DISCOVERED - THE LANGUAGE OF HYENAS



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In a study aimed at understanding the complex communications between hyenas – the first of its kind - a group of American scientists have managed to uncover some of the hidden meanings behind their so-called ‘laugh’. By recording Hyena calls in various social interactions - such as when they are competing over food - they have managed to establish some of the elements of each call and how they correspond to the pack in general.

It has been found that the giggling sound of a hyena not only provides important information about the animal's status, but that the pitch of a giggle can reveals the hyena's age. Furthermore, variations in the frequency of notes used will also convey information about the animal's social rank.

Professor Theunissen from the University of California at Berkeley had this to say in regards to these new findings:

‘...the hyena's laugh gives receivers cues to assess the social rank of the emitting individual. This may allow hyenas to establish feeding rights and organise their food-gathering activities...’
The research suggests that hyenas communicate these signals usually while fighting over food. Previously their sounds had been considered to be a simple gesture of submission, but this new study involving 26 captive spotted hyenas has allowed researchers to identify exactly which hyena made each giggle, and the circumstances in which it did so.
The information contained within the giggles could be especially important for new males entering the clan as they will automatically go to the bottom of the hierarchy. However, understanding the hierarchy within a pack will give these new individuals a better chance of improving their own status.

Details of the US-based study are published in the journal BMC Ecology.


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HOW TO SOW AND GROW CUCUMBERS FROM SEED


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Believe it or not, cucumbers have been in cultivation for at least 3000 years. Originating in India, this refreshing crop is believed to have been introduced to Europe by the Romans, reaching England by the 14th century and North America by the 16th century.

Nowadays, the cucumber has become a mainstay of the British salad, in fact what could be more English or refined than a freshly cut cucumber sandwich?

Once used cucumbers to treat scorpion bites, bad eyesight, and to scare away mice, the modern cucumber is now much less valued and far more available than ever before. Unfortunately due to the production techniques of commercial nurseries, the cucumbers bought in you local supermarkets are little more than a flavorless sponge.

Of course, many of the old varieties are still available, but to get the flavour of this fruit and its history you will have to grow your own from seed and thankfully this can be easily achieved with little or no experience.
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To begin an early crop – particularly in a northern European climate – it is best to start off your cucumber seeds either indoors or in a heated greenhouse. Of course, cucumber seeds can be sown directly in the garden once the danger of late frosts has passed, but this will result in a later crop.
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You can begin sowing cucumber seeds anytime from the end of March. Using either 2/3 inch pots or a modular plug tray, fill with a good quality seed compost such as John Innes ‘Seed and Potting’. Using a dibber, or – as in my case - the rounded end of a pencil, make two holes near the centre of the pot/module. Place one cucumber seed into each hole, then back fill with compost and water in thoroughly. The tray/pots are now ready to be moved to a warm windowsill, heated propagator or heated greenhouse. Should you wish, you can cover the pots/trays with a sheet of glass, perspex or cling-film in order to maintain humidity.

Cucumber seed will germinate quite quickly - usually not much more that a week – and as soon as the new seedling begin to emerge any coverings should be removed. Once the seedlings have reached an inch or two, the weaker of the two seedlings can be removed.

Keep well watered – but not waterlogged – and feed with a half strength liquid fertiliser once a week. Once they have between 2 and four true leaves the seedlings can be planted outside into their final positions once the threat of late frosts are over, but they will need to be hardened off for a couple of weeks before hand. If a cool period of weather is due it is sometime worth waiting a few days. This can be done by bringing them back undercover overnight or protecting them with a cloche or small poly-tunnel.

Plant them approximately 18 inches apart in rows that are spaced every 5 feet.
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TIP. Do not allow the seedlings to get too large in their containers as they become slower to root with age.
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SEAWEED - THE ANSWER TO FIGHTING OBESITY?


