Robert Pavlis

Is Arsenic in Rice a Real Health Risk?

If you scroll through online health forums, social media, or sensationalized health blogs, you have likely seen alarmist headlines claiming that a humble bowl of rice is poisoning you with toxic heavy metals. Some claim you should cut rice out of your diet entirely, while others insist that organic rice is somehow immune to soil contaminants.

Internet health claims are often rooted in a kernel of truth that gets blown entirely out of proportion. Let’s skip the fear-mongering and look at what actual scientific research tells us about arsenic levels in rice.

To watch the video version of this post, watch: https://youtu.be/oZOSkMTUCN4

Key Takeaways

Rice does contain arsenic.
Selecting the Right Rice and cooking it properly limits your exposure.

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Should You Eat Potato Skins?

Many people believe that all of a potato’s nutrients are locked inside the skin, while others believe that potato skins have no nutritional value. And then there is the belief that potato skins are toxic, especially the green ones.

What is the real truth about potato skins? Should you be eating them?

Watch the YouTube video for this post: https://youtu.be/YqFsoPH434c

Key Takeaways

Normal potato skins are safe to eat, but green ones are not.
Potato skins are nutritious, but what about sweet potatoes?

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Urea vs Nitrate in Fertilizer

Most fertilizer sold to gardeners uses urea as the nitrogen source, but most commercial greenhouses use nitrate as their main nitrogen source. Why?

I have been spending time in the African violet (AV) community, and most growers, including the African Violet Society of America (AVSA), recommend using nitrate rather than urea. But Schultz African violet fertilizer is very popular in this group, and it is mostly urea. In a test reported on by AVSA of the top AV fertilizers, one used only urea, and the other used no urea. A prominent breeder stated: “I’ve used fertilizer containing urea for nearly 30 years“.

I have used urea-based fertilizer for 50 years on all kinds of houseplants, and it seems to work, though recently some of my streptocarpus seedlings may be showing yellow leaves. It is time to understand the urea vs nitrate controversy in more detail.

Watch the video version of this blog: https://youtu.be/YdY5S7RUKMo

Key Takeaways

Both urea and nitrate fertilizers work well for houseplants.
Urea fertilizer has some potential issues every gardener should understand.

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The End of Japanese Beetles?

Every summer, gardeners across North America brace themselves for the inevitable green-and-copper invasion. The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) arrives like clockwork in late June or early July, stripping rose bushes to lace, skeletonizing fruit trees, and turning prized hibiscus plants into ragged remnants.

Over the decades, gardeners have tried everything to fight back. We’ve hung yellow traps (which actually draw more beetles into your yard than they catch), sprayed chemical insecticides, dumped milky spore on lawns, coated leaves with diatomaceous earth, and spent endless mornings hand-picking beetles into buckets of soapy water.

Yet, year after year, the beetles return.

But now there is hope. A very tiny parasitic fly might save your sanity and your garden plants.

Is this truly the end of Japanese beetles? Or is it just another gardening myth wrapped in overhyped enthusiasm?

Let’s look at the actual science behind this predator, how it works, its history, and what it realistically means for your garden.

To watch the video version of this post, click on: https://youtu.be/1FVVW9AKXLM

Key Takeaways

Winsome fly will help get rid of Japanese beetles.
Learn to ID their eggs so you don’t destroy the wrong beetles.

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Best Light Level for African Violets

Growing African violets under lights allows you to control the amount of light the plants receive by changing the type of light, the distance between the plant and the light, and even the duration of light used. But how much is the best amount of light for growing and flowering African violets?

I decided to dive into the research to see what the experts say.

Key Takeaways

The best light level for African violets is 10,000 lux with a DLI of 8.

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Flushing Potted Plants is Important

I have been growing houseplants for 50 years, and flushing is a critical step in the process. It makes plants grow better, it solves issues with hard/alkaline tap water and it reduces the number of times you need to replace potting media. So it saves money. Will it harm plants? If done correctly, it can’t possibly harm your plants.

