__________________________________________________________ * ** - & &&
Acoris Gramineus: Japanese Sweet Flag or Rush. A foliage plant that grows in shallow water and when bruised gives off a lovely licorice scent. Grows from rhizomes. Propogated by division.
Ann's Law: Just because somebody else says it is impossible doesn't mean you and I can't do it.
AeroGarden: The trade name for indoor planters manufactured by AeroGrow International.
Aeroponics: A method of growing plants without dirt. In this form of hydroponic growing some or all of the roots are exposed to air, and a nutrient rich solution is sprayed on them or circulated around or beneath them.
Aloe Vera: A succulent plant with healing gel that can also be used to make delicious beverages.
Amaranth: Amaranthus oleraceus (aka Amaranuthus blitum) is a tender-leafed salad green that is heat-tolerant and can be grown indoors from seed to harvest in less than a month. Sometimes called Chinese Spinach? We have bought a lovely red too, called Asia Red at Evergreen Seeds. Here is my amaranth page.
Arboretum: An Arboretum is a botanical garden that mainly features woody plants: trees, bushes, and vines. The U.S. National Arboretum now has its own herbarium.
__________________________________________________________
B
__________________________________________________________
Bacon, Francis: Sir Francis Bacon's book entitled Sylva Sylvarum was published posthumously in 1627. In it he had written about how to grow plants without soil.
bacopa monnieri: See Water Hyssop.
basella rubra or alba: Fast growing perenial vine that is edible and easy to grow hydroponically or in soil, loves hot weather. Also known as Indian, Ceylon, or Malabar Spinach. Takes 10 days to root stem cutting in water. Attractive, nutritious, and delicious. I blogged about Malabar Spinach in my blog called Ann's Air Gardens.
Basil: Ocimum basilicum. Annual. Culinary and medicinal herb. One of the most attractive and easiest to grow plants, with many varieties. Basil is particularly well-suited for beginners to grow hydroponically.
Beans: Beans are also called pulses when they are grown for the dry bean, but legumes otherwise. The common bean, pods of which are eaten fresh, is Phaseolus vulgaris. Kidney beans are a pulse, but the same plant produces tasty snap beans. Like basil, beans, especially kidney beans, are very easy to grow hydroponically. During the 2020 Pandemic I had an opportunity to grow yard long beans and the red ones have become my favorite. Here is my grow log on Beans.
Begonias: The best know begonias probably are Semperflorens, commonly known as Fibrous or Wax begonias. They are perennials, grown indoors in cooler weather, or outdoors as bedding plants. Although they need to be dry between waterings if grown in dirt, they grow surprisingly well in water and root easily from cuttings. Other types include Rex, Angel Wing (Canes), Shrubs, Rhyzomatous, Tuberous (Hardy), Trailing (Scandent), and Thick-Stemmed. Here is my grow log on Begonias . I posted about one of them here: wax begonia
Bee Stick: See Pollinating Stick.
Bellflower: See Campanula.
Bok Choy: Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis This grows beautifully in water.
Botanical Garden: A place where collections of living plants are studied, collected, and in most cases, made available to the public. Many botanical gardens also have an herbarium, in which dried plant specimens, seeds, fruit, and documenation are collected. Following a tradition started by the Italians in the 16th century, botanical gardens are often connected with universities.
Bush beans: Beans that tend to grow in a compact bush shape rather than on a pole. See pole beans.
Butternut Squash: Although a winter squash, can be eaten green. Butternut leaves and plants are HUGE and very spiny. The flowers are not as good raw in a salad as some other squash blossoms, but they are very good fried, especially in nacho cheese and/or butter and they attract bees and provide pollen for less prolific squash. I had some spaghetti squash that bloomed prolifically with male flowers, but when a female flower finally opened, there were no males to be found. I used pollen from a butternut squash. I have only grown these from seeds saved from a grocery store squash. Here is my grow log for butternut squash
__________________________________________________________
C
__________________________________________________________
Calibrachoa: A patented heavy bloomer first collected in the wilds of South America and hybridized as Million Bells in the early 90's. Self-cleaning, compact, long-blooming, perfect for containers. Due to the patent, these are not available in seed. See also: Million Bells.
