Inside Urban Green

History of Coconut Palms Revealed by DNA

If you have been wondering about coconut DNA on this science Sunday you are in luck. Read the following article from ScienceDaily.com.

Coconut palms and Ficus are my two favorite trees. Aside from that, I am a big fan of coir (aka coco peat) as a peat moss substitute and wonder if we will ever have a significant source of supply here in the Western hemisphere.

Currently India (white coir) and Sri Lanka (brown coir) produce 90% of the world supply of coir fiber. Most of the coco peat used in horticulture comes from Sri Lanka, which is a long trip to reach American portable micro gardens.

via www.sciencedaily.com

ScienceDaily (June 24, 2011) — The coconut (the fruit of the palm Cocos nucifera) is the Swiss Army knife of the plant kingdom; in one neat package it provides a high-calorie food, potable water, fiber that can be spun into rope, and a hard shell that can be turned into charcoal. What's more, until it is needed for some other purpose it serves as a handy flotation device.

A New Dimension of Urban Food Production with Recycled Materials

Find out what these Spider plants are growing in after the jump. Recycling goes beyond just soda bottle sub-irrigated planters (SIPs).

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) is of Benefit to the Brits

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) is a 110 year old organization in the UK. Its member growers represent approximately 80 per cent of the total U.K. production of ornamental plants, including all major U.K. growers. 

HTA membership covers all aspects of the industry and includes some 1,600 businesses and 2,700 outlets representing retailers, growers, landscapers, service providers, manufacturers and distributors of garden materials.

It would be good if we had a comparable organization here in the U.S. Our media and consumers would be far better informed if we did.

via www.the-hta.org.uk

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) is a modern, leading-edge trade association representing the UK garden industry.

Established in 1899 at the Crystal Palace by 60 like-minded horticulturalists, the HTA has, for over 100 years, promoted the interests of its members and the industry at large. A cost-effective and comprehensive range of business support and development initiatives are available to individual members. To the membership as a whole, HTA provides a vital forum for identifying and dealing with key garden industry issues and opportunities, represents industry views to Government and is its voice in the media.

Confessions of an EarthBox convert - Fresh Dirt - Sunset.com

My plants, absolutely thriving.

The EarthBox tomatoes are on the left and doing much better compared to the ones on the right, living in galvanized pots.

Photos and excerpt from the blog freshdirt.sunset.com

I've been an EarthBox skeptic for a while now, not wanting to believe that growing vegetables in a plastic box could possibly be a good idea. Call me old fashioned, but I like my tomatoes in the ground.

Like many things in life, we probably shouldn't judge them until we learn a little more. It turns out that the EarthBox has a lot of features that make good sense and keep plants healthy:

This is the first information that I have ever seen on the Sunset Magazine website on the subject of EarthBoxes or self-watering or sub-irrigation planters (SIPs) other than this rather over-priced and over-publicized planter for houseplants.

This glaring lack of information about sub-irrigation (aka self-watering) is rather unbelievable considering the supposedly trend-setting status of California. What are they thinking in light of the fact that we regularly read about California water shortages? It is even more amazing considering the number of ag and horticultural grads turned out by Cal Poly, U.C. Davis and U.C. Riverside.

What are they teaching about modern methods of personal food production, sustainability and conservation of natural resources?  

Sunset No Self-watering

An email newsletter from Sunset magazine led me to do a site search on "self-watering". It produced zero hits. I thought there would be at least a few.

How can the publisher of the renowned Western Garden Book omit a subject as important as sub-irrigation (aka "self-watering") planters, particularly in the water scarce west? It seems their editorial staff has grown roots on their feet.