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
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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December 26, 2013 - 1. How many seeds does the Texas trailing phlox produce per season?
2. Can the seeds be taken from a living plant without hurting it?
Thank You!
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Propagation of Chandler's craglily from San Marcos TX
December 16, 2012 - Can you please advise me on collecting and propagating seed from Chandler’s craglily -Echeandia chandleri. I have 2 plants that came from the wildflower center. They never seem to multiply, but they d...
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Division of impatiens grown in a pot
December 08, 2007 - I have an impatient and it is growing out of the pot. I was wondering if it were possible to divide it somehow and have two medium size plants.
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Propagation of Blackfoot daisy seed
July 21, 2015 - I have a three yr old Blackfoot daisy. How do you root Blackfoot daisy seeds? When is the best month to grow these seeds?
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Drought tolerant grass for small lawn from Woodbury TX
June 07, 2014 - Trying to establish small lawn area, needs to be drought tolerant, water wise. Have tried Turffalo with poor results. Recommendation please.
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