OUTER SPACE VEGETABLES
(Page 2 of 3)
Additional sections of One Circle show how to
design full-nutrition gardens that provide a bit more
mealtime diversity. If you want to learn how to get maximum
food value from minimum land, Duhon's book is the place to
start.
RELATED CONTENT
Research Briefs
I heard it on the grapevine . The Acoustic
Emission Technology Corporation in California wants to take
advantage of the recently discovered phenomenon that plants
emit audible responses to water stress. AETC is
trying to design machines that guide grape irrigation
schedules according to when the vines say, "We're thirsty."
Gypsy moth barriers . Studies in a
Pennsylvania oak forest during a gypsy moth infestation
have shown that caterpillar build-up on individual trees
can be greatly reduced by placing barriers around the
trunks three feet above the ground. Encircling bands can be
made from a sticky material such as Tan-gletrap, from
double-sided aluminum foil tape or from burlap strips
folded in half.
Is it real... or Weyerhaeuser? The rumors
are true—the Weyerhaeuser Diversified Business Group
is planning to market "embalmed" plants! A patented
preservation process developed in Sweden gives plants a
fresh, live look even though they're actually dead. No more
worries about watering, soil quality, light or pests, just
plant 'em and forget 'em. The first plants were treated
about eight years ago and still look fresh. Weyerhaeuser
claims the chemicals used in the process are nonpoisonous.
These "living dead" techno-wonders are coming soon to a
mall near you.
Stinging nettle tea works . Plant
physiologists in Sweden watered plants potted in sand or a
peat-and-sand mixture with either an aqueous extract of
stinging nettle plants or a nutrient solution with the
same macro-and micronutrient composition as the
nettle water. The results? The shoots watered with real
nettle water had about 20% greater fresh weight (with 15%
more nitrogen). Leaves had higher chlorophyll levels, and
the growing medium had greater microbial activity.
