Are plants social?
 

Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better in a
group. Does anyone know about this?

Are plants social?
 

They are not social in any anthropomorphic sense. They don't need company of
their own for emotional support or anything like that. Its purely a matter
of having others nearby for reproduction.

To maintain outbreeding plant populations, several plants need to grow
within fairly close proximity to ensure pollination and seed production. If
you are not trying to produce seeds or are creating a naturalized
population, there is really no need to have several of the same plants
except for aesthetic value.


Frank Martin wrote in message
...
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better in
a
group. Does anyone know about this?

Are plants social?
 

In article ,
Frank Martin wrote:
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better in a
group. Does anyone know about this?

Some plants do better if not planted in isolation because a group may e.g.
shade each others roots or provide a cooler or more humid microclimate
under a canopy of leaves of adjacent plants. While this wouldn't require
the plants to be all of the same species, if they are the same, competition
will be more evenly spread out so the "weed-choked" appearance will be
minimized.

As an example, a friend tells me she can't grow tomatoes in the extreme
summer heat in the central valley of California - she buys them from the
farmer's market. So how do the farmers manage? The air under the canopy
in a large field of tomatoes gets cool enough at night that pollination
can occur. A few plants in a garden don't have that advantage, and fruit
never sets.

That said, your grandmother may be on to something. The field of chemical
communication between plants is a new one, and there may be some surprising
interactions. Which species has she observed to do better in groups?

Are plants social?
 

On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 12:18:43 +1000, "Frank Martin"
wrote:

Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better in a
group. Does anyone know about this?


In order to produce good ears, corn must be planted pretty densely. As
I recall, you need to have at least three or four rows to get any ears
of corn. But, that is the way man has cultivated the plant... i dont
know if wild maize has similar population density requirements. But I
wouldnt doubt that wind pollinated plants need to have others nearby
in order to set seed.

Are plants social?
 

Monoculture is strictly for convenience.

Grasses need to have plants in close proximity because they are wind
pollinated.

There is no "wild" maize. The wild relatives have no cob and are called
Teosinte.


nobody wrote in message
...
On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 12:18:43 +1000, "Frank Martin"
wrote:

Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better in
a
group. Does anyone know about this?


In order to produce good ears, corn must be planted pretty densely. As
I recall, you need to have at least three or four rows to get any ears
of corn. But, that is the way man has cultivated the plant... i dont
know if wild maize has similar population density requirements. But I
wouldnt doubt that wind pollinated plants need to have others nearby
in order to set seed.

Are plants social?
 

in all the answers I'm missing the hint for allelopathie, the research of
reciprocal
influences of plants, practicized by friends of "Mischkultur", mainly
explained
by mycorrhizal effects in the edaphone -
founded by H. Molisch, university of Vienna, 1937, "Der Einfluß einer
Pflanze
auf die andere - Allelopathie" -
you can hear more of this from orchid friends, it's their primary focus
best regards
kauhl

"Frank Martin" wrote in message
...
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better in
a
group. Does anyone know about this?

Are plants social?
 

She may have meant seagulls where weaker younger and older birds can
scavange off the leavings of stronger ones.
Flocks of starlings and the like may act as a single organisn where
sharp-eyed individuals find the food, and all eat it.

"Beverly Erlebacher" wrote in message
. ..
In article ,
Frank Martin wrote:
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better in
a
group. Does anyone know about this?

Some plants do better if not planted in isolation because a group may e.g.
shade each others roots or provide a cooler or more humid microclimate
under a canopy of leaves of adjacent plants. While this wouldn't require
the plants to be all of the same species, if they are the same,
competition
will be more evenly spread out so the "weed-choked" appearance will be
minimized.

As an example, a friend tells me she can't grow tomatoes in the extreme
summer heat in the central valley of California - she buys them from the
farmer's market. So how do the farmers manage? The air under the canopy
in a large field of tomatoes gets cool enough at night that pollination
can occur. A few plants in a garden don't have that advantage, and fruit
never sets.

That said, your grandmother may be on to something. The field of chemical
communication between plants is a new one, and there may be some
surprising
interactions. Which species has she observed to do better in groups?

Are plants social?
 

I used to keep an aviary of budgerigahs (parrekeets) who thrived in relation
to their numbers. It was as though their happiness at being together
prompted their breeding frequency and metabolism.

"nobody" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 12:18:43 +1000, "Frank Martin"
wrote:

Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better in
a
group. Does anyone know about this?


In order to produce good ears, corn must be planted pretty densely. As
I recall, you need to have at least three or four rows to get any ears
of corn. But, that is the way man has cultivated the plant... i dont
know if wild maize has similar population density requirements. But I
wouldnt doubt that wind pollinated plants need to have others nearby
in order to set seed.

Are plants social?
 

Is there are relationship here among a genus? For example, if tomatoes do
well in a group, is the same result observed if some of the tomato plants
are replaced with tobacco and potato (related species)?
"D. Kauhl" wrote in message
...
in all the answers I'm missing the hint for allelopathie, the research of
reciprocal
influences of plants, practicized by friends of "Mischkultur", mainly
explained
by mycorrhizal effects in the edaphone -
founded by H. Molisch, university of Vienna, 1937, "Der Einfluß einer
Pflanze
auf die andere - Allelopathie" -
you can hear more of this from orchid friends, it's their primary focus
best regards
kauhl

"Frank Martin" wrote in message
...
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better
in
a
group. Does anyone know about this?