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A team of scientists from Newcastle University may have found the key to tackling obesity. Their research has found that alginate – a fibre found in sea kelp – is able to restrict the body’s ability to absorb fat. In fact, in tests using an artificial gut, the team found that alginate reduced the body's fat uptake by more than 75% - better than most anti-obesity treatments currently in the market.
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Dr Iain Brownlee – one of the leaders of the Newcastle team – had this to say on the matter:

‘...this research suggests that if we can add the natural fibre to products commonly eaten daily, such as bread, biscuits and yoghurts, up to three quarters of the fat contained in that meal could simply pass through the body. We have already added the alginate to bread and initial taste tests have been extremely encouraging...’

The fibre is currently being added to bread in an effort to develop a range of foods that help obese people lose weight. Clinical trials are now in the pipeline to find out how effective alginate would be in a normal diet.
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Photographs courtesy of http://www.puregrowthorganics.com/ and http://www.43things.com/things/view/2207488/eat-kelp
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HOW TO GROW SWEET CORN FROM SEED



It’s hard to beat the taste of a freshly picked and timely cooked sweet corn. In fact the very thought of a home grown cob - boiled to perfection and drizzled in butter - is enough to make your mouth water. Of course, the only way to assure such a culinary delight is to grow your own because freshness is the only guarantee of quality flavour. In fact some say that there should be no more than 10 minutes between picking and cooking!

Luckily, growing sweet corn from seed is a straightforward affair requiring little technical knowledge. Probably the most important point with regards to growing sweet corn is the time the seed is sown, and this is all to do with temperatures.

In northern European climates, the seed can be started off under protection from mid April onwards with a view to planting out from the end of May up until the middle of June. Of course, planting out will all depend on how late the frosts are in your area because your sweet corn crop will be lost if it is hit by a late frost. Secondly, planting out into open ground should really wait until outside temperatures are consistently reaching at least 16 degrees Celsius during the day. If it is colder than that then the crop could be at risk from fungal disease.

.Sowing Sweet Corn

 To ensure an early crop, sow sweet corn seed - either indoors or in a heated greenhouse – around about mid April. Using modular trays or 2/3 inch pots, fill with a good quality compost such as John Innes ‘Seed and Potting’, then sow two seeds into each unit covering them with a good inch of compost. Water well and if they are being germinated indoors - move to a warm, bright windowsill. If you are using a heated propagator or greenhouse then the temperature will need to be kept at approximately 18 – 21 degrees Celsius.

The sweet corn seedlings should germinate after 10 – 12 days, and once they have fully emerged the weakest seedling from each pot should be removed. If they have been germinated in a propagator the lid can also be removed and the temperature turned down to 16 degrees Celsius. However they are being grown, do not allow the compost to dry out or to become waterlogged as this can increase the risk of fungal infection.

The young sweet corn plants, and be planted into their final positions once all danger of frost has passed – around the middle of May, but remember that they will need to be hardened off for a week or so before hand. This can be achieved by either bringing them back under protection over-night or placing them under a cloche or poly-tunnel outside.

Unlike many of our common food crops sweet corn are wind pollinated so once they are hardened off - and ready for their final position - they will need to be planted into block in order to ensure good pollination. Poor pollination will only result in a poor crop!

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HOW TO PROPAGATE AND GROW HOT CHILI PEPPERS FROM SEED


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The chili pepper is of the few foods that can actually devide a family. You will either love it or hate it, but as an indispensable ingredient for many regional and national dishes, the hot chili pepper is here to stay.

