(Article) Plants Know Their Relatives – And Like Them!

Adapted from Wired Science

Unlike many human brothers and sisters, plant siblings appear to do their best to get along, sharing resources and avoiding competition.

In a study of more than 3,000 mustard seedlings, scientists discovered that the young plants recognize their siblings – other plants grown from the seeds of the same momma plant – using chemical cues given off during root growth. And it turns out mustard plants won’t compete with their brethren the way they will with strangers: Instead of rapidly growing roots to suck up as much water and minerals as possible, plants who sensed nearby siblings developed a shallower root system and more intertwined leaves.

Full article here

 

(Misc.) More rudbeckia flowers

I think I shall just name the rudbeckia as one of my favorite flowers.

What is awesome is that one single mature stalk can have flowers popping up on every node, almost all the way to the bottom. =D

 

(Misc.) Nutmeg

I’m posting this because I’m sure some people haven’t seen the nutmeg fruit pods and fruits before. I know I sure haven’t before this.

Taken at the herbs and spices section at Fort Canning Park.

 

(Misc.) N. albomarginata ‘rubra’

iPhone-quality picture. I'm always amazed at how utterly handsome the N. albomarginata 'rubra' pitchers are.

 

(Misc.) Calendula

The pot marigold in its full? splendor. I'm wondering how come it looks more yellow than orange...

This is a picture of the pot marigold I got off Plants for a Future.

 

(Misc.) Rudbeckia and calendulas

The bigger rudbeckia - I think this is as large as it will grow, being constrained in a pot

And, the larger one again (can't decide if it's moreno or solar eclipse)

The smaller rudbeckia - I wonder if it's a different strain or that the larger plant has snatched most of the nutrients from it since they share a pot

Comparison between Calendula officinalis (left) and C. officinalis 'nana' (right)

 

(Growing conditions) Cuban oregano – The Vicks plant

Propagated pot of Cuban oregano

When I first got to hear about the Cuban oregano, I was less than impressed. That stemmed from the fact that I’d equated it with the typical oregano, which I hated the taste and smell of.

But when I got my hands on it, I fell in love. Hard.

Why?

Because of the utterly FUZZY leaves.

For those who are new to this blog, I profess and confess to having an extremely weak spot for anything fuzzy and soft – soft toys, towels, and plants.

With my failed attempts at growing various gesneriads for their fuzz, I gladly accepted the Cuban oregano when they were given to me as gifts.

I placed my two pots in bright shade to dappled sunlight, and watered them twice a week since I’ve heard they don’t like excessive water. Strangely enough, they get random yellowing of leaves every day. It’s not near enough to cause me alarm (about five leaves in an EXTREMELY bushy pot), but I thought that I should play it safe and propagate it.

It propagates easily through stem cuttings, with roots growing readily when placed in water. Kinda like mints.

I did some research and websites claim that the Cuban oregano is mainly used for flavoring food. But, with the pleasant smell of Vicks medicated oil and their fuzzy leaves, I’m quite sure I don’t have the heart to use it for anything other than enjoy its scent and the texture of its leaves a few times every day.

Soil mix: A well-draining soil mix
Watering: Twice a week
Fertilizing: Weekly vermicast or organic fertilizer
Sunlight: Bright shade to dappled sunlight
Propagation: Stem cuttings placed in water

 

(Misc.) Black-eyed susans

I can’t wait for them to fully bloom.

I suspect the small one might be the rudbeckia toto and the larger one either the moreno or solar eclipse strains…

 

(Misc.) Black-eyed susan plants

Picture taken at night with the iPhone - apologies for the bad quality

I sowed two different strains of rudbeckia seeds into a single pot so that whatever comes up will surprise me.

I’m excited to see the flowers bloom. =)

 

(Misc.) Some updates

I realize that I haven’t updated this blog for about a month. I’ve been busy with finishing up my course, and undergoing interviews for another course in another industry I hope to go into. So my plants have been steadily plodding along, doing whatever they do to grow day by day.

The only new thing in my family of plants is a moujean mint (Nashia inaguensis) which a friend painstakingly propagated and gifted to me. We couldn’t meet up for months, and I only managed to retrieve this plant a few days ago. It seems to have stopped its growth in a small pot, so I shall be repotting it soon I hope.

Moujean tea / pineapple verbena / Bahama Berry. It can apparently be trained into a bonsai, but I'm not sure how to go about doing that.

My two pots of seed-grown St. John's Wort. The one on the right of the picture is the older one. It is growing REALLY wild.

Rudbeckia plants on the left; gaillardia on the right. I planted various types of rudbeckia seeds in that pot, so I'm not sure which variety is growing. I can't wait to find out. =)