Campanula: As the name suggests this is the same as Bellflower, a perennial with edible leaves and blossoms which blooms prodigiously and can be propagated through cuttings. Here is my Bellflower Page .
Cantelope: See Muskmelon
Celery: Apium graveolens is a cool weather plant. Like onions and leeks, celery can be regrown from a discarded base. I first blogged about celery here.
Cloning: See Plant Tissue Culture.
Chloeophytum comosum: See Spider Plant.
Chlorosis: A condition where the leaves of a plant turn pale or yellow as a result of not getting enough chlorophyll. This can be from too high pH or a deficiency of iron, nitrogen, or magnesium.
Chicory: Cichorium intybus is an interesting plant to grow because the leaves, flowers, and root are all edible and are said to have various health benefits as well. I like the leaves sauted with meat or potatoes, sliced in a clear broth or vegetable tea, or, when they are young and tender, chopped in a salad. The plants can be propagated by root cuttings, division or grown from seed. The flowers appear on huge stalks that tower over leaves that grow more diminutive as they reach the top of the stem. My chicory grow log is here.
Chrysanthemum: Chrysanthemum coronarium, known as Edible Chrysanthemum, is a herbaceous perennial, but it does not die back in mild Southern California winters, rather it thrives. My chrysanthemum grow log is here: Crown Daisy
Cosmos: Cosmos Sulphureus is the miniature version which reaches only about 1/3 of the height of its people sized relative Cosmos Bipinnatus. I blogged about rooting Cosmos in water here.
Creeping Charlie: Plectranthus verticullatis is edible and roots easily in water. Also known as Swedish Begonia and Swedish Ivy. Not to be confused with Ground Ivy (Creeping Jenny). Many sources give the designation Plectranthus australis for this plant, but after much reading, I have concluded that to be incorrect. Apparently P. australis is a misnomer for P. parviflorus, a fuzzier leafed plant with edible tubers. My grow page is here.
Cucumber: Very easy to grow in water. Here is my Cucumber Page.
Cut and Come Again: A term to describe plants such as leaf lettuce that you can cut back and they will keep growing.
Cuttings: One way to reproduce a plant without having to grow it from a seed, is to cuttings, frequently by cutting off a stem from the parent plant and simply sticking it back into a glass of water, with or without adding a little root tone powder or gel. Not all plants can be reproduced in this way, so here is a page on which I am starting a list of all of the different kinds of plants that I have successfully rooted from stem cuttings in water (and some that I have not!) and the results: Plants I Have Rooted from Stem Cuttings. Some of the plants I have rooted from stem cuttings are ones that others have said cannot be rooted in water.
Here is a page detailing plants other people have claimed can be rooted from stem cuttings, but I either haven't tried it yet (or haven't moved it to the other page yet): Plants Said to Root from Stem Cuttings. It is also possible to propagate plants by taking root cuttings, by division, and by other methods, but soft stem cuttings are my favorite way.
__________________________________________________________
D __________________________________________________________
Determinate: A term used to describe the varieties of tomato plants, usually bushy as opposed to vining, that tend to produce all their fruit within a short time and then the harvest is over. See Indeterminate.
Division: Making new plants by dividing a parent plant. This is my preferred method of propagating Upland Cress and other brassicas such as Komatsuna kojisan.
__________________________________________________________
E
Elephant Bush: Portulacaria afra is a beautiful succulent unrelated to jade plant which is toxic. Elephant Bush is highly nutritious but may be an acquired taste, especially when eaten raw. I blog about Elephant Bush here.
