Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Sunday - March 26, 2006
From: Newark, NJ
Region: Select Region
Topic: Propagation
Title: Native habitate sunlight as opposed to artificial light
Answered by: Dean Garrett
QUESTION:
Does a plant grow best in sunlight or artificial light?ANSWER:
Plants grow best in sunlight of the intensity and daily duration that is found in their native habitat. Natural sunlight is what plants evolved with and it provides the full light spectrum that a plant needs. The orange-red and blue-violet portions of the light spectrum are particularly important for photosynthesis. However, modern plant lights can approximate the natural light spectrum remarkably well. With both natural and artificial light, it is important to learn whether a plant prefers full sun, partial sun, or shade, since too much or not enough sun or shade can inhibit growth or even kill a plant.More Propagation Questions
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Adding Wildflowers to Corpus Christi
May 20, 2012 - I have a dry sandy yard, full sun in Corpus Christi with lot's of stickers mostly, want to transform to wildflowers. When should I plant, how should I prepare soil, should I dig out stickers? Which w...
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How to transplant agarita in Floresville, TX.
March 10, 2010 - How is the best way to propagate Agarita? I have acres of them in the pasture but want some for the house landscape and to grow. I was told they go dormant for a year if you dig them up to transplan...
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Information on propagating alder (Alnus crispa) from seed or cuttings in Alberta, Canada
January 20, 2006 - What do you know about propagating alder (Alnus crispa) from seed or cuttings? I'm involved in a small stream side revegetation project in central Alberta, Canada.
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November 05, 2012 - This past spring I planted a hybrid lilac in the ground. The weather here has started to get cold, and much more so at night. Also, the temperatures go from warm to cold and back again as if unsure wh...
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