You can start your chili peppers off indoors around January for if you want them to establish quickly for outdoor planting or sow anytime up to the end of March for greenhouse growing.
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Sow your chili pepper seeds - adequately spaced - into either plugs or a seed tray containing John Innes ‘seed’ compost. Top them off with another 1/2 inch of compost then gently water them in. It's important that the seeds remain moist until they germinate and as such will require adequate ventilation to prevent fungal rots. If ventilation is poor you may need to spray your newly germinating seedlings with a liquid fungicide once a week to protect them.
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Once germinated – this will be normally between 7 and 24 days - pepper seedlings will require plenty of light, in fact for optimal growth they will need between 12 to 16 hours of light a day. If the weather isn’t yet suitable for planting outside then they will need to be placed onto a south-facing windowsill but remember to turn them daily to keep them from acquiring a permanent lean.
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Once the seedlings have produced four leaves they will be ready to prick out into individual pots, but you need to be careful so as not to damage the fragile root system. The safest way is to gently hold onto one of the sturdier leaves while using either a pencil or slim dibber to lift the roots as intact and undisturbed as possible. When re-potting, use either a standard multipurpose compost or John Innes ‘No.1’ or ‘No.2’ potting compost.Grow them on for another couple of weeks and they will be ready for either the greenhouse or for planting directly outside into open ground once the threat of frosts is over. Make sure you choose a location that is in full sunlight and - if you have it - mix in some mushroom compost or other organic compost to help keep the soil fertile and moist.
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WHICH VEGETABLE SEEDS CAN BE SOWN AND GROWN IN MARCH




March is a month that is full of choices and anticipation for the vegetable gardener. It is also an opportunity to try new and exotic crop varieties that are outside the normal ‘tried and tested’ range of allotment keepers.

But there is another side to starting vegetable seeds off this early. If you intend growing tender South American crops - such as pepper and tomato varieties - outside in the open ground, they will not be able to produce an edible crop until the back end of summer or even early autumn.
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Not only is that an awfully long time to wait for a decent crop, the cropping period will be short. More importantly, there will be a high risk of fungal infection with the onset of the cooler, damper autumn weather. Starting these crops early and bringing them on under protection for a few weeks can dramatically bring the cropping period forward. In fact, anything up to two months is quite normal.
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The freezing grip of winter should now be a thing of the past but don’t let a warm spell trick you into thinking that the cold weather has gone. Late frosts have been the undoing of many an early crop so while it can be tempting to put your treasured seedlings outside into the warming soil, keep a watchful eye on overnight temperatures. Make sure that young seedlings are offered plenty of protection if night temperatures dip too low, or even consider bringing them back inside to heated conditions.

Below is a list of some of the more popular vegetable varieties for sowing in March:
Aubergine

Brussels Sprouts
Broad Beans

Beetroot

Cauliflower
Cabbage
Cucumbers
Calabrese
Carrots

Lettuce

Leeks
Peas
Peppers - Chili

Peppers - Sweet

Parsnips
Radish

Sprouting seeds

Tomatoes

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HOW TO GROW RED KIDNEY BEANS FROM DRIED SEED



I don’t know how it is where you live but none on the seed suppliers in my area carry red kidney beans as part of their range. Maybe it’s because they are too tender to grow in this part of the country – unlikely, or perhaps it’s because of their toxicity if they are not correctly prepared before cooking and eating. I don’t know answer for sure, but I do know that you can pick up large packs of dried red kidney beans in your local supermarket.

I love to grow the same edible crops that are used in our home cooking, and as chilli-con-carne is a favourite in my family, home grown red kidney beans are a must. With knowledge gained from last year’s trials and errors, I shall now give you my so called ‘expert’ tips in how to grow red Kidney beans from dried seed. It begins with choosing a free draining site that gets plenty of sun and is protected from harsh weather. It is also worth preparing the ground a couple of months before you intent planting you red kidney beans with plenty of mulch and farmyard manures.

How to germinate red kidney beans from dried seed.
1. Create your own compost using a 2:1:1 mix of John Innes ‘Seed and Potting’ compost, Horticultural grit and top soil from where they will be finally planted.

2. Soak a handful of dried beans overnight in a bowl of luke-warm water.

3. Using modular plug trays or 2-3inch pots – do not use seed trays as you need to keep root disturbance to an absolute minimum – sow your seeds, 1 per pot/module into your compost mix, having the bean about ½ inch below the surface.

