Cabin Fever? Consider Propagating

“I heard it brings bad luck to have sex on Ground Hog Day,” wrote the late George Burns. As a long-time resident of California, one wonders how often he encountered the wretched rodent on 2nd February – or any other date. Marmota monax is common to almost all of Canada except flanking Newfoundland and Vancouver Island plus the Arctic, along with the eastern U.S. Gardeners there may discover that M. monax thrives on a diet of veggies . . . when not hibernating.

Then there’s Valentines Day, 14th February and Christian Poincheval says he has the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for lovers. The French inventor has recently added a new ginger flavour to his range of pills aimed at making people’s flatulence smell sweeter. Meanwhile across La Manche, a Brit food company has kicked off the search to find country’s rudest fruit and veggies in time for the occasion. At press time, they had produce photos of carrots engaged in sex, a parsnip penis and a potato backside – rude food indeed. Failing to find appeal in one or more of these, those rejected might find solace in San Francisco Zoo. There they can “adopt” a hissing cockroach or giant scorpion to name after their former amore for Valentine’s Day.

Diversion No. 1

According to the late Victor Borges, the worst two winters of the 20th century were Mike and Bernie

While cabin fever may inflict many who lack the gardening hobby, enthusiasts find comfort that their hobby grows on them. True, pottering around the garden is somewhat forbidding this time of year. However, this month indoors is perfect for propagation. Cuttings can be started and seeds sown for planting outside when warmer weather arrives. Plan for a few extra to present to black-thumbed friends and local community sales. While taking cuttings from stock plants saved last fall, check for pest problems. Whiteflies and aphids are fairly obvious; more insidious are spider mites. Barely visible to the naked eye, they cause plants under attack to take on a dusty appearance. In extreme cases, fine webs appear. Combat these with insecticidal soap, a natural solution. Spray under foliage and over shoots every five days for several weeks to eliminate newly patched larvae. The eggs will have remained unaffected by the pesticide.

Diversion No. 2

Russian women have been advised to use beetroot instead of imported lipstick, as the ruble becomes rubble. Siberian Senator Igor Chernishev suggested that women who could not afford expensive imported lipstick could opt for the ‘natural look’ or even use beetroot as an alternative to makeup.

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Bad news about the now-notorious emerald ash borer, (Agrilus planipennis) also known as EAB. Research by Dr. Don Cipollini, a professor at Wright State University, found evidence that EAB can also attack white fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus), a species native to southeastern United States that is planted ornamentally, he reported in the Journal of Economic Entomology. The fringetree may not make it into more northern climes, but close relatives such as the highly popular and widely planted forsythia, privet and lilac may come under attack from this obnoxious Asia invader.

Diversion No. 3

A NASA spacecraft has picked up plants in the act of photosynthesis, reports Scienceshots. About 1% of the light that strikes plants is re-emitted as a faint florescent glow – a measure of photosynthetic activity. Scientists have released a map of this glow as measured from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2.

Increased use of agricultural herbicides has decimated the milkweed that the caterpillars of the iconic monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) depend on. In a well-meaning response, gardeners in southern Texas and the Gulf Coast started planting milkweed, not native Asclepias syriaca but the more commonly available tropical milkweed, A. curassavica. The results have been disastrous. In the southern U.S., tropical milkweed does not die back in winter, so monarch butterflies feeding on it find no reason to migrate to Mexico. Instead they stay on to lay their eggs year-round. A second problem arises when their eggs hatch and the larvae commence feeding on the foliage of A. curassavica. This is likely to be contaminated with the protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscrrha. The caterpillars become infested, passing the spores on when they emerge from their chrysalises – but in a weakened state they don’t live long.

Diversion No. 4

Carnivorous plants catch and digest tiny animals in order and derive benefits from their nutrition. But it appears at least one is willing to become an omnivore. The aquatic carnivorous bladderwort, which can be found in many lakes and ponds worldwide, does not only gain profit from eating tiny animals but also by consuming algae and pollen grains researchers report in the Annals of Botany.

A pack of hybrid dingoes have reportedly taken over a suburb of Brisbane, much to the distress of pets and wildlife, one Aussie bemoaned, ‘A dingo’s got my mango,’ reported that city’s The Courier Mail. At least coyotes haven’t got around to that – yet. Meanwhile a word of warning from a new Toyota owner in Croydon, south London: Within days of purchasing his new vehicle with its eco-friendly plastic materials, squirrels arrived to nosh on the ‘green’ plastic car parts that may be made from substances such as peanut oil and tomato skins. Try reporting that to your insurance agent.