Curious Garden Facts
Tree sap does not rise in the spring. As the weather warms, it moves outward, from the center of the trunk, limbs, and branches, to their surfaces.
Hot peppers produce a chemical that protects against soil-borne fungi. Chemicals called capsaicinoids give hot peppers their pungency and also protect the seeds during their long germination period.
Vitamin C and sugar continue to increase as a tomato ripens on the vine. These elements are destroyed when tomatoes ripen off the vine. No wonder a supermarket tomato can't compare with the homegrown version!
The mosquito level in your backyard is unaffected by an electric bug zapper. Entomologist Phillip Pellitteri of the University of Wisconsin found that mosquitoes account for less that 1 percent of the insects killed by electric bug lights. Mosquitoes are more attracted to carbon dioxide than to ultraviolet light.
Strong-flavored onions store better than sweet ones. Sweet-flavored onions lack the sulfur compounds that help fend off decay.
Beet seedlings always need to be thinned because each "seed" is really a cluster of tiny seeds that will all sprout in one spot.
When a yellow jacket is squashed, a chemical is released that signals nearby yellow jackets to attack. Think twice before you strike.
(Source: Rodale's Good Times Almanac)