologytoday.org) https://bit.ly/2GNEjgJ
California Bumblebee decline linked to feral honeybees. “…honeybees frequently out-compete native pollinators such as for food and nesting sites.” (Indefenseofplants.com) https://bit.ly/2HpHAEa
This mite’s method of hitchhiking is not recommended…get eaten by a slug. (Yao-Hua Law, Sciencemag.org) https://bit.ly/2GqS9tq
Plant a Geiger counter in your garden. “… Tradescantia, also known as Spiderwort…has special sensitivities: the tri-petal flowers open and close based on the weather and light levels; when it is really hot the flowers close, but on an overcast or rainy day, they seem to glow. But the most exciting Tradescantia trick is that it will change flower colors when exposed to low levels of radiation, among other pollutants.” (Lisa Burke, Secretsciencegeek.com) https://bit.ly/2Hpa2Gm
The Gardens of Alcatraz. ”The very name conjures up visions of famous inmates like Al “Scarface” Capone and recalls well-cited facts, such as: “Nobody successfully escaped.” But for all we know about Alcatraz, few people realize that many of its prisoners were also gardeners. (Katie Nanton, nuvomagazine.com) https://bit.ly/2IK5dXJ
In defense of Wasps. “Despite their poor public image, wasps are incredibly important for the world’s economy and ecosystems. Without them, the planet would be pest-ridden to biblical proportions, with much reduced biodiversity”. (Seirian Sumner, iflscience.com) https://bit.ly/2qmbp17
Train yourself to observe tree problems. Download this free informative publication. “A correct diagnosis of the problem is the important first step in trying to manage an unhealthy tree. This publication contains guidelines for identifying tree problems. It will help you examine your tree systematically, collect important background information, and find expert assistance, when necessary.” (Lina Rodriguez Salamanca & Laura Jesse Iles, Plant & Insect Diagnostic Clinic, Iowa State University Extension) https://bit.ly/2IHVCjP
Move over, Beetles: The new champions of diversity are Parasitic Wasps. “Parasitoid wasps that lay eggs in other creatures may represent more species than any other group of animals.” (Nala Rogers, Insidescience.org) https://bit.ly/2Dl0dFO
Stick a thermometer in the soil before planting vegetables. “With a thermometer, no guess work is needed. Soil temperature is the best indicator of when to plant each type of vegetable, no matter what climate zone you live in.” (Jim Meyers, OSU; via Kym Pokorny, OSU) https://bit.ly/2GN5xnP
Brushing plants for height control. “Theoretically, plants release a small amount of the plant hormone ethylene when they are touched or moved (by people, the wind, etc.). With repeated and frequent plant movement, plants release enough ethylene to inhibit elongation.” (Erik Runckle, gpnmag.com) https://bit.ly/2v69kvb
Growing unusual veggies encourages kids to garden! Learn about such fun veggies as Bush Hog Cucumber and Mashed Potato Squash. (Melody Parker, wcfcourier.com) https://bit.ly/2HbCsWK
Three great how-to videos: “Apple Tree Pruning Made Easy.” (U of Minnesota Extension, youtube.com)
Part 1: https://bit.ly/2GO5w71
Part 2: https://bit.ly/2JxMFLk
Park 3: https://bit.ly/2IJ6L4a
Cockroaches’ DNA reveals why they thrive in filthy places. “By identifying which genes are key to the bugs’ survival, scientists hope to find ways to better control them.” (Ian Sample, theguardian.com) https://bit.ly/2JCvzfh
Crazy plant ladies through the ages: Women Naturalists, Botanists, and Horticulturists who made history (Gardentherapy.ca blog) https://bit.ly/2Ghh4yy
One Orchid…two colors. “It’s inflorescence is made up of a dense cluster of flowers. Unlike what we are used to with most flowering plants, the flowers of the elder-flowered orchid come in two distinct color morphs – purple and yellow. They are so drastically different that one could be excused for thinking they were two different species. What’s more, the different color morphs co-occur throughout the species’ range. What could be causing this dimorphism? The answer lies in the flowers themselves.” (Indefeseofplants.com) https://bit.ly/2qoEb0b
Earwigs take origami to extremes to fold their wings: “The insects’ springy wing joints are inspiring robotics design.”(Laurel Hamers, Sciencenews.org) https://bit.ly/2IF68bN
All-star spring flowers for your garden. The best flowering bulbs and perennials for early- to late-spring color: Hellebores, Snowdrops, Daffodils and Tulips. (Anne Balogh, Gardendesign.com) https://bit.ly/2qpf79g
