Re: Anecdote Possibly Relevant to the Vitamin D Issue

[Guest guest]

Fascinating Rodney! I agree with your suspicion as it relates to the

sun/Vit D. My shot-in-the-dark guess is that the answer relates to UVB.

I don't recall your geographical location, but UVB does not hit the

northern half of the USA between Nov & March (per University of Boston

studies). UVB is a necessary ingredient for body to make Vit D.

Rather than Vit D, I assume plants use the UVB to make their own

chlorophyll growing process.

Rodney wrote:

>Hi folks:

>

>Here's a thought.

>

>Last fall I brought a small pot containing tarragon in from outside

>to protect it from the elements. It was a bit straggly so I cut it

>back, and it has been watered occasionally throughout the winter as

>it has sat in full sun in a south facing window through two

>thicknesses of glass.

>

>During this time the plant has done absolutely nothing. It has

>remained green, but has not grown even the tiniest additional leaf.

>

>Now, as is customary around here at this time of year, the shrubs and

>trees outside are beginning to sprout leaves. And lo and behold so

>is the tarragon that is inside - at precisely the same time!

>

>I had always thought that the plants outside woke up at this time of

>year because of the rise in temperature. But that cannot account for

>the tarragon's revival, as the temperature of its surroundings has

>remained almost exactly at 70°F all winter, and until now it has done

>nothing.

>

>Presumably the tarragon's dormancy has ended because of a change in

>the light it is receiving now that the sun's rays are being filtered

>by a good deal less atmosphere. I am tempted to wonder whether that,

>rather than temperature, may also be the principal consideration for

>the plants outside too. The timing is really a bit too much of a

>coincidence to believe otherwise. I have seen a similar phenomenon

>in previous years with geraniums kept inside in the sun in winter.

>

>So the tarragon appears to be responding to some part of the

>electromagnetic spectrum that is transmitted though two layers of

>glass, but not through winter-thick layers of earth's atmosphere. I

>believe vitamin D is not created if the sun is obstructed by glass.

>If that is correct then we are talking about two different parts of

>the spectrum. The part which creates vitamin D is not the same as

>the one that appears to have awakened the tarragon. Just a little

>bit weird.

>

>But it makes it very easy to believe that we need vitamin D

>supplements in winter, and that there may perhaps be a plant

>compound, sort of equivalent to vitamin D, that is necessary for

>growth and is created in plants only when the sun is sufficiently

>high in the sky.

>

>Rodney.

>

>[i have been waiting for months to make this post, wondering if this

>would happen!]

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

It may be different for different plants... I have some trees that grow like

weeds all winter long kicking butt on the normal tress that rest during the

winter but I suspect the example you're looking at may be related to amount

of time daylight is available, or lengthening days being a marker for spring

(bud too soon and lose that work to late frost).

I think some greenhouses play with lighting hours to trick some plants...

I'd suggest searching plants + length of day, or something like that.

JR

-----Original Message-----

From: Rodney [mailto:perspect1111@...]

Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2004 6:00 PM

Subject: [ ] Anecdote Possibly Relevant to the Vitamin D

Issue

Hi folks:

Here's a thought.

Last fall I brought a small pot containing tarragon in from outside

to protect it from the elements. It was a bit straggly so I cut it

back, and it has been watered occasionally throughout the winter as

it has sat in full sun in a south facing window through two

thicknesses of glass.

During this time the plant has done absolutely nothing. It has

remained green, but has not grown even the tiniest additional leaf.

Now, as is customary around here at this time of year, the shrubs and

trees outside are beginning to sprout leaves. And lo and behold so

is the tarragon that is inside - at precisely the same time!

I had always thought that the plants outside woke up at this time of

year because of the rise in temperature. But that cannot account for

the tarragon's revival, as the temperature of its surroundings has

remained almost exactly at 70°F all winter, and until now it has done

nothing.

Presumably the tarragon's dormancy has ended because of a change in

the light it is receiving now that the sun's rays are being filtered

by a good deal less atmosphere. I am tempted to wonder whether that,

rather than temperature, may also be the principal consideration for

the plants outside too. The timing is really a bit too much of a

coincidence to believe otherwise. I have seen a similar phenomenon

in previous years with geraniums kept inside in the sun in winter.

So the tarragon appears to be responding to some part of the

electromagnetic spectrum that is transmitted though two layers of

glass, but not through winter-thick layers of earth's atmosphere. I

believe vitamin D is not created if the sun is obstructed by glass.

If that is correct then we are talking about two different parts of

the spectrum. The part which creates vitamin D is not the same as

the one that appears to have awakened the tarragon. Just a little

bit weird.

But it makes it very easy to believe that we need vitamin D

supplements in winter, and that there may perhaps be a plant

compound, sort of equivalent to vitamin D, that is necessary for

growth and is created in plants only when the sun is sufficiently

high in the sky.

Rodney.

[i have been waiting for months to make this post, wondering if this

would happen!]