Using Auxins for Stem Cuttings
Karen Auxins are plant hormones that can stimulate or inhibit growth. The most well-known naturally occurring auxin is indol-3-acetic acid (IAA) . Plants contain varying a mount of IAA and those…
Growing Plants from Seed: Sunflower (Helianthus spp.)
Sunflowers are a very large group consisting of both annulas and perennials. 150 species. The most popular sunflower for gardens is the annual, Helianthus annus, but there are many good…
Growing Plants from Seed: Radishes
Radishes (Raphanus satiivus) are one of the easiest and most successful vegetablse to grow. Even better, they are a cold weather crop, can be planted long before most other vegetables,…
Growing Plants from Seeds: Annual Poppies
Corn poppies (Papaver rhoeas) and opium poppies (Papaver somniferum) are spring blooming annuals with large flowers of papery petals. Corn poppies have many common names including Flanders poppy and has…
Growing Plants From Seed: Summer Squash (Cucurbita pepo)
The summer squash include patty pan, yellow crookneck, and zucchini. These squash will cross pollinate with other summer squash varieties but not with other squash species (for example winter squash…
Growing Plants from Seed: Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
Lettuce is one of the most successful crops for the home gardener. There are four basic of types of lettuce. 1. Leaf lettuce such as ‘Black Seeded Simpson’ and ‘Oakleaf’…
Collecting Seed: Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
There are about twenty species of Digitalis and of those about four a good garden plants. One of these, common foxglove (D. purpurea), is the most popular and the one…
Collecting Seed: Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)
Hollyhocks are handsome plants that give the garden vertical movement and bring a touch of nostalgia. They are usually treated as biennials so that seeds are collected in summer and…
Collecting Seed: Sunflowers (Helianthus spp)
The large genus of Helianthus includes bth annualas and perennials but the most commonly grown is an annual, Helianthus annus. The plants are usually tall and bear very large showy…
Growing Plants from Seed: Beets (Beta vulgaris)
Garden beets do double duty as vegetable, providing leafy greens as well as a root crop. The root may be red, pink, orange, golden yellow, white, or white and red…