4. Water well and then move to a warm, bright windowsill – keep moist, but do not allow the compost to become water-logged.

5. The beans will begin to germinate after a couple of days and after there have produced their first two true leave they can be hardened off for planting outside.

DO NOT EAT THE SPROUTS AS THEY ARE TOXIC!
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6. Planting red kidney beans can only be considered after the threat of frosts is over and when outside temperatures are consistently reaching 16 degrees Celsius.

7. Plant seedlings 18 inches apart in rows 2ft apart.

8. Red kidney beans are prone to damage from slugs and snails so make sure that there is adequate protection against these pests as soon as the plants go outside.

9. During the growing season be aware that red kidney beans require plenty of water and nutrition otherwise the crop can fail – mulching regularly will help with this.

10. Your beans will grow as a small bush and need support during the growing season. Make sure that this in place shortly after planting – give them the same support that you would do peas such as wigwams or small stakes.

When to harvest kidney beans
Allow the bean pods to dry as much as they can before the wet weather of autumn arrives. If they are not dry enough before that time, pick them and allow them to dry off fully indoors. Once completely dry they can be stored or used for cooking.

Important!
Dried beans also contain toxins, so when cooking with dried beans they must be soaked overnight in cold water. Afterwards, rinse the beans thoroughly then boil them rapidly for 10 minutes before adding them with your other recipe ingredients.
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For more information click onto:
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ELEPHANTS - CAN THEY RUN OR DO THEY JUST WALK FAST?



Can elephants run? This is a question that has been puzzling both children and scientists alike for over a century. Although they are quite capable of moving at high speeds – up to 11 mph – are they truly running, or is it that they are just capable of walking very, very fast?

This fundamental question arises from the elephant’s awkward, lumbering gait, but scientists now believe that they have an answer. Using high-speed cameras, a research team observed a number of Indian elephants as they moved across a specially built track. Furthermore, the track that was able to precisely measure the forces exerted with each elephant step.

By comparing the measurements from the sensitive force-measuring platform with each frame of the footage, the scientists were able to look at every tiny movement the elephants were making.

Below is a segment of film that was used in this research.


Professor Heglund - one of the scientists on the team - had this explanation of the results:

‘...the running gait, in most animals, is a bouncing mechanism. In this case, the potential and kinetic energy are in phase, they both hit a maximum at the same time and a minimum at the same time, so they cannot be transferred back and forth...’

‘...when an elephant goes at higher and higher speeds, the kinetic and potential energy shift and start to become more in phase, but when we looked in detail, we see that the animal appears to be running - bouncing - with the front legs, and walking with the back legs. It is as if he is getting up to a transition speed where he wants to transition from a walk to a run, but he can’t quite do it. It's like he can't quite get up into second gear...’

So what does this all mean? Well the answer is simple. Elephants run with their front legs and walk with their hind legs – be it a fast walk. Question solved!

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HOW TO GROW MELONS IN A GREENHOUSE



When growing melons in an unheated greenhouse you will have three options. The plants can either be container grown, planted straight into the ground, or grown on using a grow bag. By far the best option would be to plant your seedlings into the ground – especially if it has been well prepared by the addition of plenty of well rotted farmyard manures – so long as it is suitably free draining and has a pH of between 6.0 to 7.0. Consider planting melon seedlings into raised beds if your climate is too cold, humid or if your soil is too heavy to be free draining.

If you are growing melons in a greenhouse it is reasonable to expect that any young plants would have been shop bought or germinated under protection. In both cases, the seedlings can be planted out into a cold glasshouse once the seedlings have produced two or more true leaves. This can be done any time from April onwards.

The next thing to do is to create some support for you melon plants as they grow. This can be a piece of secured trellis or a single line of string tied to the supports in the glasshouse roof and secured in the ground with a peg next to the base of the melon plant. As the melon begins to grow you should secure the strongest shoot to the support with a soft jute string and pinch out any side shoots growing out from the main stem. Once the main stem has reached the top of the support, pinch out the leading shoot. This will help bring the plant into flower and allow it to concentrate its energy on the formation of fruits.
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WATERING
Watering holds the key to successful melon growing, and perhaps the best way to water is with a drip irrigation system - unfortunately this is a luxury that few of us have.

