BROCCOLI

  BROCCOLI   Scientific name: Brassica oleracea var. italica, of the Brassicaceae family, cultivated as an annual plant. Broccoli originated in Italy, where it owes its name, from the wild cabbage with continuous natural evolution of the plant’s flower buds for about 2,000 years. Global broccoli production (together with cauliflower) according to FAO reached 26.9 million… Read More …

Strawberry

  STRAWBERRY   Scientific name: Fragaria sp., of the Rosaceae family, was known from ancient times as wild strawberry. Commercial strawberry cultivation began in the Brittany region in 1750 from the crossing of three wild strawberry varieties. This crossing gave the hybrid Fragaria x anannasa Duch., which replaced in commercial production the forest strawberry (Fragaria… Read More …

1st day of Spring

  1st day of Spring   “You can cut all the flowers, but you cannot keep Spring from coming”.  Pablo Neruda 20th of March – 1st day of Spring, identified with the vernal Equinox, the phenomenon in which day and night have equal duration. Ιt occurs twice a year, once on March 20-21 and once… Read More …

Quince tree

  QUINCE TREE Scientific name: Cydonia oblonga of the Rosaceae family. In biblical texts quince is referred to as the “Golden Apple”, while in ancient Greece it was offered on the wedding day as a symbol of fertility. It is also mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey as an ornamental tree, while in Roman times in the… Read More …

Grapevine

GRAPEVINE (Vitis vinifera, Family: Vitaceae) September, the beginning of autumn – also known as “Harvester”, is a peak month for grapevines and for the completion of harvesting. Grape harvesting, along with the pressing afterwards, has been one of the most important agricultural tasks since antiquity and an occasion for celebration, such as the Dionysian feast,… Read More …

Heat and Plants

  HEAT AND PLANTS: How can we take care of our plants in high temperatures? Having entered July, in the heart of summer, high temperatures, heat waves, hot winds and long hours of exposure to intense sunlight are a common phenomenon that can cause irreparable damage to our plants and flowers. The sun, a necessary… Read More …

Avocado

  AVOCADO (Persea americana, Ec .: Lauraceae) Avocado is an evergreen tree in the tropical areas of Mexico and Central America. In recent years there has been an increase in cultivated areas, with Mexico as the main country of production, while in Greece there is an increasing dynamic of cultivation in Crete, and generally in… Read More …

Pomegranate

POMEGRANATE (Punica granatum L., Fam. Punicaceae) Pomegranate is one of the oldest known cultivated trees, which held since ancient times an important place in the daily diet and the efforts of people to deal with diseases. Pomegranate’s name originates from the Latin word “pomum”, which means apple, and “granatum”, which means with seeds. In Greek… Read More …