plants

Woman saves hundreds of unwanted plants

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The plant whisperer who saves withering blooms from the bin: Gardener turns her home into an indoor jungle after rescuing hundreds of unwanted houseplants Sarah Gerrard-Jones urged people not to throw away shrivelled house plants  She said to help bring them back to life with some water, sunshine and food Sarah  rescues plants in her semi-detached … Read more

Polymer coating for plants could be safer alternative to pesticides

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A new polymer coating could serve as a safer alternative to pesticides in controlling harmful fungi that devastate plant crops.  UK scientists used a coating of (meth)acrylate polymer, which is normally used to make acrylic plastics, to block fungi from attaching to surfaces.  The coating, which was shown to be effective on plants, averts the … Read more

Giving plants ‘good’ bacteria could help them fight disease 

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Scientists have developed plant ‘probiotics’ that help fight disease without the use of expensive pesticides. UK researchers say beneficial bacteria in soil supports plants’ immune systems in a similar way to positive gut bacteria in humans. By injecting probiotics into a plant’s growth medium, they hope to create ideal growing conditions year-round for herbs, fruits … Read more

Bees help plants produce flowers faster by nibbling on their leaves

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Cunning bumblebees help plants produce flowers by nibbling away on their leaves in way that speeds up blooming, according to a new report. Bumblebees that wake up earlier in the year than normal due to climate change face a scarcity of pollen because flowers are yet to bloom, European researchers claim. They therefore bite the … Read more

Insects are gorging themselves on ‘junk’ as rising CO2 levels make plants less nutritious 

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Grasshoppers are gorging themselves on the equivalent of ‘junk food’ as rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere make plants less nutritious, a study has found.  Experts studying a grassland preserve in Kansas discovered that its grasshopper numbers have fallen by more than 30 per cent over the last two decades. Increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide … Read more

Desk plants ‘can calm you down and make work less stressful’

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Having a bonsai tree or cactus on your desk to stare at while working can keep you calm and make your job less stressful, researchers say. Japanese experts studied whether a small plant could really improve mood at work, given nature is known to improve general wellbeing.  Office workers were given an indoor plant, such … Read more

Mountains of plants thrown onto compost heap because they cannot be sold during coronavirus lockdown

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The managing director of a plant wholesaler said his firm has lost more than £2.5million-worth of business in the last three months after garden centres were forced to close as part of the coronavirus lockdown. Adrian Marskell, who runs The Bransford Webbs Plant Company in Worcester, in the West Midlands, has had to begin throwing away … Read more

Tiny beetle that attacks ragweed plants could help ‘millions of hay fever sufferers’

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Tiny beetle that attacks ragweed plants and prevents them from flowering ‘could be the key to relieving millions of hay fever sufferers of their symptoms’ Pollen released from the invasive ragweed plant is a key cause of hay fever  One plant can release a billion grains of pollen, causing sneezing and itchy eyes Experts found … Read more