Esperanza: Another sun-loving, heat tolerant plant.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
F
Fava Beans: Vicia faba or broad beans grow well in water, sprouting or rooting from stem cuttings in just a few days and make good microgreens. The tender young leaves taste a little like pea shoots, but are more robust. Here is my Fava Bean Grow Log: and I blogged about fava beans here: Fava Bean Update
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
G
Gardenia: This fragrant plant requires a specific temperature range to form blossoms, but Gardenia jasminoidesstill makes a lovely houseplant even after it is done blooming. It roots easily from stem cuttings.
Gladiolus: Gladiolus communis is a bulbous perennial with huge sword-like stems of fragrant showy flowers. It is propagated by dividing the cormlets, which grow off from the parent corm underground. The following link explains the difference between corms and bulbs: Planting Flower Bulbs.
Gericke, William: William Gericke introduced the American public to the word hydroponics after his first successful experiments growing tomatoes and other plants in a liquid nutrient solution.
Grape: See my Grape Log
__________________________________________________________
H
__________________________________________________________
Harden Off: When plants have been sheltered indoors, whether in soil, water, or some other medium, in order for them to survived outdoors, they need to be hardened off. This means to keep them out of hot sun, wind, cold, or other environmental hazards until they are used to the outdoors. This is also true when you move a plant from a hydroponic system into dirt.
Herbacious Stem Cuttings: See Slips
Herbarium: An herbarium is a collection of flowering plants and their preserved fruits and seeds. One of my favorite online resources is provided by the University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium. It is an illustrated database which can be searched by genus and species as well as by common names: Search for Vascular Plants
Hyrangea: I have started a page on the Hydrangea (Hortensia) here :
Hydrocotyle leucocephala: Brazilian pennywort
Hydroculture: Growing easy plants without soil in a nutrient solution. Passive Hydroponics. While fancy equipment and special techniques may be necessary for high output food production, there are many useful plants which can be grown dirt-free quite easily, with great expense or preparation. See Water Roots
Hydroponics: When Gericke brought the term into usage he meant for it to apply to growing plants in a liquid nutrient solution without any soil-free medium. However today the term is more broadly used and can refer to growing in clay pellets, sand or just about any inert substance. The phrase "passive hydroponics" refers to Hydroculture. See Aeroponics. See Wikipedia article on Hydroponics.
Hibiscus: Two particularly interesting kinds of hibiscus are ROSELLE, Hibiscus sabdariffa and ROSE OF SHARON, Hibiscus syriacus, both of which are used in making healthy and tasty tea. Roselle is the bright red one used in Agua de Jamaica, aka Hibiscus tea.
__________________________________________________________
Holy Basil: Ocimum Tenuiflorum is a synonym for Ocimum Sanctum aka Tulsi: There is a lot of misinformation about this plant which has hairy stems, tender leaves, and a peppery flavor. Sometimes called Thai Holy Basil, it is different from Thai Basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora)
__________________________________________________________
I
__________________________________________________________
In Vitro means "under glass" or essentially grown in a test tube under sanitary conditions. See Plant Tissue Culture or Micropropagation.
Indeterminate: A term used to describe tomato plants, usually vining, that continue to bear fruit as long as growing conditions allow rather than having to be harvested all at once. See determinate.
__________________________________________________________
J
Jade Plant. Crassula Ovata can be propagated by leave cuttings, but like many succulents, the cut likes to heal a bit before rooting. I just break a stem off and leave it out on the countertop for a few hours or overnight before putting the cutting in water. Most people root their cuttings in dirt, but water works just as well.
Jasmine. A shrub or vine related to the olive, Jasminium Officionale has fragrant flowers that open only in the evening, but they can be picked early in the morning and brought inside to open indoors at night. The name means "Gift from God." Also see Madagascar Jasmine.
Jute. Corchorus olitorius AKA Eqyptian Spinach, Molokhia, Loves full sun hot weather, except that until it is well established it needs some shade when over 100F. Has pollen and female parts in same flower, but not self pollenating. My Jute Grow Log is here.
