Come Swap Plants!

LEH

BTV Spring Houseplant Swap
Sunday, April 28th
11am – 2pm
Flynn Ave Co-op Community Room, 288 Flynn Ave, Burlington VT

Northern Vermont friends – come to the BTV Spring Houseplant Swap on Saturday, April 28th!  Bring any extra indoor houseplants and seeds you’d like to trade or give away and take home new plants to green up your space. There will be a garden plant swap in early June, so hold on to those outdoor annuals and perennials! Please label whatever you bring to the best of your knowledge, and please come even if you don’t have anything to swap. There are always more plants than swappers!

Location: The Flynn Ave Co-op is on the right side of Flynn Ave just before the new City Market location if you’re coming from Pine St. Feel free to park on the street or in the back of the co-op’s parking lot, but please don’t block the basketball area. The community room is a porch with lots of windows and is easy to find, but there will be signs as well.

More info at the facebook event page.

 

 

I grow citrus from grocery store fruit. You should too.

LEH

Every new year’s day I start a bunch of plants either from cutting or seed so I can give them away to friends and this year I decided to try growing lemon and lime seedlings from fruit I bought at the grocery store.  The seedlings were a hit with friends and I had more interest than I had plants to share, so I decided to share the process so that everyone can grow their own.  Give it a shot!

Growing citrus from seed

I’m back! And pollinating amaryllis flowers.

LEH

I’m not dead and I definitely haven’t stopped plant antics.  I’ve just been posted about them on facebook and instagram instead of here.  But sharing large projects through social media has its limitations and enough people have asked for step by step instructions on a few things I’ve been up to that I’m back here to share.  First up to share – amaryllis pollination!  It’s a four month process from pollination to germination so it’s not for everyone, but it’s really fun.  Here are the steps:

Amaryllis Pollination

Water Quality Mystery Solved!

LEH

A few days ago I decided to do a 75% water change in the 5 gallon riparium so that I could replant the java fern, which was less than happy with the light in the corner it had been in.  While doing this, I had to disturb the substrate (a mix of mineralized soil, clay, and flourite).  I refilled the tank with treated tap water and added my guppies back in.  All was well for a few hours until I noticed the water become cloudy and one of the guppies gasping at the surface.  Alarmed, I immediately did a 25% water change and the guppy recovered quickly.  The next day the cloudiness was back and the same guppy was again stressed while the other was fine.  Again, a 25% water changed fixed the situation.  This continued until today when I did another 75% water change to try and get things back to a healthy equilibrium.  I’ve been mystified, honestly, as to the problem.

But, a mere 1/2 hour ago, I decided to do a full water quality check and realized that the water was incredibly soft, which was strange considering my tap water is usually rather hard.  Then it hit me – I disturbed the substrate and released clay into the water!  That brought the water hardness down considerably and stressed the hell out of the less hardy of the guppies (not to mention I’m pretty sure he didn’t appreciate filtering clay through his gills…).  Every time I did a water change I fixed the clay issue temporarily until more released.  So the plan is to do a full water change tomorrow and add a 1/4 inch of flourite and gravel as a top coat to keep the clay/soil mix contained.  If any cloudiness remains, I’ll set up a temporary tank for my finned friends while I continue to remove the dissolved clay from the water.

Mystery solved!

The Riparium, Four Months On

LEH

I’m happy to report that my little 5 gallon riparium is running like a champ!  I’m thrilled to have gone with the natural planted tank method and the amazon sword, java fern, red tiger lotus, and the corkscrews are growing well in the substrate.  I used a couple of breeder boxes as planters for bare root pothos and ivy cuttings and I’m in love with how they’re working.  My two guppies Rupert and Nigel, and apple snail Ted, quite at home.  The best part has been the very stable water quality.  I do a 25% change once a week, and I’ve done a 75% change twice in the four months it’s been running – mostly to replant the tiger lotus that completely overran its corner of the world.

Such cloudy, cloudy water

LEH

Oh riparium, why do you vex me so?  I mineralized the soil for 5 days, sifted it, mixed it with clay, and then left it in the bottom of the tank for a day to sit before planting a red tiger lotus, a java fern, and three corkscrew valances, then added a well rinsed flora max cap, and water (slowly and along the glass wall!).  And the result?   The plants all uprooted themselves and the water is super cloudy,  even after a water change.  I’m not deterred, and have no doubt all will work out in a a few days, but I firmly believe in sharing the bad with the good.  Cloudy water, I hate you!!!  The horror….the horror…

all the things 037

 

The Riparium Takes Shape

LEH

So I’m completely infatuated with my new project of building a riparium in a 5 gallon Fluval Chi.  I’ve taken off the stock filter/light/fountain combo and stripped it down to the bare tank.  Much better.  During the last few days I’ve been mineralizing the soil for the tank since I’m going full Walstad natural planted tank on this bad boy.  One more day of soil prep and I’m off to start the planting!!!!

Day 2 of soil mineralizing.  It’s much prettier in person.  Trust me.  Black flippin’ gold.

soil mineralization 016