Philip McIntosh
Science & Technology Writer, Teacher
Cannabis producers can monitor products and take steps to reduce contamination with not only heavy metals but microbes and pesticides as well.
Almonds aren’t really nuts, they’re drupes, and the sweet ones really good for you. The bitter ones can kill you.
The official nut of no less than four states, pecans are much admired around the globe.
Walnuts have 21 different species and are considered the oldest tree nut used as human food.
The name is applied to many things, but mangoes are still one of the best-tasting fruits out there and they help make a great libation.
The origin of cantaloupes is uncertain, but we do know they are one of the most nutritious fruits you can grow. Just be sure to wash them thoroughly.
Once established, a pear tree will provide healthy and flavorful fruits for up to 75 years.
Ever wonder how that supposedly fresh produce from far-off locales arrives in your supermarket looking as good as it does?
Artichokes probably aren’t in your garden or the first item on your grocery list, but maybe they should be.
Much loved worldwide, pineapples have gone from a status fruit for the well-to-do, to one with a wide variety of uses across the globe.
Observations show that if you want to grow a reliable and forgiving plant, spider plants are the way to go.
Rarely seen in grocery stores, jackfruit is considered the largest tree-borne fruit in the world.
On the verge of extinction, bananas as we know them may not be around for much longer.
Surprisingly, kiwifruit didn’t originate in New Zealand. They also weren’t originally called kiwifruit.
There are a variety of uses that can be applied to the peanut, but none are better than popping these tasty, nutritious snacks into your mouth.
Olives are steeped in mythological lore and have been cultivated for longer than you might think.
While no longer used as currency, cocoa beans are still a prized commodity for equatorial nations.
Relatively new to the scene, the delicious strawberry has become a key ingredient for many tasty dishes.
For horticulturists using pH control systems, any type of failure can be devastating to a crop. Philip McIntosh looks at what can go wrong with these systems and ways to...
More here on potentially beneficial plant nutritional elements, Philip McIntosh highlights bromine, chromium, strontium, selenium, sodium, and titanium.
Elements that may not be essential but could be beneficial to include in your nutrient regimen? Cobalt, silicon, nickel, and vanadium.
There are several essential macro- and micronutrients plants need to grow and reproduce. Here we look at aluminum, iodine, lithium, rubidium and silver.
Did you know there is a sixth, lesser-known class of plant hormone? Brassinosteroids promote or enhance apical dominance, seed germination, gravitropism, and ethylene...
There are more than 60 botanical terms used to describe the structures and forms of leaves.
Abscisic acid is one of the classic plant hormones, and although it is an acid, its role in plants is not directly related to regulating pH.
Not just a fun word to say, gibberellins are crucial in the natural process of breaking dormancy and other aspects of germination.
Among the first plant hormones to be discovered, auxins serve a variety of roles within plant activities and development.
Cytokinins are often used by farmers to promote plant growth, and are known to play a role in plant pathogenesis. Philip McIntosh provides a closer look at the role...
Ethylene (not to be confused with its more famous cousin ethyl alcohol) is the simplest of plant hormones.
The term buffer is used in a lot of ways. In general usage, it suggests a cushion or barrier of some kind between two zones. Chemically, the meaning is analogous.
Many salts are highly soluble in water, making them good sources of nutrient elements that plants can use. Read on for more facts on salts.
Plants move and react to things in their environment in all kinds of ways and for all kinds of reasons. Philip McIntosh takes us on a tour of tropic responses.
Few things strike more fear into the hearts of farmers than the appearance of fuzzy or powdery growth on their plants. Hydroponic growers face the additional horror of...
Many gardeners have always known the technical advantages of LEDs, but the high initial cost can be a deterrent. However, as the price of LED lighting continues to drop,...
The roots of plants do the important work of bringing in water and nutrients so the plant can grow.
In a nutshell, osmosis describes “the diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane from a region of low-solute concentration to a region of high-solute...
Do vast fields crawling with tiny agricultural robots sound far-fetched to you? The future may be closer than you think.
Agricultural drones are poised for takeoff, both outdoors and indoors. Here are several reasons why we may be entering the drone age.
In Colorado, the Veterans to Farmers program helps veterans transition into budding horticulturists.
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