A gardening expert has divulged a clever trick for cultivating an endless supply of basil at home, sparing you the expense at the supermarket. Simon Akeroyd, a seasoned gardener and author, has illustrated precisely how to achieve this feat. Brandishing a plastic packet of basil, akin to those found on supermarket shelves, Simon provided a … Read more
Playing a monotonous sound stimulates the activity of a fungus that promotes plant growth, a study suggested on Wednesday, raising the potential that playing music could be good for crops and gardens. Whether or not blasting Mozart could help plants grow has long been a matter of scientific debate. The US TV show “MythBusters” even … Read more
When aquatic botanist Meghann Bruce found an invasive species nicknamed zombie plant in the St. John River in 2015, she only found it in one spot. She actually stumbled upon Eurasian watermilfoil while doing a botanical survey of the river for another project. As part of that study, she explored 171 sites between the Mactaquac Dam … Read more
This summer I visited two coastlines: the western shore of Oregon and California by motorcycle, and the south coast of Spain. During both trips I experienced 40 C-and-higher temperatures, but the two countries dealt with the heat in different ways. The Oregon Trail and California coast are famous for spectacular seaside cliffs and long sandy … Read more
Disease-resistant seedlings of an endangered tree species are doing well during their first season in a western Quebec forest, according to the conservation group that planted them. Butternut trees are native to Canada and can be found in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. But over the last 30 or so years, canker disease has wiped out … Read more
It’s a rare sighting: A small oblong insect coloured a bright Barbie pink. It’s a pink katydid, a grasshopper-like insect with a recessive gene that turns them from their usual pale green to bright pink. Geoff Pekor is an insect enthusiast who makes a hobby out of looking for these, and other unusual insects at … Read more
An unusual infestation of cutworms is wreaking havoc in fields in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Témiscamingue, in northwestern Quebec, has been especially affected by the damage caused by cutworms — caterpillars that can destroy canola, potato and grain crops in a matter of days. Cutworms are found every year in small quantities in market gardens. But producers are … Read more
Over 45,000 species are now threatened with extinction — 1,000 more than last year — according to an international conservation organization that blames pressures from climate change, invasive species and human activity such as illicit trade and infrastructural expansion. The International Union for Conservation of Nature released its latest Red List of Threatened Species on … Read more
A Conservative MP apologized in the House of Commons on Thursday after an Indigenous colleague from across the political aisle called him out for linking an offender’s criminal record to his race. Brad Redekopp says he misspoke earlier this week when he brought up the 2022 mass stabbings in Saskatchewan during a debate about measures … Read more
A rare species of cycad, E. woodii, is the only example scientists have ever discovered – a male plant living a lonely existence in South Africa’s Ngoye Forest, in 1895. Ngoye is an ancient coastal scarp forest that is protected by the oNgoye Forest Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal. E. woodii is now considered extinct in the … Read more
