Potting brassica seeds for student labs

Director A... had me gather small 4-inch pots, 160 of them, and place them in trays to be filled with potting mix for planting of brassica seeds by agronomy students. I found the pots in the pot-room, the trays in the tray-room, and the potting soil bags in the room full of different types of soil, bark, vermiculite and perlite. Back in the workroom, I filled the trays with the empty pots, then dumped potting mix on top of the empty pots, spreading out the mix into the containers until they were full. I used an empty tray to press down on the pots to compress the soil just enough to squeeze out some of the excess air pockets from each small pot. Finally, each tray was set in a bath to soak up water from the bottom of the pot. Later, B came along to gently spray water onto the surface to ensure the small pots were adequately moist for seeds to germinate. The trays were then placed in a walk-in refrigerator to keep them cool and moist for later use in class.

Working in D2 again, I noticed a fir (angiosperm) covered in brown pollen which had fallen from an overhanging tree fern (Cyatheales family). The fir has short, soft needles which were easily brushed with a weak soapy water and a damp sponge. Finally, I sprayed the fir, and the overhead tree fern, to dislodge the loose pollen.

I had a few minutes remaining at the end of the 3-hour period to remove dead leaves from a low bush in D3. The bush had years - maybe 3 years - of dead leaves and flower stems covering the lower branches. The plant had an unhealthy look to it with all the dead leaves coating the lower branches. The bush looked much more attractive and vital with the lower branches cleaned of the debris.

I mentioned to A... that my friends are planning to visit next week on February 2nd. She said she might be away, but that there was scheduled to be a class visiting the display rooms of the greenhouse. The class consists of photography students and their teacher. Director A... would be there to lead them through the display rooms. .

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I celebrate learning this about cycad plants

I didn't know that the cardboard palm - Zamia furfuracea - is a cycad. It isn't a palm tree (don't judge me, I'm not a botanist). But it also doesn't look like the other more familiar types of cycads with their fluted upright palm-like fronds. I didn't know it is said to be the second most commonly cultivated cycad, after Cycas revoluta . I didn't know this plant is unrelated to the common ZZ plant - Zamioculcas zamifolia - although they have a similar appearance. Before today I didn't know any of these things, but now I am happy to have learned them. From the parking lot I walked to the U of M Conservatory greenhouse in near-zero F weather. Stepping into the tropical spaces was a joy of its own. But being able to learn new information and experience new procedures was a compounding factor. Joy squared. During my 3-hour volunteer shift, my initial task was to clean the parasite critters (mealybugs and scale) from the stems and leaves of the cycad, Zami...

The eponymous palm of Palm Springs

Tens of thousands of native California fan palms ( Washingtonia filifera) rise over the gardens and streets of Palm Springs. The fan-like leaves flutter and wave as the trees gently sway in the desert breeze. If a plant could be described as elegant, this plant would certainly be one. Delicate fibers peel away from the leaf blade as they age, giving the palm part of its name, filifera . The advantage of the fibers to the plant is uncertain; however, the fibers were used by the indigenous Cuhuilla tribes for tools and fabrics. It is no accident the city is named for the palm. For centuries the native Cuhuilla residents were vastly outnumbered by fan palms. For the Cuhuilla, the plant became an important resource for their tools and shelters. Even today, I wouldn't be surprised if the number of palms outnumber the residents of the current modern city. Bird's eye view over old Palm Springs neighborhood; fan palms are everywhere. In their native environment, the palms grow best al...

Another routine spectacular day in the greenhouse

It has been a sincere pleasure for me to volunteer a few hours a week at the University of Minnesota Botanical Conservatory. After many visits over the last few years, exactly none of those days have felt ordinary or repetitive. If there is a routine , it is that the botanic diversity of the collection - with over 3000 species - is displayed in a spectacular way each day. The Conservatory is located on the St. Paul campus, and is free of charge and open to the public during typical weekday hours. For instance, today most of my allotted time was spent in just one of eight rooms, the room that houses the tropical collection. The chores included pruning, re-potting, spraying, sweeping, etc. As I moved through the room, in every direction, there seemed to be a stunning plant pleading to be admired. After the chores were complete, I had the opportunity to go back and photograph some of the beauties that surrounded me while working. Dendrobium tangerinum , Papua New Guinea Dendr...

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