__________________________________________________________
K
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana. A perenniel herbacious plant from Madagascar,commonly named Flaming Katy and easily rooted from stem cuttings.
Komatsuna kojisan. A beautiful and delicious fast-growing and heat-tolerant spinach substitute, well suited to hydroponic growing. Here is my Komatsuna Grow Log .
__________________________________________________________
Kombucha: Although not a plant, Kombucha is a wonderful thing to grow. In addition to being the basis for any number of delicious home brewed beverages, kombucha is remarkably useful in baking. It puts lots of bubbles in pancake batter or bread dough for light and fluffy baked goods. Here is my Kombucha Grow Log.
Knop, Wilhelm:
Wilhelm Knop was the 19th century German botanist who, along with Julius von Sachs, perfected liquid nutrients, thus paving the way for modern hydroponic gardening.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
L
Lambsquarters is one of the common names for Chenopodium. The kind we grow is Chenopodium giganteum, also known as Magenta Spreen. Here is my page on Lambsquarters.
Lantana: A dought-hardy, sun-loving bush of the family Verbenaceae, also called shrub verbena or Spanish Flag (Lantana camara), because of its vivid red and yellow colors. Lantana can be propagated from cuttings. Here is my page on Spanish Flag.
Leeks: Allium ampeloprasum is cool weather crop related to the onion. They are rich in the prebiotic inulin. Like scallions and other members of the genus allium, the root end of a leek plant will regrow in water. The new growth is mild and tender and grows up to 3/4" a day. I blogged about leeks here.
Leaf Cuttings: A way to propagate new plants without using seeds. A method often used for African Violets and begonias in which instead of rooting an herbacious stem cutting, new plants are started from just one leaf.
Lemon Grass: A disinfectant and mosquito repelling plant, Cymboopogon citratus has fragrant leaves that are wonderful to smell when brushing against them in the garden, although contact with the plant can be irritating to the skin. Used fresh or powdered, this plant has the smell of lemon without the tartness.
Lemon Balm: Grown indoors, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) likes a LOT of light. It roots easily in plain filtered water, and can be cut back and rooted continually to keep a prodigious supply of fresh tender leaves which are pleasant to the touch, unlike lemon grass, but with some of the same benefits: the oil from fresh leaves makes an excellent insect repellant. Tea made from either fresh or dried leaves makes a calming tea which also may counteract some of the effects of radiation. They also may have some effect on the thyroid. I don't have a lemon balm grow log yet, but I did post about it here.
_________________________________________________________
M
Madagascar Jasmine: Also known as Bridal Wreath, Stephanotis jasminoides is not related to Jasminium Officionale. Easily propagated by cuttings.
Malabar Spinach: Also known as __________________, Need to make grow log, Malabar Spinach
Mandevilla: Also known as Scarlet Pimpernel, the red flowering Mandevilla splendens is a beautiful vine with trumpet shaped flowers that only open when the sun shines (or in the presence of artificial light). The pink ones are commonly called Red Riding Hood.
Mexican Sage: Salvia leucantha is a beautiful flowering landscaping subshrub. The striking purple and white shafts of blossoms are highly fragrant and stay in flower for months between midsummer until fall.
Mint:
See spearmint.
Million Bells -- See Calibrachoa.
Micropropagation is another name for Plant Tissue Culture. Here is a very interesting article on Micropropagation. If this topic really interests you, check these out: Photo and Kits
Moonflower: Although several other plants are commonly called moonflower, here I refer to the Moonflower Vine or Moon Vine Ipomoea alba. This fast-growing vine bears gloriously fragrant flowers that open in the afternoon. It goes well with morning glories, which open early in the day and close about the time the moonflowers open. My moonflower grow log is here.
Morning Glory is one of many plants in the Convolvulaceae family, typically those of the genus Ipomoea, which also includes the sweet potato. If you live in Arizona or Arkansas it is illegal to grow these for the stated reason that they are invasive, but since Kudzu (the plant that ate the South) is not prohibited, I suspect it is because the unwary might ingest them as they said are hallucinogenic, along with salvia and other common decorative plants. See Moonflower. Here is my morning glory grow log.
