tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49988750341383097762024-03-05T06:15:07.885-06:00Wildlife & Nature BlogA Blog about different types of living beings ranging from exotic animals & interesting creatures to rare insects, naughty reptiles and large mammals, etc. - along with anything else that relates to nature, gardening...Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-65454997271175131472021-11-06T16:32:00.004-05:002021-12-09T21:18:57.541-06:00Fastest Growing Plants for Indoor Mini Hydroponics<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyGVwFEp_gzr2e9H0swXIMpR2xdJ04SRh3jeNdwpw12YXtoaSOn-KzCqUsYv7s8KwzWu3w2ANIQ01UaWWRo2b1Mw7iLmA7tFeve-0qxl8HXwXo8QLk0aUfkRI8oq8ph0eTNq_EaWZYNM/s336/hydroponics-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="336" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyGVwFEp_gzr2e9H0swXIMpR2xdJ04SRh3jeNdwpw12YXtoaSOn-KzCqUsYv7s8KwzWu3w2ANIQ01UaWWRo2b1Mw7iLmA7tFeve-0qxl8HXwXo8QLk0aUfkRI8oq8ph0eTNq_EaWZYNM/s320/hydroponics-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Unless you live in a tropical environment or close to a southern coastline somewhere (like Zones 8, 9, or 10), you more than likely have certain growing seasons in your area along with winter months where your garden tools collect dust in anticipation of Spring. For some of you, it's the same type of anticipation during that time period, year after year, always waiting for the weather to warm up so you can get your garden started. <p></p><p>I'm sure, because of this, that many of you have also planted stuff too early in the season before, only to have a frost come by and kill your plants, as well. This year, however, I did prolong things by having a Fall crop. After my <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/how-to-freeze-summer-squash-for-frying.html">summer</a> garden was over, I plowed it all up, waited for the weather to cool, then planted some of the fastest growing cool weather crops: turnip greens and radishes. I must say, though, cool-season vegetables are limited, as for variety, in what you can grow; a lot of folks may not like those options. </p><p>But have you ever thought about growing some of your edibles indoors? I know the technology has been around for a long while, but it has come a long way when concerning the mini hydroponics that you use for growing plants indoors. There are full-sized versions out there, too, albeit a bit too pricey for my liking. On this post, I'm talking about the mini, more compact versions of hydroponics along with some of the fastest growing plants that I've experimented with so far. Yeah, this is a Nature & Wildlife Blog, but that doesn't mean that the subjects are limited to outdoors, does it?</p><p>Anyway, I've recently purchased 2 indoor growing systems that use the modern LED lighting technology. To clarify, they would be better described as mini hydroponics. Why did I start out with 2? Well, I had an idea, which I will get to that in a few minutes. But first, I want to quickly cover the fastest growing plants I've encountered thus far while using this system. This list will be fairly small since I've only experimented with a few plants, but I have loads of seeds for a bunch of different plants, herbs, etc. It just takes time to let each one go through its growing cycle before you harvest and try different species next and so on. So far, I've found all the seeds I need for hydroponics from Amazon.com and Urban Farmer (www.ufseeds.com).</p><p>When it comes to lettuce, loose-leaf lettuce is by far the better choice as opposed to head lettuce for these mini, indoor setups. It really just doesn't appear to have enough room for big heads of lettuce. The leaf lettuce, though, you can pick the outer leaves as you need them and they just keep growing and growing. The highest quality lettuce I have tried thus far is the buttercrunch variety. It's a good thing this has been the fastest growing lettuce, because it has a nice buttery taste and a smooth texture that beckons for a variety of culinary uses. </p><p>Next up is Arugula, which a lot of folks may have not ever tried. It adds a nice peppery or mustard-like flavor to salads and/or whatever else you like to use it on. This is one of the plants I have did a side-by-side comparison under the same lighting conditions, as a "soil vs. hydroponics" test. I must say, arugula appeared to have grown twice as fast using my mini indoor growing system when compared to traditional dirt mixtures. </p><p>I would not normally try to grow tomatoes in one of these mini indoor systems using hydroponics, but I did find one variety that was perfect for this, which was the Tiny Tim <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/heirloom-paul-robeson-tomato.html">Tomato</a>. It's small, compact size with high yields is the perfect choice for these particular systems. Since this is a recent experiment, I can only gauge it by the first couple of inches of growth. However, I must say, it has been the fastest sprouting and growing tomato I have seen, as they normally start off really slow when using soil and normal growing elements outside.