View the video for this blog post: https://youtu.be/FS4g7uuVsJU

Key Takeaways

Plants should be flushed.
The frequency depends on your growing conditions.

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Does Wildfire Smoke Harm Plants?

It seems like every summer now, a familiar haze blankets large parts of North America. We check the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) or PM2.5 levels before stepping outside, grab an N95 mask to walk the dog, and worry about what this toxic soup is doing to our lungs.

But as you stand in your backyard looking through that eerie orange or gray sky, you have to wonder: what about the garden? Your tomatoes, hostas, and apple trees are stuck outside breathing this stuff 24 hours a day.

Does wildfire smoke harm plants?

The internet is full of conflicting advice. Some bloggers claim smoke is great for gardens because it blocks harsh sunlight and provides carbon dioxide. Others warn that your vegetables are absorbing deadly toxins and should be thrown into the landfill.

The reality is that the smoke has both positive and negative effects. Let’s dig into the data and look at what wildfire smoke really does to plant physiology.

Watch the Video version of this blog post: https://youtu.be/vlneaGoBvIs

Key Takeaways

Wildfire smoke stresses plants.
You can help plants survive.
Produce is safe to eat provided you wash it correctly.

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African Violet Myths

African violets have been grown for many years, and I have been growing them more. They are very similar to my streptocarpus and require almost the same care. Unfortunately, the large interest in the hobby has resulted in several myths. Here are the ones I have identified so far.

Watch the YouTube version of this blog post: https://youtu.be/vI-d4d_WWoo

Key Takeaways

African violets are easier to grow than you think.
A lot of online information about them is wrong.

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The Origin of Bicolor Streptocarpus

Streptocarpus normally have 5 petals, two upper ones and three lower ones. In many cultivars and most species the color of both the upper and lower petals are the same, or at least very similar. Some newer cultivars are known as “bicolors”. In these plants, the upper petals have one color scheme and the lower petals have a different one, hence the name bicolor. This blog post details the origin of the first bicolor streptocarpus and documents some other special characteristics of bicolors.

Streptocarpus ‘Silvia’, *bred by Bent Møllegaard Nielsen.* Source: Pavel Enikeev

Key Takeaways

Bicolor streptocarpus are popular.
First developed by Bent Møllegaard Nielsen, the owner of Sosted Garden, Denmark.

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Fasciation in Gesneriads: Focus on Streptocarpus and African Violets

Fasciation is an abnormal growth found in over 100 vascular plant families that forms weird-looking roots, stems, and flowers. The science is not well understood, but citizen scientists can contribute to our body of knowledge.

Become fascinated with fasciation.

Fasciated Streptocarpus flower, Source: Robert Pavlis

Key Takeaways

Science does not know a lot about fasciation
Hobbyists can contribute to our knowledge

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Bagged Compost Exposed: What’s Really in Your Compost?

I went shopping for some compost and was surprised at what I found on the label. Most of the contents in a bag of compost are NOT compost!

Watch this post as a video: https://youtu.be/N4fTRkQJJOE

Key Takeaways

Bags of compost are only about 30% organic matter.
You are buying mostly water and soil.

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Science Shows A Better Way to Start Cool Weather Crops

Cool season crops are cold-hardy vegetables that thrive at lower temperatures. They are typically planted in very early spring for an early summer harvest. This includes things like lettuce, spinach, peas, carrots, radishes, beets, cabbage, and onions.

Such seeds are normally planted as soon as the soil can be worked. It is usually still cold and they can even get snow and frost. The seeds of cool-season crops don’t seem to have a problem dealing with these harsh conditions. I’ve been gardening for 50 years and have given classes on vegetable gardening and made many videos on the topic. I have always told people to plant their cool-season seed as soon as they can. That is the advice everyone gives. But ….. we may have been doing it wrong!

Watch this post as a video: https://youtu.be/l2CIzGEGMeA

Key Takeaways

All seed germinates better warm.
Planting cool-season seed in cold soil does not make sense.

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