Category: Horticulture

Over 95% of a plant's dry weight is composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, which are obtained from air and water. For the remaining 5%, plants must absorb a variety of mineral nutrients from the soil to support healthy growth and development.

While plants are capable of synthesizing all the amino acids they need internally, this process is energy-intensive. Introducing external amino acid supplements in the form of biostimulants helps plants save energy, especially during stressful periods, and can significantly enhance growth, nutrient uptake, and stress tolerance.

While peaches and plums look and taste distinctly different, both share a single botanical family. So, what family is a peach and plum in? The answer is the extensive Rosaceae family, famously known as the rose family, which also includes many other common fruits and ornamental plants.

Botanically, a plum is not a berry, but a specific type of fruit known as a drupe. This places the juicy, sweet plum in the same category as other well-known stone fruits, including peaches, cherries, and nectarines. A plum's defining characteristic is its fleshy outer layer that surrounds a single, hard pit or 'stone' at its center.

Over 25,000 different orchid species exist worldwide, and while many are purely ornamental, certain types, including some Dendrobium species, have a long history of culinary and medicinal use in different cultures. However, the key to answering the question, 'Are dendrobiums edible for humans?' is understanding that not all species within this vast genus are the same, and careful identification is crucial for safety.

In 1872, an Iowa farmer repeatedly tried to destroy a chance apple seedling, but it was a nursery owner's exclamation years later that cemented the name, perfectly explaining why they are called Red Delicious. This single fruit's story is a fascinating tale of horticultural persistence and marketing savvy.

Over 8,000 years of domestication have resulted in apple varieties with a wide array of fascinating traits, one of the most surprising being red-hued flesh. So, what causes the inside of an apple to turn red? The answer is a combination of genetics, natural plant pigments called anthocyanins, and environmental factors like temperature and sunlight.

Over two decades of cross-breeding wild, red-fleshed crabapples with classic dessert apples has led to the commercial rise of apples with vibrantly colored interiors. This horticultural innovation is producing delicious new apples that are red inside, offering a compelling blend of sweet-tart flavors and powerful antioxidants.

According to a 2015 study, high sweetness and low acidity are key drivers of flavor liking among mandarin varieties. But what makes mandarins sweet involves a complex interplay of natural sugars, citric acid, and various growing conditions. Understanding these elements can help you identify and even cultivate the most flavorful fruit possible.

While they might look and grow differently, both blackberries and strawberries belong to the same plant family, Rosaceae, also known as the rose family. This large and diverse family also includes other beloved fruits such as apples, pears, and raspberries. Despite this shared ancestry, they differ significantly in their genus and botanical structure.