Linda Chalker-Scott
Author
Language
English
Formats
Description
How Plants Work brings the stranger-than-fiction science of the plant world to vivid life. It explains how plants tell time, how they move to follow the sun and capture food, and why they change color. Linda Chalker-Scott, of the popular blog The Garden Professors, uncovers these and other fascinating mysteries in this engaging and accessible introduction to plant physiology. By revealing the science behind what plants do every day, this book arms...
Author
Publisher
University of Washington Press
Pub. Date
©2008
Language
English
Description
The author addresses the most common myths and misconceptions that plague home gardeners and horticultural professionals and offers guidance on better understanding landscape and garden plants as components of a living system.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 23
Language
English
Description
If you can't trust the Internet home remedy or the local gardening salesperson, whom can you trust? Make science-based gardening decisions by assessing the credibility, relevance, accuracy, and purpose of the information you read. Learn the role played by peer review, the crucial difference between correlation and causation, and how to watch out for over-extrapolation and misapplied science.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 13
Language
English
Description
Have you ever seen a tree cut painted with tar or another sealant? Or seen a crown chopped completely bare? Both are common practices that we now know are harmful to the plant. Using applied plant physiology and science-based guidelines, learn the best timing and methods for pruning that will lead to healthy tree growth for the long term.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 18
Language
English
Description
There is no lack of chemicals to get rid of the pests in your garden - whether that pest is a plant, insect, or other organism. But for long-term health, integrated pest management provides a better, systematic, science-based approach with a minimum of chemical inputs.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 16
Language
English
Description
The most common cause of death for home garden plants is poor horticultural practices, not disease or pests. With this step-by-step guide to diagnosing plant problems, you'll learn how to appropriately remedy any problem - and when the plant will heal on its own. You'll also be able to identify the warning signs of future problems, so you can treat the issue before it's too late.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 2
Language
English
Description
Many of us make our landscape choices based on plant aesthetics. Instead, learn to first identify your location's topography, prevailing winds, hydrology, soil type, and other environmental factors. Then you'll be able to choose a plant well-suited for the long term. And you'll avoid season after season of frustration.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 9
Language
English
Description
Learn about the wide variety of mulch types - from glass to wood to compost - and the science-based pros and cons of each. By considering your specific site conditions and personal aesthetics, you can blend a variety of mulches to transform a struggling landscape into one that's healthier and more sustainable.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 24
Language
English
Description
Two specific transformation stories - a wetlands restoration and a home garden project - reflect the benefit of science-based planning by considering soils, temperature, sunlight, moisture, water table, and likely pests. Learn how to become a citizen scientist and contribute to the field by asking the hard questions and knowing how to assess the strength of the answers.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 11
Language
English
Description
Once your new plant is in the ground, how should you take care of it? Learn the basics of watering, mulching, fertilizing, staking, and pruning newly transplanted trees or shrubs - and why this care might change in subsequent seasons when the plant is well established. Not sure if your newly planted tree is experiencing healthy root growth? Try the wiggle test.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 20
Language
English
Description
If you have a garden in the U.S., chances are you're familiar with the damage caused by English ivy, kudzu, purple loosestrife, and/or the tamarisk tree. Each of these hardy plants can quickly create a monoculture, driving out other plant species and limiting the availability of diverse animal habitat. Learn the best science-based mechanisms to control these plants.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 1
Language
English
Description
How many of your horticultural practices are based on anecdotal evidence from your neighbor or grandmother, and how do you assess their validity? In the midst of an unregulated "Wild West" of gardening products and practices, you can learn to access science-based information to create your sustainable dream garden.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 7
Language
English
Description
Half the battle of successful landscaping is starting with the healthiest specimens - not, as we sometimes prefer, the largest. Learn how to inspect nursery plants from the crown to the ground for evidence of quality and health, and how to estimate root health by checking for suckers on single-trunk trees, root flare, surface roots, and the "tippy test."
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 15
Language
English
Description
Learn how to reduce water use and protect water quality using knowledge of plant biochemistry, transpiration, and photosynthesis. Designing garden modifications, choosing appropriate plants based on morphology and color, and incorporating shading and mulch to reduce evaporation are just some of the water-wise techniques that will help conserve water.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 14
Language
English
Description
While it seems intuitive that vegetables grown in your home garden will be safer and healthier than those purchased at the supermarket, that could be a dangerous assumption. Does your garden soil contain elements of concern, especially cadmium or lead? If so, learn how to best respond - whether in plant choices or creative garden design.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 4
Language
English
Description
Just as humans cannot grow without our supportive microbiome, neither can plants. Plant roots, bacterial sheathes, and long filaments of fungus all function together to support the plant's growth, enhancing the uptake of water and nutrients and improving soil structure. But what happens to this crucial symbiosis when you add unnecessary fertilizers?
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 12
Language
English
Description
The goal of fertilizing is to match your soil and plant needs - micro- and macronutrients, and other chemical requirements - with the appropriate sources of nutrition. By understanding your specific soil test results, you can determine which nutrients are deficient, which might already be present in toxic quantities, and whether or not to buy organic.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 8
Language
English
Description
"Don't plant before you fertilize!" Chances are you've heard that admonishment more than once. But gardening science has revealed that many popular practices - including fertilizing every time you plant - are neither necessary nor sustainable. Learn about a more natural way to add organic material to your garden to protect soil structure and nourish your plants.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 6
Language
English
Description
In addition to its aesthetic value, your landscaping can provide privacy, protect soils from erosion, moderate temperature, manage storm-water runoff, provide wildlife habitat, and more. Learn how to select the appropriate plants with respect to morphology, growth rates, and physiology to help achieve your specific goals for various locations on your property.
Author
Series
Science of Gardening volume 3
Language
English
Description
Unless you live in a completely undeveloped area, chances are your home garden soil is not native. Learn what makes a "great" soil and how to determine your own approximate amounts of clay, silt, and sand; texture; nutrients; pH; and more - before you purchase that "must have" soil addition from the gardening store.