Moss Rose is a common name for Portulaca grandiflora, a plant that thrives in hot dry climates. Related to purslane, one of my favorite soup and salad herbs, moss roses are also well-suited to hydroponic growing. Here is my moss rose grow log.
Muskmelon: Cucumis melo var reticulatus The melons marketed as cantelopes in the US are muskmelons. Cantelopes are Cucumis melo var cantalupensis.
____________________________________
N
Nasturtium is one of my favorite plants. Here is my Nasturtium Grow Log.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
O
Okra: I started my first ochra seeds in a glass vial on May 9 (Dwarf Green) and they sprouted overnight, so I started the burgundy (red) on May 11, 2020. Got first red pod on September 4, 2020. Here is my Okra Grow Log.
Orchids: There are over 20,000 known species of orchid, a plant known for gorgeous and interesting flowers. Although orchids are widely reported to be difficult to grow, some actually require pretty minimal care. Perhaps the easiest orchids to grow are terrestrial (ground) orchids as they live and bloom in soil or water instead of air. I blogged about my first orchid here. More here and here.
__________________________________________________________
P
Parthenocarpic: Parthenocarpic plants can produce fruit without being pollenated. This is different from self-pollenating plants, which have both male and female parts in the same flower and can be helped pollenate themselves by bees or wind. Parthenocarpic fruit does not have seeds. See Stenospermocarpy
Peppers: In the same family as tomatoes and tobacco, peppers adapt wonderfully to hydroponic growing. Here I am growing them in a Tide Laundry Container. Here is my pepper page.
__________________________________________________________
Papilionaceous flowers: As the name would suggest, these are flowers shaped somewhat like butterflies. They are found on peas, beans, and other legumes.
Peas: A pulse. Here is my Pea Grow Log
Peperomia: At least 2 varieties of peperomia are edible: P. pellucida and quadrifolia (which is rumored to taste like cilantro). They ae considered extremely nutritious. There are thousands of varieties of this plant, some of which are succulents and some are not.
Peppers: In the same family as tomatoes and tobacco, peppers adapt wonderfully to hydroponic growing. Here I am growing them in a Tide Laundry Container. Here is my pepper page.
Perilla: See Shiso
Petunias: Heat-loving summer flowers with showy trumpet shaped blooms. Petunias are in the same family as tomatoes: Solanaceae, but they have their own genus. Here is my Petunia Grow Log.
Plumbago: Hardy shrub that roots easily from cuttings with beautiful long lasting flowers. Here is my Plumbago Grow Log.
Polyploidy Plants: To be added soon.
Perilla: Perilla frutescens Green or Red or Perilla frutescens AKA Shisho. I first blogged about Perilla Here
Pollinating Stick: Also called a bee stick, this device can be nothing more than a toothpick with the thorax of a dead bee glued to one end. Fastplants.org provides this useful sketch, courtesy of the University of Wisconsin. See Pollination Wand.
Pollination Wand: Commercially available pollination wands can be found .
Pole beans: Be ns that tend to grow in a compact bush shape rather than on a pole. See pole beans.
Ponytail Palm: Also called Elephant Foot Tree, this member of the lily family is Beaucarnea recurvata, a highly drought resistant slow growing ornamental which can eventually become over 6 feet wide at the base and 18 feet tall. Apparently they can live hundreds of years with minimal care. I blogged about my ponytail palm here.
Pulses: Beans, peas, lentils, vetch, and a few other plants in the Fabaceae family, also known as legumes. Peanuts are in this family as well.
Purple Heart; Tradescantia pallida 'purpurea' will root in water in about 2 weeks. Will grow in partial shade, but to get purple leaves it needs sun. Toxic to cats and dogs. Highly effective in improving indoor air quality! According to the AlergicLiving website, "Purple Heart Researchers rated it as superior for its ability to remove four of five VOCs – benzene, toluene, TCE and alpha-pinene."
