On a June afternoon, while hiking on Flagstaff Mountain, I paused at a convergence of trails to consider my path into the future. But I never made a choice, for the buzzing of bees distracted me. At first, I thought I had discovered a hive of honeybees, but a closer look revealed an aggregation of solitary bees.

Although it has been revealed in recent years that plants are capable of seeing, hearing and smelling, they are still usually thought of as silent. But now, for the first time, they have been recorded making airborne sounds when stressed, which researchers say could open up a new field of precision agriculture where farmers listen for water-starved crops.

In this video I explain why it is not recommend to water or fertilize your plants in the evening or during the night. I also show some of the problems that cactus breeders are faced with.