November 27, 2009

The BBC website, always a cool place to find gardening information, has a section devoted to ways in which you can optimize your garden so that it attracts wildlife. There is even an interactive form where you can enter the size of your garden and the amount of time you can devote to attracting wildlife. The results will tell you what you and your garden space can handle, even if your "garden space" is a balcony and the amount of time you have to devote to it is one sunny afternoon in June. Personally, I have no problems attracting deer. Now, if I could just figure out a way to attract coyotes, I may actually have an apple tree next year.

November 20, 2009

I've noticed that whenever the powers-that-be want to sell us on something, they focus their rhetoric on some great injustice that this "something" will overcome. These particular folks want to sell us on the idea that mapping the genetic code of plants will stop the illegal trade in endangered species. And because we are all sentimental, justice-minded saps, we will all clap our hands while singing happy songs. Nowhere in this article do they mention the word "patent" or clue us in that if we are found in possession of a plant without the authorization of its patent holder, said patent holder will torch our land, empty our bank accounts, and make mincemeat of our lives. Funny that.

November 13, 2009

I have to say that one of the best gardening purchases I've made over the past few years has been my heat mat for starting seeds. It greatly reduces germination time, especially for seeds that I start earlier in the year. Admittedly, that is in part because I start my seeds in an unheated porch and although it has lots of windows, it doesn't always get enough sun to keep the air temperature at the minimum required for germination. Bottom heat to the rescue! I've also noticed that my heat mat is great for rising dough. And I suspect if I had a cat, it would muscle past my seedlings in order to nap on the mat. Just a suspiscion.

November 6, 2009

According to this article in The New York Times, farmers are playing fast and loose with the regulations governing the growing of genetically modified corn. More interesting, close to sixty percent of corn grown in the United States has been genetically modified to include BT genes designed to control insects. And twenty-five percent of the farmers growing this corn aren't complying with the regulations, jeopardizing Bt's effectiveness not just in the modified corn crops, but in any corn crop where BT is used as a pesiticide. That includes organically grown corn. Who says biotechnology is a bad idea?