</p><p>This next one is well known for being one of the fastest plants for hydro growing platforms, and that is watercress. This is the only one I mentioned so far that I haven't tried yet, but thought I'd mention it anyway. For contrast, the slowest growing plants I've tried thus far in these water systems has been chives and bunching onion. I'm not saying they were ridiculously sluggish, but just slow compared to the others I've tested. </p><p>Well, I saved the fastest (out of what I've tried) for last. The Hong Vit radish is well known in the microgreen industry. They germinate and shoot up really quick, even under various conditions. I've seen experiments online where they compared hydroponics to soil while growing these. They used fertilizer in one water-based system and no nutrients in the other and the same for the soil - one using fertile, rich soil and one with poor soil quality. It seems that the Hong Vit grows fast in any of those conditions, but they thrived the most in hydroponics. Oh, by the way, this is not the type of radish that grows a root vegetable; it is used for the greens, stems, and sprouts. One interesting thing to note, is that the Hong Vit, when young, appears to have a spicier taste when grown in poor conditions. I didn't use it for microgreens, but I picked mine in the semi-early stages; I guess you could call it baby Hong Vit. On a side note, they are really attractive and add some color to your growing area. They have a purplish to pinkish stem leading up to the green foliage. I've harvested a few rounds of this so far from my indoor setup, and they were all good albeit milder than I wanted them to be! I must have used too much fertilizer; ha!</p><p>Now that we have touched on the subject of microgreens, I suppose that these mini kits for indoor hydroponics would be suitable for those. I must say, though, I think a person would be (if you are into the sprouts / microgreens thing) better off buying separate growing lights and just use those 1.5-inch Rockwool/Stonewool Grow Cubes Starter Sheets inside of large pans, sort of like baking trays, to use for microgreens inside your home. Of course, there are many different types of growing mediums to use in those water-based tray systems, but no matter what, growing microgreens is about as easy as it gets. How can you screw-up while harvesting sprouts?</p><p>As for fertilizing your mini hydroponics system, the product I purchased came with 2 bottles that you mix with water. Since I bought 2 of them, I have 4 bottles of fertilizer so I should be good for quite a while. The setup I have come with Plant Food A and Plant Food B. Bottle A contains 9% N, 8% P2O5, 30% K2O, 3% Mg, .30% Iron, .06% Manganese, .005% Copper, .01% Zinc, and .1% Boron. Plant Food B contains 11.5% N (nitrogen), and 26% Calcium. Of course, you can purchase any type of <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/expensive-compost-bins-are-not-necessary.html">fertilizer</a> you want but, whatever you do, make sure it is formulated for hydroponics. Don't go dumping Miracle Grow into your indoor growing system. Trust me, I've read about some of those stories and, uh, those people didn't harvest very much to say the least. Don't get me wrong, Miracle Grow seems to work great when using in soil, but it is not recommended for these types of hydro growing systems. I know you're in a hurry to get those indoor crops, but try to calm down a bit; ha!</p><p>Oh, before I go, let me get back to explaining why I bought two of these indoor kits. It was a simple idea, really, which was to borrow the light from them! You see, if you have the room, setting up two of these systems side-by-side emits a good bit of light. So, I just stuck a long container filled with soil behind these, so I could grow even more stuff. You could also put plants in front of these, as well. Hey, I wanted to get more bang for my money, and this stuff works! I've really enjoyed this Mini Hydroponics thing thus far. Oh, to show what I'm talking about when it comes to borrowing light, I took a couple of pics a few moments ago. Please note, I just recently harvested most of the plants so it looks a little bare at the moment, but it won't be long before they are full again. The container with soil behind them is the ones I'm just going to let grow for a while before I harvest. I actually transplanted them from the water-based system when they were just little sprouts.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-gYnarrqe__2hq07fivQxMXUYNDH6PH9XA_dWkYfg2HOSLOWKWFbci4ljBC97dmgS4sFz8ihGjtdkewhCF_6Fb1FvPYGVRyjQEIoX3Bzk10Ox4dSprJunJWIMUZTrWjJbYtIEJ32lmk/s392/Hydroponics-2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="392" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-gYnarrqe__2hq07fivQxMXUYNDH6PH9XA_dWkYfg2HOSLOWKWFbci4ljBC97dmgS4sFz8ihGjtdkewhCF_6Fb1FvPYGVRyjQEIoX3Bzk10Ox4dSprJunJWIMUZTrWjJbYtIEJ32lmk/s320/Hydroponics-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_siOr3h3p1qPZyZMzzFbF0o_SviRqN8Q3j_BjKPL6Y0zKJ6ILTHwT2iAYNoLbiPzholRbmOsUMeV2FympokjEWlnsh4GS1wlxeq6PWS4yZnJ4p6VT5JRqPVWF0OH4bwUx59v7342kdVE/s415/Hydroponics-3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="321" data-original-width="415" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_siOr3h3p1qPZyZMzzFbF0o_SviRqN8Q3j_BjKPL6Y0zKJ6ILTHwT2iAYNoLbiPzholRbmOsUMeV2FympokjEWlnsh4GS1wlxeq6PWS4yZnJ4p6VT5JRqPVWF0OH4bwUx59v7342kdVE/s320/Hydroponics-3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>To show how fast these plants grow, this next photo is just 12 days later, after I took those other two, up above. Plus, I already picked some lettuce from there earlier that week. Ignore the little green pot, as I recently replanted some Hong Vit in there. Anyway, check out