plant health

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from the USDA's rich science and research portfolio.  

By Jennifer Donovan, Michigan Technological University

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from the USDA's rich science and research portfolio.

-- Marcia Wood, Agricultural Research Service Information Staff

Along streams and irrigation canals in 16 states, a wily weed called giant reed, or Arundo donax, can grow a remarkable three to six inches a day. This intruder develops dense stands that can crowd out native plants like cottonwoods and willows, and can block water flow to farms and cities.

I have had an eventful couple of weeks since my last post.

I spent a day two weeks ago in Riverdale, Maryland at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services building learning more about some of their programs.  I particularly enjoyed meeting with two economists, as many of my college classes related to economics.

It's an absolutely beautiful day here in Washington, D.C., and we're setting up to put on the third week of Healthy Garden Workshops. If you're not in town, you can still follow the Peoples' Garden on Twitter, or check back later for a full report on the afternoon fun!

The weather is holding through this afternoon, and the lunchtime crowd in the Peoples' Garden is excited and really interested to see what's happening.

Early in the afternoon, the DC Central Kitchen, a student-operated non-profit in the District of Columbia which works to develop and serve organic, nutritious food to people in need, demonstrated the making of their bruschetta -- and they're still serving it outside to great reviews!

Do you want to make your garden the best it can be? Do you want to learn more about how to conserve as much as possible, while cultivating a thriving garden?