Plants

Women and girls in industrial countries may have ready access to inexpensive menstrual pads, but such is not always the case in developing nations. That may soon change, however, thanks to the sisal plant.

Chemical fertilizers aren't the most eco-friendly of substances, which is why some farmers are exploring the use of beneficial bacteria as an alternative. A new coating technology could make such microbes more widely available than ever before.

Great news for 80 million (and growing) green thumbs across the country: The USDA has finally released an updated Plant Hardiness Zone Map, its first in 11 years. It highlights both tech advancements and how a warming planet is impacting our gardens.

There are many terrarium plants that are nice to look at, but difficult to grow. The Air & Light + self-contained mini-terrarium is designed to make things easier, by taking care of lighting and ventilation for you.

The way a sunflower bends to follow the Sun across the sky each day can be quite dramatic. Now, scientists have uncovered something equally dramatic: it does it through unique genetic transcription, which rewrites what we know about its special Sun dance.

Blueberries and other fruits are quite prone to fungi such as gray mold, whereas sunflowers are resistant to them. With that fact in mind, scientists have now used an extract from waste sunflower stems to keep such fruits from molding.

Checking for pollutants in the environment via soil sampling and other traditional methods can be a laborious process, but what alternatives are there? Well, scientists have now engineered a plant to turn red when exposed to specific toxic chemicals.

The spotted-wing drosophila is a type of fruit fly that can destroy berry crops if not killed by insecticides. According to a new study, the smell of a crop-damaging fungus could provide an eco-friendly alternative to such toxic chemicals.

After attracting more than 15,000 growers across 10 countries since its 2021 launch, the Auk indoor garden is now on its way to the US for the promise of year-round herbs, greens and tomatoes direct from the kitchen countertop.

Folks looking to harvest a steady supply of fresh greens from their kitchen may have limited success with pots at the window. SproutHub automates growing on the countertop, with the promise of an easy weekly harvest.

Plant parasitic nematodes are microscopic soil-dwelling creatures that damage crops by feeding on their roots. Scientists have now developed a greener and more efficient means of eradicating them, using a modified plant virus.

Back in 2015, French startup Véritable hit Kickstarter with a countertop Garden designed to automate growing of fresh micro-greens and herbs. Now the company has returned with a modular system that can be tweaked for indoor and outdoor use.