Discover the Green Thumb Secrets: Top 10 Amazing Fun Facts About Gardening You Never Knew!
1. Female Voices Boost Plant Growth
Who run the plant world? Girls! It seems our leafy friends have caught the Beyoncé bug and bloom to a feminine tune: A Royal Horticultural Society study found that plants grow faster when exposed to sound, specifically that of a female voice. Tomato plants that were read to by women grew an inch taller on average than those serenaded by men. However, it's still unclear if simply talking to your plants will guarantee their diva-like growth.
Source => thespruce.com
2. Plant "Group Chat" with VOCs
Psst, gather 'round for some plant gossip; the real dirt: Plants use volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as their very own "group chat," warning fellow green buddies about diseases, injuries, and environmental threats. Picking up these scents allows them to prepare their defenses, but it's all about the subtlety; the concentration and blend ratio of these VOCs is crucial in making sure the message comes across loud and clear in this botanical whisper network.
Source => ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Did you know that in commercial gardening, fruit trees like apples and cherries don't grow from seeds? They're grafted onto dwarf rootstocks to maintain their delicious flavors! Discover more about this fascinating botanical mix-and-match process.
=> Fun Facts about Commercial-Gardening
3. NASA's Accidental Healing Spacetatoes
Beware of spacetatoes with healing powers: NASA accidentally discovered that red LED wavelengths not only accelerated plant growth for space missions but also healed the skin lesions of their scientists, leading to the successful development of red light therapy for human health treatments such as wound healing, pain relief, and reducing inflammation.
Source => platinumtherapylights.com
4. Heavy Metal-Resistant Plants
You know what they say, "Heavy metal and plants go together like Metallica and a botanical garden"! Well, it turns out there's truth in jest: Plants have evolved impressive mechanisms for dealing with heavy metal pollution, using chelation to detoxify and forming stable complexes in the soil, making phytoremediation an efficient eco-friendly option.
Source => frontiersin.org
5. Worms: The Eco-Friendly Fashionistas
Who needs Gucci when you've got worms dressed in eco-friendly fabulousness? Munching and pooping like it's their day job – which it is: These wiggly runway stars are championing vermicomposting, a sustainable method that enriches soil and boosts crop yields for small-scale farmers worldwide. By breaking bread with these tiny fashionistas, farmers in countries like Nepal not only grow more food for themselves but also generate income by selling produce – a perfect blend of good taste and good cash.
Source => npr.org
6. Legumes: Natural Fertilizers
Beans, beans, they're good for your heart - and your soil too, it seems: Legume crops have the incredible ability to capture atmospheric nitrogen and convert it into plant-friendly forms, creating a natural fertilizer when incorporated into crop rotations, ultimately improving soil fertility and nutrient conservation.
Source => sare.org
7. Flowers: The Original Emojis
Flowers, the original emoji before emojis were cool: Communicating emotions in Victorian times wasn't merely a matter of friends and lovers, flowers were also the go-to text message for sympathy and grief, and the language of flowers transcended borders, blooming across Europe, Asia, and beyond.
Source => antiquetrader.com
8. Romans' Unique Fertilizers & Uses
When in Rome, do as the romans do - or perhaps, just stick to the gardening techniques: Ancient Romans were known to use urine and feces not only as a natural fertilizer for their gardens but also as a cleaning agent, leather softener, and even as a bird flu cure, leading to Emperor Vespasian placing a urine tax and inspiring the modern public urinals known as vespasiennes in French and vespasiani in Italian.
Source => mentalfloss.com
9. Gardening as a Calorie-Burning Workout
Who needs a gym membership when you can just "grow" your own workout routine? Become a true "gardener of gains" and watch those calories wilt away as you exercise your green thumb: A study from Arizona State University reveals that light gardening tasks like planting and potting can burn a bodacious 175-300 calories per hour, while tackling heavier tasks such as tilling and wheelbarrow pushing can incinerate an impressive 450-550 calories per hour. Get fit and fabulous, all while transforming your outdoor space into a botanical paradise!
Source => captaincalculator.com
10. Veggie Romance: Grafting for Stronger Plants
In an epic tale of veggie romance, two plants with a mutual attraction find themselves "stuck" together, creating a beautiful, bountiful love child: grafting is the horticultural practice of uniting the rootstock and scion of two different plants, encouraging grown-together tissue and ultimately forming a stronger, more productive hybrid. This magical matchmaking method is especially popular among fruit trees like apples and citrus, as well as elegant flowers like roses, giving a whole new meaning to "growing together" in the garden.
Source => thespruce.com
