The world of gardening is full of weird and wacky facts. In this blog, Frankie Flowers gives us seven wacky and weird gardening facts that he has come across in his career. We are sure there will be more to come!
1Bare Bum Test
Take a look through the pages of old gardening books and you may find reference to the “Bare Bum test”, a method gardeners would use to see if soil temperatures were warm enough to sow seeds. Simply pull down your pants and if the soil is warm enough to sit on, it should be warm enough to plant. For the sanity of your neighbours I don’t recommend you pulling your pants down but I do recommend you pay attention to soil temperature when sowing seeds including grass seed, radishes, leafy greens and herbs. For most seeds soil temperature should be between 15˚to 20˚C (60–70˚F) and can easily be measured using a meat thermometer.
Giant Tomato
The world record for heaviest tomato ever grown is 3.51 kg (7 lb 12oz). According to Guinness World Records the tomato was grown by G. Graham of Edmond, Oklahoma, USA in 1986. To put this in perspective Graham’s tomato weighs about the same as an average new born child.
Royal Basil
Basil belongs to the mint family. Native to tropical Asia the name “basil” is derived from the Greek word “basileios” meaning “king” or “royal”, as reflected on ancient cultures’ belief that this herb was noble and sacred. One thing is for certain, basil is sacred in the kitchen; but did you know research has shown combining basil and yogurt together and applying on the skin may clear up acne?
Notch in a Tree
Thinking about carving your name in a tree? I don’t recommend it, but did you know a notch in a tree will remain the same distance from the ground as the tree grows? True fact!
Stinking Benjamin
You most likely know Ontario’s provincial flower is the white trillium, but did you know there are red trilliums? Red trilliums are nicknamed “stinking Benjamin” as they smell awful. The reason for the smell is the foul odour attracts insects aiding in pollination.
Brainy Spiders
Spiders are the good guys in the garden but did you know they may be the smartest thing in your garden? Harvard Neurologists have discovered an average spider’s brain possesses a greater mental capacity than the world’s most brilliant scientists. According to the study, if a spider’s brain didn’t lack a cognitive lobe, they’d be more intelligent than Einstein!
Three Sisters
“Three sisters” in gardening refers to the ancient Native American planting technique of growing corn, beans and squash together. In the modern garden we call this “companion planting”, where each plant helps one another. Corn is planted to support the pole bean, beans help by fixing nitrogen in the soil to feed the corn and squash, and squash is planted underneath to shade both the corn and bean’s roots. Together the three sisters grow in harmony.
Go forth and enjoy your garden!