Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with seed

Not a dandelion, then what?

fearfulsymmetry — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 03:49:37 -0800

What's this plant...? Thought as first it was a dandelion, now I'm sure it isn't. Was photographed in the UK a couple of weeks ago. Saw it beside a path near farmland among other weeds and grasses. Seed head about the size of a large dandelion's. I've tried tracking it down online but my google-fu is weak.

Come here, birds, I want to feed you!

fiercecupcake — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 10:25:07 -0800

How do the birds know that my birdfeeder now has better seed? I just started mixing thistle seed with the standard wild bird seed mix I get from the store. Within a week I have noticed two new birds at my feeder I hadn't seen before: a Carolina wren and a purple finch. How did they know that the birdy buffet offerings had been improved? Were they flying right by my feeder before and not bothering to stop?

(I am in central Texas, I am new to this whole birdwatching thing, and I would welcome any watching/feeder input!)

Greening an in accessible but highly visible space . . .

Anonymous — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 15:45:00 -0800

Guerilla Gardening: I need a tree/shrub/bush that can survive on low sunglight and be planted via aerial bombardment. I spend a decent amount of time looking out on a courtyard that, while exposed to the elements, is completely inaccessible. It was built a LONG time ago and its lone entrance (a 4'x4' hole) was nailed shut long ago. The windows that look onto it are second story only so no access there. It has a ~15'x30' rectangular footprint and is surrounded by ~20' rock walls. Despite these conditions, healthy Ivy blankets it like wild so I'm assuming it could support something at least slightly larger.

I'm looking for a plant('s seeds) that I could 'toss' from a second story window into this courtyard that could (possibly) take root and eventually grow tall in an east coast zone 6 environment. Early growing years would be tough given the height of the surrounding walls, but a tall enough plant would have unfettered access to sunlight and rain as well as rich soil which probably hasn't been touched in a few centuries. Any ideas? Locations to acquire seeds are a plus!

Sublingual Grapefruit Seed Extract Incident

pranalaxmi — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:04:00 -0800

I used straight, undiluted Grapefruit Seed Extract under my tongue and now I have sublingual inflammation and a burning sensation on the tip of my tongue like I've sipped tea that is too hot. It all started when I was beginning to feel a potential cold coming on from a dry raspy throat thing. I've put B-12 and zince lozenges under my tongue before without issues. On this occasion, I squeezed a fair amount of GSE under my tongue and chugged some water. Then I had a zinc lozenge or two while watching the Series in my hotel room. I feel like an idiot, because right there on the bottle of the GSE it warns of direct contact irritation if applied to skin or mouth. This seems like an allergic reaction. So far I've heard things like: take a Benedryl and suck on some ice. I'm wondering if my symptoms will worsen or just go away. Advice?

What is this plant thing?

cftarnas — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 12:22:53 -0800

What on earth is this plant like thing ? My friend posted that to her blog, and I googled around with various combinations of succulent, seed pod and spikey with no luck.. I haven't seen it in person, but my best guess would be a succulent and/or a seed pod of some sort. It was found in the SF East Bay Hills, if that helps.

“Everyone who enjoys thinks that the principal thing to the tree is the fruit, but in point of fact the principal thing to it is the seed. Herein lies the difference between them that create and them that enjoy.”

barometer — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 07:29:03 -0800

Where can I buy pounds of Indian mustard seed (Brassica juncea)? We need it for a phytoremediation project in New Orleans and all of the seed suppliers in our area (NC) don't carry it. Any ideas? It's sometimes called "India mustard seed" and I'm not sure which one is correct. I'm not the project lead here, can you tell? Help!

We need a better name than "seed ball."

hydrophonic — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 15:04:56 -0800

Help-us-name-filter: Our urban envirionmental group is working on a project to seed vacant land. We're using the seed ball technique pioneered by Masanobu Fukuoka--forming seeds, humus and clay into small balls which are tossed onto the ground or thown over a fence . We need a catchy name for the process, something better than "seed balls," and without the violent/militaristic/terroristic assoiciations of "seed bombs." (Although we do like what these folks have done.)

The goals of seeding vacant lots are beautification, restoring life to dead soil, and increasing water permeability. Some plants can be useful in cleaning up contaminants and breaking up asphalt. A main focus our our project is education and awareness of the seed ball technique, and we hope to make a public exhibit and involve schoolkids and community groups in improving blighted land in their neighborhoods.

Rejected names include Seed Delivery Devices, DIY OXN (Do It Y-Oself Xeriscape Nutriballs), Thyme Release Capsules, VDS (Vegetative Delivery System), and so on.

what is this book?

lohmannn — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 22:18:24 -0800

Can anyone remember this book from my childhood? I know it was by two authors, science fiction. The book described a massive, red sphere that was discovered and was of unknown origin. a huge ship was constructed to transport it, i remember the ship being described built to withstand triple the force required to hold the sphere. eventually, the ship falls apart and the sphere sinks to the ocean floor. at the very end of the book, it turns out the sphere was a seed from another planet or something like that. ring any bells?

What's up with the Jerusalem Date Palm?

djacobs — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 09:02:34 -0800

This past summer I read about the amazing resilience of the Jerusalem Date Palm, a plant with legendary medical powers that was thought extinct. I have been searching for news and updates about this little guy since then, but I haven't had much luck. Are there any updates on the progress of this miraculous seed?

I need seed catalog suggestions for my mom.

theperfectcrime — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 13:42:52 -0800

I need seed catalog suggestions for my mom. She just bought a few acres in New Mexico and is trying to find a worthwhile activity to occupy her time, so I suggested gardening. She's not online, so I need catalogs from companies from which I can request print catalogs to be sent to her. Personally, I'm interested in obscure/rare, heirloom, and medicinal plants. I need suggestions. Thanks!

Question number 11038

Johnny Assay — Mon, 18 Oct 2004 09:46:12 -0800

From the Black Thumb Dept.: I've been trying for the past few years to grow mango plants from seeds and failing. [more dead plant shenanigans inside]