1. The smell of rich soil – that delicious smell reminiscent of gardening and fresh mulch and recent rain – is courtesy of Actinomycetes, a filamentous gram-positive bacteria. It’s usually treated like a fungus in study because it acts like one, forming hyphae and breaking down organic matter in soils.
Actinomycetes in Soil
2. It is possible for a dead wasp to sting you. Repeatedly. Don’t touch the pointy part; alternately, stop touching the pointy part after the first time.
3. Red Osier Dogwood, Cornus sericea, looks an awful lot like a Viburnum. It’s not though, and don’t let your botany TA tell you that it is.
4. The bulk of agricultural pests are in one of five orders of insects: Hemiptera (true bugs), Homoptera (leafhoppers, aphids, scales), Coleoptera (beetles), Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths, or rather, their larvae), and Diptera (flies). The bulk of beneficials are in Hymenoptera (wasps, ants, and bees) and again, Coleoptera.
5. Several important (meaning here “significant”) agricultural pests experience an increase in proliferation in the presence of an overabundance of nitrogen. You don’t want to overfeed because it’s expensive and wasteful, but it also kicks some insects’ reproduction cycles into high gear. Plants that are overfed are also more susceptible to disease and live in a constant state of low grade stress, meaning dwarfed growth in the longterm and smaller yields (fewer flowers).
6. Speaking of reproductive cycles, here in the PNW the temps are projected to be above 80 every day this week. Warmer weather also shortens reproductive cycles. More bugs in half the time! Rose gardeners, gird yourselves.
7. Another reason to abandon overhead watering of plants: only 30% of the water reaches the soil in container plants.
8. Every mature Cryptomeria I have ever met had a distinct lean. Planted alone, it leaned toward the sun; planted against structures, it usually leaned away from the structure. I’ve just discovered that the reason for this is that Cryptomeria are very sensitive to reflected light; reflected light means nearby competition, so the trees lean away to try to intercept light on as much of their surface area as possible. Likewise in full sun, they situate themselves to get as much of the light as possible.
9. It is possible to isolate bacteria and fungus from a 95% solution of EtOH. Don’t rely on it for sterilzation, unless you’re following up with a trip through the burner.
10. Roosevelt Elk carcasses are an excellent source of carrion beetles for your entomology collection, as you might imagine.
11. The smell of said carcass will be with you for hours. Longer, if you keep mistaking the rancid stench of those hoof treats you gave the dogs for the rancid stench of elk hooves when you foolishly wandered downwind.
12. It’s true: nothing is wasted in nature.
13. When peeing out of doors, the sound of your pee making contact with the underbrush is a critical component of ensuring that you are not peeing on the cuff of your pants.
14. Your closed car, parked in the sun, makes an excellent dryer for your field press. The smells that greet you when you open the door are nothing to worry about.
15. Mosquitos love to bite you where it’s least appropriate to scratch in public.
16. Word of the week: Ichneumonidae.
a) That’s a beautiful Ichneumonidae specimen, 10 points for perfect curation.
b) Ichneumonidae! I can’t believe you eat haggis!