For the rest of us, when watering melons only water them at the base of the plant making sure that none of the foliage becomes wet. Melon leaves can be very prone to fungal infections which will reduce the size and quality of your crop.

You can also consider the practise of sinking a suitably sized pipe into the ground next to the plants root system – try not to damage any roots when doing this - so you can water directly into the root environment.

Remember that it is all about trying to maintain an even root environment so try and avoid over and under-watering. Over-watering is particularly damaging as it can cause the fruits to split.
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AIR CIRCULATION

 Glasshouse conditions can become extreme during the height of the summer. To prevent your crop from suffering heat damage try to raise the humidity within the greenhouse on the hottest days. This can be achieved by watering the greenhouse paths early in the morning or by standing a bucket of water in the middle of the glasshouse. However, good ventilation is also necessary in order to help reduce the incidence of fungal infections so make sure that windows and doors are kept open during the core day. Remove older leaves from the base of the melons as this will also improve air circulation around the plants.

FLOWERING
In the open ground your melon flowers will be naturally pollinated by native insects but under greenhouse conditions this is less likely to happen as the structure will act as a barrier. Of course, no pollination means no crop, but once the flowers have opened you can pollinate them manually. Using a small, soft paintbrush, lightly brush each flower in turn. This practice is best carried out midday when the humidity is high. After 2 or 3 days you should remove the male flowers as these will sap the plants strength as they grow - the female flowers are easily identified by the embryonic melon growing behind the flower.

FERTILISER
Feeding your melons is a simple enough task. Use a high potash liquid fertiliser on a weekly basis as soon as the fruits start to grow

MAINTENANCE
As soon as the fruits reach the size of tennis balls they are going to need some support. Use string nets or old nylon stockings to take the weight off the plants framework and secure them properly to support wires, trellis or the greenhouse frame. As the summer progresses and the fruits mature to full size, remove a few leafs to allow the fruit to ripen.

HARVESTING. Wait until melons are fully ripe before you remove them from the parent plant - they won't be able to ripen off the vine

For more information click onto:
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How to Grow Melon Plants from Seed Outdoors
How to Grow Melons
How to Grow Okra from Seed Outdoors
How to Grow an Orange Tree from Seed
How to Grow Oregano from Seed
How to Grow Outdoor Tomato Plants from Seed
How to Grow Parsley from Seed Indoors
How to Grow Peppadew Peppers from Seed
How to Grow Peppers
How to grow Pineapple
How to Grow Potatoes
How to Grow Pumpkins from Seed
How to Grow the Pyrethrum Daisy from Seed
How to Grow Radishes
How to Grow Radish from Seed
How to Grow Raspberries
How to Grow Rhubarb?
How to Grow Runner Beans from Seed
How to Grow Strawberries
How to Grow Strawberries from Seed
How to Grow Tomatoes?
How to Grow the Autumn Broad Bean 'Aquadulce Claudia'
How to Grow the Autumn Fava Bean 'Aquadulce Claudia'
How to Grow Watercress from Seed
How to Grow Watermelon Plants from Seed Outdoors
How to Grow Winter Lettuce from Seed
How to Plant and Grow Artichokes
How to Grow Autumn Sowings of Broad Beans
How to Propagate and Grow Sweet Peppers from Seed
How to Propagate and Grow the Bell Pepper from Seed
Mexican Jumping Bean
Organic Seeds with the Royal Connection
Pumpkins
Starting Tomato Plants From Seed
The Blueberry
The Pineapple
The Secrets to Growing Bonsai
What is a Kiwi fruit?
What is a Pumpkin?
When to Prune Apple Trees
Where can you Grow Blueberries?
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