Vikram Baliga, PhD
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theplantprof.bsky.social
Vikram Baliga, PhD
@theplantprof.bsky.social
Husband & Father
Horticulture PhD & Prof
Author of Plants to the Rescue!
Endorsed by Several Moms
Funnier than Anticipated
Host of the Planthropology podcast
Linktr.ee/theplantprof
Oh my god, right?!
June 18, 2025 at 7:39 PM
I get to interview so many amazing people for Planthropology that remind me how much I still have to learn about being a scientist, educator, and human. It's genuinely one of the greatest joys in my life to talk with a community of folks who always inspire me to be better!
April 25, 2025 at 12:07 AM
It's good for them. It builds character.
February 21, 2025 at 7:21 PM
I have nothing meaningful to add to today's conversation. Instead, here's the most important video I've ever made, from way back in 2021. #mrpourovercoffeeman
January 20, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Maybe you live in a reasonable place, but here where I am, we have brown sky dirt season, and it showed up early this year. The air is crunchy.
January 18, 2025 at 12:20 AM
It's the 2 year anniversary of my grandma putting a curse on someone. I'm unsure of that person's fate, but they stopped calling, so
January 11, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Also, I just looked it up and I'm about 1200 miles from the closest active volcano. More also, I was taking pictures of squirrels at the time. See Exhibit A below for two of the squirrels in question.
January 8, 2025 at 10:21 PM
I'm a reasonably accomplished photographer, but have absolutely no idea how to take a selfie that doesn't make me want to throw my phone, camera, and self into the nearest volcano. I'm going to just start grabbing screenshots from videos instead, because I hate this (a little) less than usual.
January 8, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Hello, I got you this lizard.

(Little white whiptail, Aspidoscelis gypsi, for all my fellow nerds)
January 8, 2025 at 3:19 AM
I don't post here often, but needed you to see this. I'm not even sorry about it.
January 4, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Yes, me specifically.
December 14, 2024 at 9:57 PM
Mildly alarming pies are appropriate for Thanksgiving, right?
November 28, 2024 at 4:56 PM
We just wrapped up my sustainable vegetable crops class today. It was a fun course overall, but watching my students get excited about taking and using what they grew was absolutely the best part!
November 26, 2024 at 5:17 AM
A few years ago, we dug up this giant sweet potato from the horticulture gardens on campus. I immediately turned it into a nightmare and started putting it in various classrooms. It was a good week.
November 20, 2024 at 2:26 PM
Our Natural Resource Management department is across the atrium from me. They have several very nice taxidermy mounts that watch me grade exams and play minesweeper through my office window. Is that a FERPA violation? Please advise.
November 16, 2024 at 5:11 PM
Hi, I really want to BlueSky well, but I don't know if I have the mental energy for keeping up with more social media. Someone talk me into this, please. Here's a small round mockingbird as tax.
November 16, 2024 at 12:16 AM
Oh hello, are we doing the thing here again? I'll be honest, I'm having a lot social media fatigue right now because of *gestures around vaguely*, but still I endure. Anyway, here's some nonsense for you!
October 17, 2024 at 1:16 PM
Begin Transmission

The more time I spend in Dark Sky locations, the more radical I get about light pollution. Everyone should get to see the stars.
June 27, 2024 at 2:47 PM
I'm a bit out of practice, but it felt so good to shoot the Milky Way last night for the first time in a couple of years. My beat up old Nikon D5500 and 24mm lens still do the thing pretty darn well!

This was shot from the roof of my AirBnB, by the way. These Chiuahuan Desert skies are bonkers.
June 26, 2024 at 12:30 AM
I get to spend a few days next week looking at stars for the first time in a long time and I'm *very excited.* If you're a star chaser too, show me your favorite shots! Here are a few of mine, mostly taken from the side of the highway!
June 22, 2024 at 6:03 PM
I'm back for some amount of time and will probably post irritating often for 2 weeks, then disappear into the woods again for 6 months. Regardless, I feel like I should post about academic and science stuff, BUT here are the strawberry cheesecake cookies I made last weekend instead.
June 22, 2024 at 4:01 PM
Oh thank God. We don't have to worry about GPT anymore, y'all, they're downgrading it!

Also, hi, hello, I still exist!
June 22, 2024 at 2:13 PM
What's good, Blue Sky? Here's a picture of my dog for no reason!
October 4, 2023 at 11:18 AM
Look at this Adenium. Look at it!
August 17, 2023 at 6:51 PM
My neighbor has almost perfectly square Crepe Myrtles, and I needed you to see it.
August 8, 2023 at 5:19 PM