Wow, it took me a long time to find an article about this in a scientific journal. The best I could find was from 2005 out of Thailand. No mention of the blue. If something new has come out, I haven't found it. That is one of the many problems with blogs, especially these nutty blogs and pseudo health sites--no citations. Bamboo, I agree that that website is wacko and probably the people there are leftwing, but there are plenty of wacko fake health sites on both sides of the political spectrum. Many times, you get fringe people from both ends of the spectrum agreeing on the same wacko things. The article I found is "Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of modified antifreeze protein gene in strawberry" by Khammuang et al. in Songklanakarin J. Sci. Technol., 2005, 27(4) : 693-703. There is no mention of the blue, however they do use a plasmid as part of the cloning of the antifreeze gene (AFP) called pT7blue. If this is where the idea of the blue strawberry is from it is totally off base. The 'blue' used here is to indicate that the plasmid contains a common gene used in cloning. The gene does cause things to turn blue (only when a specific chemical is added), however the act of cloning disrupts the gene and it is no longer functional at that point. One thing that I wanted to point out is that in this article, they use Agrobacterium tumefaciens (a common plant bacterium) to deliver the AFP gene to the strawberry plant. As I mentioned in the previous GMO thread, viruses are not the only method of transferring genes (not that there is anything inherently bad about using viruses.) Agrobacterium is an example of nature doing its own GMO sort of thing. In nature, the bacterium transfers its own genes to the plant in order to make the plant produce nutrients for the bacterium. My point here is that humans are not the only ones swapping genes around (that is in no way meant to imply that it is either good or bad--it all depends on the context.) Drew, unfortunately because Monsanto focuses on plants, most of their technology doesn't have much relevance to human (or any animal) genetic disease; but you do make a good point that biotechnology has the potential to help a lot of people with a variety of diseases. I'm no Monsanto fan, but advancing technology gives us more tools at our disposal to fix problems (even if we created them in the first place) if use them responsibly. Here is an article in the NYT from 13 years ago mentioning the antifreeze strawberries. Here is a link that might be useful: NYT article from 2000

As mentioned above the same antivirus defense: "RNA silencing functions as an antiviral mechanism in plants, insects and mammals..." This 2013 published scientific paper: " Cooler Temperatures Destabilize RNA Interference and Increase Susceptibility of Disease Vector Mosquitoes to Viral Infection" From author's summary: " Specifically, we demonstrate that RNAi, a critical antiviral immune pathway in mosquito vectors of human disease, is impaired in insects reared at cooler temperatures." H.Kuska comment. This 2013 paper is additional evidence that Nature has chosen the same immune system antiviral pathway (with the same tmperature dependence) that is postulated in roses, and found in other plants, insects, and mammals. Here is a link that might be useful: Cooler Temperatures Destabilize RNA Interference and Increase Susceptibility of Disease Vector Mosquitoes to Viral Infection

I just asked my former greenhouse employer this question, taking some examples along to demonstrate, and she explained that plants in smaller pots-their roots will actually dry out before roots in the larger pots will (whether I realize it or not)and when the roots begin to dry like that, the plant will stop growing. Whereas, the larger potted plant has not dried out, and continues to grow. Apparantly, it takes some time for the smaller plant to begin growing again, after it has had this "dry spell"?? Okay, now I make sure my plants are watered when they need it, but apparantly, it must begin to dry out all around the edges of that pot, just as terra cotta pots dry out very quickly. This would make sense to me. I mean, the plants look perfectly fine, but there is some drying going on inside the pot, around the edges. Can anyone elaborate on this?? I would think this knowledge would be vital to anyone growing plants, to know exactly what size pots to use for what plants. However, you see the exact same size plant growing in all different size pots for sale in nurseries, and apparantly will reach different size growth based upon their conditions when being transplanted. I mean, if you choose to put all seedlings directly into cell packs, from my observation, the plants will grow tall, upright, and rather skinny. I have grown cell plants forYEARS, and used them in all my gardening needs, and they have been fine. This year, I started taking some of those cells plants, transplanting them again into 4 inch pots once they got so big, and the leaves were touching. BUT, what I am examining is, putting them into the cell packs rather than the larger pots causes an entirely different kind of growth. Wouldnt this difference in growth cause the plant to continue growing "differently"??? I mean, a tall skinny transplant is not getting as filled out as the transplants in larger pots; wouldnt this cause an irreversable difference in the two plants?? I know that plant get pinched to cause them to get busy. I pinch the center stems at a certain height. But on the plants in the larger pots, this doesnt even seem necessary, they appear to bush out on their own. I am also curious what effect using a way too big of a pot will do for a seedling. I mean, will it just continue to grow and grow uninterrupted? I would think too large of a pot compared to a tiny seedling would have major moisture fluctuations in the pot. But I am no expert, that is why I am here asking you! I would like to understand this from a scientific perspective, like how the roots function in this. I think it is valuable information. Thank you!

