Plants, Garden & Soil

5 topics, A–Z

• Garden Soil Contaminants 1 article Lead from old paint, gasoline and pesticides is the main soil worry, mostly through dust children swallow. How to test, amend, grow and wash safely.
• Gardening and Health 1 article Gardening is linked to less stress and more activity. What a meta-analysis, a garden trial and a large cohort show, plus tick, sun and potting-mix risks.
• Houseplants 1 article Houseplants do not clean home air in any meaningful way, but small trials link tending them to less stress. Plus mold, pet and child safety.
• Nutrient Decline in Modern Crops 1 article Some minerals have fallen in modern crops, but high-yield varieties and rising CO2 fit the evidence better than tired soil. What the data show and what to eat.
• Soil Microbes and Immunity 1 article Do soil microbes train the immune system and lift mood? Early daycare trials and mouse studies are intriguing, but they measured markers, not illness.