Are plants social?
 

Plants are not birds and you analogy is not appropriate not relevant.


Frank Martin wrote in message
...
She may have meant seagulls where weaker younger and older birds can
scavange off the leavings of stronger ones.
Flocks of starlings and the like may act as a single organisn where
sharp-eyed individuals find the food, and all eat it.

"Beverly Erlebacher" wrote in message
. ..
In article ,
Frank Martin wrote:
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better
in
a
group. Does anyone know about this?

Some plants do better if not planted in isolation because a group may
e.g.
shade each others roots or provide a cooler or more humid microclimate
under a canopy of leaves of adjacent plants. While this wouldn't
require
the plants to be all of the same species, if they are the same,
competition
will be more evenly spread out so the "weed-choked" appearance will be
minimized.

As an example, a friend tells me she can't grow tomatoes in the extreme
summer heat in the central valley of California - she buys them from the
farmer's market. So how do the farmers manage? The air under the
canopy
in a large field of tomatoes gets cool enough at night that pollination
can occur. A few plants in a garden don't have that advantage, and
fruit
never sets.

That said, your grandmother may be on to something. The field of
chemical
communication between plants is a new one, and there may be some
surprising
interactions. Which species has she observed to do better in groups?

Are plants social?
 

Plants are not birds and you analogy is not appropriate not relevant.


Frank Martin wrote in message
...
I used to keep an aviary of budgerigahs (parrekeets) who thrived in
relation
to their numbers. It was as though their happiness at being together
prompted their breeding frequency and metabolism.

"nobody" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 12:18:43 +1000, "Frank Martin"
wrote:

Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better
in
a
group. Does anyone know about this?


In order to produce good ears, corn must be planted pretty densely. As
I recall, you need to have at least three or four rows to get any ears
of corn. But, that is the way man has cultivated the plant... i dont
know if wild maize has similar population density requirements. But I
wouldnt doubt that wind pollinated plants need to have others nearby
in order to set seed.

Are plants social?
 

How about saving us all some time and providing a link to something
explaining what in the heck you are babbling about? Preferably in English!!!


D. Kauhl wrote in message
...
in all the answers I'm missing the hint for allelopathie, the research of
reciprocal
influences of plants, practicized by friends of "Mischkultur", mainly
explained
by mycorrhizal effects in the edaphone -
founded by H. Molisch, university of Vienna, 1937, "Der Einfluß einer
Pflanze
auf die andere - Allelopathie" -
you can hear more of this from orchid friends, it's their primary focus
best regards
kauhl

"Frank Martin" wrote in message
...
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better
in
a
group. Does anyone know about this?

Are plants social?
 

Symbiosis and mutualism is not the same as being "social" in the sense
animals group together to form herds or flocks.

Frank Martin wrote in message
...
Is there are relationship here among a genus? For example, if tomatoes do
well in a group, is the same result observed if some of the tomato plants
are replaced with tobacco and potato (related species)?
"D. Kauhl" wrote in message
...
in all the answers I'm missing the hint for allelopathie, the research
of
reciprocal
influences of plants, practicized by friends of "Mischkultur", mainly
explained
by mycorrhizal effects in the edaphone -
founded by H. Molisch, university of Vienna, 1937, "Der Einfluß einer
Pflanze
auf die andere - Allelopathie" -
you can hear more of this from orchid friends, it's their primary focus
best regards
kauhl

"Frank Martin" wrote in message
...
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better
in
a
group. Does anyone know about this?

Are plants social?
 

In article ,
"Cereoid-UR12-" wrote:
Monoculture is strictly for convenience.

Grasses need to have plants in close proximity because they are wind
pollinated.

Plenty are apomictic.

There is no "wild" maize. The wild relatives have no cob and are called
Teosinte.

nobody wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 12:18:43 +1000, "Frank Martin"
wrote:

Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better in
a group. Does anyone know about this?

In order to produce good ears, corn must be planted pretty densely. As
I recall, you need to have at least three or four rows to get any ears
of corn. But, that is the way man has cultivated the plant... i dont
know if wild maize has similar population density requirements. But I
wouldnt doubt that wind pollinated plants need to have others nearby
in order to set seed.



Cheers, Phred.

--
LID

Are plants social?
 

I fear your calling may not lie with the diplomatic corps.

"Cereoid-UR12-" wrote in message
. ..
How about saving us all some time and providing a link to something
explaining what in the heck you are babbling about? Preferably in
English!!!


D. Kauhl wrote in message
...
in all the answers I'm missing the hint for allelopathie, the research
of
reciprocal
influences of plants, practicized by friends of "Mischkultur", mainly
explained
by mycorrhizal effects in the edaphone -
founded by H. Molisch, university of Vienna, 1937, "Der Einfluß einer
Pflanze
auf die andere - Allelopathie" -
you can hear more of this from orchid friends, it's their primary focus
best regards
kauhl

"Frank Martin" wrote in message
...
Are some plants better planted in a group of their fellows than just
singly?
My grandmother says some plants are like flocks of birds and do better
in
a
group. Does anyone know about this?