Purple Plates: There are many devices on the market that purport to make your plants grow better for one reason or another. One such contraption is the Nikola Tesla Purple Plate, which is billed as a free-energy device. This is a detail of the authenticity stamp EIP puts on their products.
Whether or not they "do" anything, the 12" purple plates make very attractive plant coasters.
Purslane: Also known as verdolagas, Purslane used to be valued as an English pot herb. It is rich in Omega-3 nutrients and tasty too. Here is my Purslane Grow Log
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Q
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
R
Radish: The only kind of radish I have grown is Raphanus caudatus L. which produces aerial pods instead of edible roots. I like these because they are hardy and prolific and continue to produce all through our Southern California winter. Unlike regular radishes these are not fast growing. Here is my grow log on Purple Dragon's Tail Radish . This summer I am going to try Munchen Bier. Apparently regular radishes will produce edible pods after a while, but I prefer the Raphanus caudatus L because it's leaves are tastier and have a nicer texture.
Ranunculus: To be added soon.
Root Cuttings: Sections cut out of the root of a parent plant and used to start new plants without seeds.
Rosemary: There is an excellent article on rosemary here.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
S
Sage: Salvia officinalis is common sage, used to season poultry, among other things.
Scallions: -- Green onions. You can cut the tops off store-bought scallions and then regenerate them to eat again, and again. They will grow in water, anchored in hydroton rocks, gravel, or whatever, with just a little nutrient solution. They are a pretty addition to any window sill and tasty sliced over morning eggs, in a salad, soup or casserole. Here is my (unfinished) Scallion page.
Self incompatible describes a plant that may have perfect flowers and thus be self-fertilizing, but it takes more than one plant to produces fruit and seeds because the flowers on one plant will not fertilize other flowers on the same plant.
Shiso: Also known as beefsteak plant, or perilla. Widely used in India and many Asian countries it is less well known in the United States, but beginning to become available here. It is an ornamental vegetable that comes in bright green, red, purple, and also the Britton or tia to varieties have leaves that can be green on top and either red or purple on the bottom. The flowers are diminutive and white, and produce interesting seed pods.
Squash: Cucurbita pepo is a species of the genus Cucurbita that includes winter crops such as pumpkins, acorn, butternut, and spaghetti squash among others, as well as a vast number of the less mature soft skinned summer crops that include zucchini, crookneck, and scallop. I blogged about Ronde de Nice here. I especially like Ronde de Nice because they grow very fast, with attractive and prolific leaves that are good to eat when cooked. If grown indoors these need to be hand-pollenated. Another good early squash is Bush Baby which is like Cocozelle (with stripes) or Astia (no stripes). Most winter squash can be eaten green as summer squash (eg spaghetti squash, butternut...) Spineless squash come in green or yellow and some are very early (Easy Pick Gold can be 32 days, no spines, and self pollenating). See Butternut, Spaghetti, Zucchini...
Slip:-- A soft stem cutting taken for the purpose of "cloning" or propagating a plant vegetatively. See cuttings.
Sows thistle: -- Also known as Hares Thistle, Sonchus oleraceusis an edible plant resembling dandelion and having some of the same nutritious value. My Sows thistle grow log is here.
Stenospermocarpic: These plants are pollinated and fertilized normally, but then after the fruit sets the embryos are aborted.
Stock: -- 1) Any "mother" plant used to take cuttings is called a "stock plant."
2) The common name for Matthiola incana. Stock is a cool weather plant. My stock grow log is here.
Spanish Flag: -- Another name for the Lantana camara bush, not to be confused with the vine, which is Ipomoea versicolor, cousin to the morning glory (see also ipomoea carnea or morning glory tree)
Spearmint is very easy to root in water, and can be grown from seeds, but it takes a while to get established. Here is my Spearmint Page.