Bizarre, parasitic ‘Fairy Lantern’ reappears in the rainforest after 151 Years! “A strange plant that needs no sunlight and sucks on underground fungi for nutrients has turned up in Borneo, Malaysia, 151 years after it was first documented.” (Rafi Letzter, livescience.com) https://bit.ly/2IbDI9F
Making the most out of your soil test. What does soil pH mean for your garden? (Rebecca Finneran & Mary Wilson, Michigan State University Extension) https://bit.ly/2JAn9F7
How to divide perennials. (Richard Jauron, & Willy Klein, Iowa State Extension) https://bit.ly/2GjmNBw
Why leaves don’t leave. “Deciduous trees typically lose all of their leaves by late autumn. But a stroll through the Arboretum reveals a scattering of deciduous trees and shrubs that still have leaves (albeit dry and brown) clinging tightly to branches. These plants are exhibiting marcescence, the trait of retaining plant parts after they are dead and dry.” (Nancy Rose, ARBlog, Harvard University) https://bit.ly/2IHWIfr
The world’s largest mining operation is run by fungi. “If you sift the mineral particles from conifer forest soil, wash them, and examine them under a microscope, you will discover a startling detail: tiny tunnels.” (Jennifer Frazer, Scientificamerican.com) https://bit.ly/2IH7OkW
Practice the good neighbor policy in the garden: Try companion planting. (Pam Zaklan, OSU MG; via Kym Pokorny, OSU) https://bit.ly/2H8SWPc
Royal Jelly-pH and viscosity. “Scientists are still learning some basic information about honey bees, Apis mellifera. In a recent paper, the pH of royal jelly was determined to be the deciding factor for keeping the substance viscous. Honey bee larvae develop into queen bees if they are fed large quantities of a food called royal jelly. But royal jelly does more than determine whether a larva becomes a queen. It also keeps her safely anchored to the roof of the queen cell in which she develops.” (Julia Kurtz via The Garden Professors Blog, Facebook)
Links to original blog and research paper:
Tree care workers need better training to handle dangers on the job. “…study calls attention to post-storm hazards posed to tree care workers and provides safety recommendations.” By Patti Verbanas, Rutgerstoday) https://bit.ly/2qjSp3m
Is sex necessary? For Dandelions, apparently not. “In the case of most dandelions (i.e., Taraxacum officinale), the embryo in the seed forms without, meiosis, thus the offspring are genetically identical to the parent.”
Note: If an herbicide is ever recommended, MGs only provide OSU recommendations. (Plant Guy, Howplantswork.com)
https://bit.ly/2IHsx8b
Stunning microscopic images of seeds. (Keirin,insteading.com) https://bit.ly/2HfzU9V
Flower garden design basics: “…learn the aesthetic consequences of different strategies. Remember that, in most cases, there is more than one way to arrange plants, and that many of the ‘rules’ of garden design were made to be broken.” (Lee Nelson, Cornell University) https://bit.ly/2HcA7KZ
Hardy Plant Society of Oregon’s 30 favorite plants of 2018. (The Pecks, Oregonlive.com) https://bit.ly/2JCcJVs
New butterfly species discovered nearly 60 years after it was first collected. (University of Florida, Eurekalert.org) https://bit.ly/2GNIDNa
Plants, Fungi and Bacteria work together to clean polluted land. “Microbial interactions help fast growing trees breakdown petrochemical pollutants in the soil. Highly complex interactions among roots, fungi and bacteria underlie the ability of some trees to clean polluted land…” (Technologynetworks.com, Original story from McGill University) https://bit.ly/2HccFgU
Wild plants and historic archaeology. With the old homesteads long gone, “…what’s an archaeologist with a camera, pencil, paper, and keen observation skills to do? Read the landscape.” (Carl Feagans, Archaeology Review) https://bit.ly/2HrkQ6O
Researchers identify the cells that trigger flowering. “How do plants ‘know’ it is time to flower? A new study uncovers exactly where a key protein forms before it triggers the flowering process in plants.” (Linda B. Glaser & Krishna Ramanujan, Cornell Chronicle) https://bit.ly/2HrkT2u
These beetles use booze-soaked trees to farm their food. “Ambrosia beetles have a surprising reason for seeking out trees full of ethanol.” (Douglas Main, National Geographic) https://bit.ly/2GTCuiE
Mullerian mimicry and why telling bumble bee species apart by color can be hard. (Briana Ezray with Andony Melathopoulos, OSU; Pollination Podcast, OSU) https://bit.ly/2qmnmTO
Plant salt tolerance: recent research in Biotechnology. (Bioscriptionblog.com) https://bit.ly/2EAoRmr