mayland, since you were so kind to post the list for me, here is a list with the scientific names (only the natives, there are a few non-natives that I removed from the list below) - and some of these I could not be sure based on the common name: Anise, Florida Illicium floridanum Anise, Yellow - Illicum parviflorum Ash, Green - Fraxinus pennsylvanica Ash, White - Fraxinus americana Aster, Woods Pink, Woods Purple Aster, Climbing - Ampelaster carolinianus Aster, Yellow Stokesia - Stokesia laevis Azalea, Native spp. Rhododendron spp. Basswood - Tilia americana Beards Tongue Husker Red - Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red' Beautyberry, American Callicarpa americana Bee Balm, Jacob Cline Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline Beech, American Fagus grandifolia Black Eyed Susan Goldstrum/Herbstonne - Rudbeckia fulgida Goldsturm Blackgum Nyssa sylvatica Blazing Star Liatris sp. Buckeye, Bottlebrush - Aesculus parviflora Buckeye, Painted - Aesculus sylvatica Buckeye, Red - Aesculus pavia Buckeye, Yellow - Aesculus flava Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa Buttonbush - Cephalanthus occidentalis Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis Carolina Buckthorn - Frangula caroliniana Catalpa - Catalpa bignonioides (southern form) Cedar, Atlantic White - Chamaecyparis thyoides Chokeberry, Red - Photinia pyrifolia Clethra, Ruby Spice Clethra alnifolia Ruby Spice Coneflower- Purple and Pale Purple - Echinacea purpurea Coneflower, Glossy leaf - ? Cross Vine, Tangerine Beauty - Bignonia capreolata Tangerine Beauty Cypress, Bald - Taxodium distichum Cypress, Pond - Taxodium ascendens Doghobble/ Leucothoe ? could be Leucothoe or Agarista Doghobble/ Leucothoe Dwarf - ? Dogwood Cherokee Princess - Cornus florida 'Cherokee Princess'. Eastern Mayhaw - Crataegus aestivalis (a hawthorn) Elderberry, American Sambucus nigra . ssp. canadensis False Blue Indigo - Baptisia australis Fern, Christmas - Polystichum acrostichoides Fern, Cinnamon - Osmunda cinnamomea Fern, Dixie Wood - Dryopteris x australis (native hybrid) Fern, Southern River - ? Filbert, American - Corylus americana Fothergilla, Mt. Airy - Fothergilla Mount Airy (native hybrid) Fringetree/Grancey Gray Beard Chionanthus virginicus Ginger, Wild and Callaway Hexastylis arifolia and Hexastylis shuttleworthii 'Callaway' Goldenrod Solidago sp. Gordonia/ Loblolly Bay - Gordonia lasianthus Hawthorn, Parsley - Crataegus marshallii Hearts-a-bustin - Euonymus americana Hibiscus, Swamp Hibiscus coccineus (perhaps) Hickory, Mockernut - Carya tomentosa Hickory, Pignut - Carya glabra Holly, American Carolina No.2 Ilex opaca Holly, Apollo (male) deciduous holly (native/japanese hybrid) Holly, Sparkleberry (female) - deciduous holly (native/japanese hybrid) Holly, Dahoon (female) Ilex cassine Holly, Dwarf Yaupon Ilex vomitoria (various dwarf cultivars) Holly, Savannah Ilex Savannah (native hybrid) Hophornbeam, American - Ostrya virginiana Hoptree - Ptelea trifoliata Hydrangea Annabelle Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle Hydrangea, Climbing - ? (several plants have this common name, could be Decumaria barbara) Hydrangea, Oak Leaf Hydrangea quercifolia Jacobs Ladder perhaps Polemonium reptans (if it is the native one) Joe-pye Weed - Eupatorium purpureum Magnolia, Ash Magnolia ashei Magnolia, Bigleaf Magnolia macrophylla Magnolia, Bigleaf Hybrid Magnolia, Pyramid Magnolia pyramidata Magnolia, Sweetbay Magnolia virginiana Magnolia, Umbrella Magnolia tripetala Maple, Red-leaf Maple Acer rubrum Maple, Chalkbark Acer leucoderme Maple, Red Autumn Blaze - Acer x freemanii Autumn Blaze (native hybrid) Maple, Red October Glory - Acer rubrum 'October Glory' Milkweed, Swamp Asclepias incarnata Mountain Laurel Kalmia latifolia Musclewood/ Hornbeam - Carpinus caroliniana Oak, Laurel - Quercus laurifolia Oak, Live - Quercus virginiana Oak, Northern Red Quercus rubra Oak, Post - Quercus stellata Oak, White - Quercus alba Oats, Upland River - Chasmanthium latifolium Partridgeberry Mitchella repens Passion Vine, Yellow Passiflora lutea Pawpaw Asimina triloba Persimmon - Diospyros virginiana Pipe Vine, Woolly Dutchmans - Aristolochia tomentosa Redbud Cercis canadensis Rhododendron spp. Sassafras Sassafras albidum Sedum Sedum ternatum (perhaps) Serviceberry Coles Select Amelanchier x grandiflora `Cole's Select' Silverbell, Savannah River Halesia (not sure which kind) Silverbell, Big-flowered - Halesia (not sure which kind) Smoketree, American Cotinus obovatus Solomon's Seal, False - Maianthemum racemosum Solomon's Seal, Variegated (not native) Sourwood Oxydendron arboreum Spicebush Lindera benzoin Spiderwort, Danielle hopefully Tradescantia virginiana Stonecrop sedum, perhaps Sedum ternatum? Sugarberry - Celtis laevigata Sunflower, Marcs Apollo - Helianthus Sunflower, Swamp Helianthus angustifolius Sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus Sweetshrub, Athens Calycanthus floridus Athens Sycamore - Platanus occidentalis Titi - Cyrilla racemiflora (perhaps) Verbena some are native, some arent Viburnum, spp. Virginia Sweetspire Henrys Garnet Itea virginica Henrys Garnet Walnut, Black Juglans nigra Waxmyrtle, Regular and Dwarf Morella cerifera Wichhazel, Common - Hamamelis virginiana Yarrow Oertels Rose - Achillea millefolium Yellowwood - Cladrastis kentukea