Spider Plant: See Chloeophytum comosum
Spiderwort: see Tradescantia pallida
Stem Cuttings: See cuttings.
Squash is related to ... See Spaghetti, Butternut, Zucchini... Here is my Squash Grow Log .
Sweet Pea: Toxic, but beautiful, this vine is highly ornamental and smells heavenly, but please don't eat it.
Sweet Potato: Related to the morning glory, this vine makes a lovely edible hydroponic plant for indoors or on the balcony.
Swiss Chard: Faster growing and more heat-tolerant than spinach, Swiss Chard, a variety of beet grown for the leaves rather than the root, is a Chenopod, like amaranth and lambsquarters. Popular in Mediterranian cooking, it is also called perpetual spinach, or silverbeet.
__________________________________________________________
T
Tatsoi: Brassica rapa subsp. narinosa (or Brassica rapa var. rosularis). Although I prefer plants that grow well in water and root from stem cuttings, tatsoi is a wonderfully hardy vegetable that grows well indoors in soil with very little care.
Thai Basil : There are several varieties of Thai basil. One is O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora. Another is Sweet Thai Basil (O. basilicum dolce fresca) also called Anise Basil or Licorice Basil because of its spicy taste. See also Thai Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) or Tulsi (or Tulasi) which we also call Holy Basil. It is the latter that is said to have remarkable medicinal qualities. My Thai Basil grow log is COMING, but I blogged about it here.
Tissue Culture:Plant Tissue Culture or Micropropagation refers to growing plants at the cellular level. A small part of the plant you wish to reproduce is reproduced by cellular division and then multiplied to produce an exact replica or clone. Although hydronic seed starters are often called cloning machines, real cloning is when you take a single cell and use it to make a whole plant.
Tomato : A perennial related to peppers and eggplant, this member of the deadly nightshade family is powerfully nutritious. The botanical name is Solanum lycopersicum after an antioxidant present in the fruit called lycopene. Although raw tomatoes are nutritious and delicious, to benefit from the lycopene, we must process the tomato with heat. Tomatoes root easily from cuttings.
Here is my tomato grow log: Tasty Tomatoes
Tomatillos are Physalis ixocarpa orPhysalis philadelphica, etc. Like tomatoes and peppers, these are members of the nightshade family. Their flowers are perfect so when grown indoors you can hand-pollinate them by shaking the stems. Although they are often called husk tomatoes, there are other kinds of husk tomatoes such as the ground cherry and cape gooseberry that are different species of Physalis. Some insist tomatillos are self-incompatible and others say that is nonsense. Presumably it depends on the species. My tomatillo grow log is HERE.
Tradescantia Pallida: See Purple Heart
Tulsi : Tulsi or Tulasi is also called Holy Basil. See Thai Basil.
__________________________________________________________
U
__________________________________________________________
V
__________________________________________________________
Von Sachs: Julius von Sachs was a 19th century German botanist who studied the role of chlorophyll in the metabolism of plants and took a particular interest in water-culture. __________________________________________________________
W
Watercress: Information about watercress is on my Watercress Grow Log
Water Hyssop: bacopa monnieri also known as Indian Pennywort is an aquatic plant with antioxidant properties. Used in Ayurvedic medicine, it is believed to improve brain function, strengthen the liver, regulate blood pressure, and protect against diabetes, along with many other uses. I blogged about water hyssop here.
Water Roots: Many people hold the mistaken believe that you cannot transfer water cuttings to dirt and have them thrive. This may be true for plants that have not been hardened off. But if the roots of a cutting that has only lived in water are watched over for a few weeks, the new plant will do just fine outdoors. Just keep it in partial shade, minimum wind, and controlled temperature until the roots have had a chance to acclimate to the soil. See Hardening Off.
__________________________________________________________
John Woodward:
____________________________________
X
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________<
Y
__________________________________________________________ Z
_____ _____________________________________________________