Ginger – the omnipotent root
Ginger undoubtedly is a magic plant that possesses incredible healing and disease-fighting powers. Scientifically known as Zingiber officinalis in the family Zingiberaceae, native to southern China but is widely cultivated around the world. Closely related to the well-known species like turmeric and cardamom, ginger is highly valued as a medicinal plant for thousands of years both in India and China. The parts of the ginger that usually consumed are the modified roots known as rhizomes, […]
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Soilless agriculture, what is your “-nic”?
To start small-scale indoor farming, what are your needs? What type of the “-ponic” you need? When it comes to the topic, farming, most people will still have the concept that it is related to soil. However, most of the growers or urban farming will use soilless cultivation for crops such as certain fruits, vegetables, and herbs. It is because studying the soil or ratio of the substrates to be used to cultivate the crops […]
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Trick or treat? The Halloween pumpkin
Knock! Knock! Trick or treat? Candies, vampires, ghosts, skulls, of course, the freak pumpkins. Botanically pumpkin is the common name of Cucurbita pepo L. in the family of Cucurbitaceae, which has the most species as human food. The genus Cucurbita is native to North America, including northeastern Mexico and the southern United States. Cucurbita fraternal and Cucurbita Texana are the possible progenitors for pumpkins. How pumpkin became the major role of Halloween, and why carving […]
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Agriculture – The light
What color is a plant? Green? Red? Our eyes received the image of an object through the reflection of light. If the object we see is white color, it indicates that the whole spectrum of light is reflected by the object and received by the receptor of our eyes. Before that, we need to know what is found in light, sunlight to be specific. A light can be diffused through a prism and projected seven […]
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Before they are served to our table, crop improvement
Naturally, we judge the foods based on their appearances such as color, shape, smell, and arrangement. Domestic crops have traits that are significantly different from their wild relatives. Undoubtedly tomato is red, banana is yellow, the carrot is orange. But how they end up being what they are on our plates? Can you imagine eating a banana with large seeds, a carrot in purple color, or tomato in black color? What happened to those fruits […]
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Durian, an exotic fruit that is the King in Southern Asia
Thanks to the convenience of air transportation and the active exchange of commodities globally. Durian, an exotic fruit that most Americans are not familiar with, can be found in most Asian supermarkets across the USA. This fruit is extraordinarily unique, known as the king of the fruits in Southern Asia, but also brings two extremely controversial responses, people either love or hate it. The taste of durian is a complex experience that has been described […]
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Aloe you vera much
Aloe vera is one of the few plants that share the same scientific and common name. It is a flowering plant that originates from Northern Africa under the family of Aloaceae, which was previously placed under the lily family (Liliaceae). Aloe vera is a xerophyte, a plant that can grow in arid conditions and can withstand long periods of drought. This adaptation includes waxy leaves, the ability to store water, leaves reduced to spines to […]
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