this progress after only 12 days:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSHgsqzd2uaCZrqVkTEhRij9BGevdfqjWTtzY5Ewlp1Q47iw1YG9b4lvLOUU2KrdK_e4DPCDsXEDsN3F0YAbFpXje8A69rwbGd8uurcGKqN3CyaYIv0HT1NSSKx67IA_xhJu9oDkO5Ws/s571/hydroponics-4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="571" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSHgsqzd2uaCZrqVkTEhRij9BGevdfqjWTtzY5Ewlp1Q47iw1YG9b4lvLOUU2KrdK_e4DPCDsXEDsN3F0YAbFpXje8A69rwbGd8uurcGKqN3CyaYIv0HT1NSSKx67IA_xhJu9oDkO5Ws/s320/hydroponics-4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Another good thing about this, is that the grow sponges and/or seed pods (whatever you want to call them) are fairly cheap for this. I've reused several of them thus far, but of course the ones you will use for transplanting or for extended growth will be a one-time deal. I've recently grabbed a bag of 50 for a little over 10 bucks; not bad at all. This thing is adjustable, too, so your plants have room to grow nearly 2 feet tall, if needed.</div><div><div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't really mention herbs much on this post, but this thing would obviously be great for chives, basil, cilantro, parsley, oregano, or whatever you like. You can even <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/polygenomx-using-epigenetics-and.html">grow</a> flowers in there, as well. Maybe herbal flowers like Chamomile or Lavender? My indoor growing system has two lighting options: vegetables and flowers. Oh, make sure you keep enough water in there, as well, because the water pump could fail if you let it get too low. This shouldn't ever be a problem because it would take a good amount of neglect to let it run that low, for sure.<br /><p>One final thought about this: Even though I haven't used it for this yet, I can already see a huge advantage I'm going to have next year when starting my real garden outside. Certain plants just always seem to work better when transplanted, like peppers and tomatoes, for example. Well, next year I will harvest everything from this growing system at the end of winter and start all of my seedlings indoors, then transplant them into my outdoor <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/growing-asparagus-is-it-worth-time-money.html">growing</a> spots after the last frost. Then, I will go back to growing random stuff indoors, as well. Man, this mini hydroponics thing is going to really work out nicely. Yeah, maybe I'll have the fastest growing garden plants next year as well; uh, I mean, hopefully. You never know about the weather anymore, so I won't get too cocky about it; ha!</p><p>Pictured below is the model I currently own. It is called the Ailess Pro, but there are many more models than that to pick from. Some larger, some smaller; some cheaper, some more expensive, etc.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGrxKbVcIlA_XMIV0oJAsxMr8L7f_4tbK0vlq9_IatZcte1ycbz6CXC0AyfN4REIXxKMQZbFTbPoUvJoY83buy3CmfuLz_m_hN4UedokNPJ6xr2zO6R62oBFewCi518lVbL9BTXz9p1E/s445/hydroponics.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="445" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGrxKbVcIlA_XMIV0oJAsxMr8L7f_4tbK0vlq9_IatZcte1ycbz6CXC0AyfN4REIXxKMQZbFTbPoUvJoY83buy3CmfuLz_m_hN4UedokNPJ6xr2zO6R62oBFewCi518lVbL9BTXz9p1E/s320/hydroponics.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hydroponics+indoor&_encoding=UTF8&tag=establishedca-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=eaa75f8b4bbb8e9e2bb563ec904f6e99&camp=1789&creative=9325" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Click Here (Affiliate Link) to Shop Online for Indoor Hydroponics"</a></b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Image Credits: 1st & 5th image are Product Images - Fair Use; 2nd, 3rd & 4th images are my own photos - if you'd like to use them for something online, please provide a link back to this blog for credit; thanks!</p><p>Semi-related Links:</p><p>*<a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2021/11/crimson-clover-benefits-reasons-for.html">Crimson Clover - Benefits & Reasons for Cover Crops</a></p><p>*<a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/growing-dwarf-fruit-trees.html">Growing Dwarf Fruit Trees</a></p><p>---End of Post "Fastest Growing Plants for Indoor Mini Hydroponics"</p></div></div></div></div>Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-74275002502688790302021-11-05T16:38:00.005-05:002021-12-09T21:30:01.637-06:00Crimson Clover - Benefits & Reasons for Cover Crops<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxAbA_mRwgDfXLqZqYuFu7mPFICV_FY7SAc4kwSNgXKfcHC7vXjHyIKgr8YkJdBIwTnqKBo3lkA6fKKwU5fDivfAoQoTxl0mz-CzolDSM07oGMBXaFnJsBym3ve0iDA6vvKbnOAYXKik/s500/crimson-clover-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="500" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxAbA_mRwgDfXLqZqYuFu7mPFICV_FY7SAc4kwSNgXKfcHC7vXjHyIKgr8YkJdBIwTnqKBo3lkA6fKKwU5fDivfAoQoTxl0mz-CzolDSM07oGMBXaFnJsBym3ve0iDA6vvKbnOAYXKik/s320/crimson-clover-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />A lot of backyard gardeners probably don't think too much about the uses and benefits of cover crops albeit there are various reasons for such things. I mean, there are some people out there that plant a garden every year that don't even know about the benefits of crop rotation, either, but that's another subject entirely. <p></p><p>Anyway, commercial farmers often use various types of plants for this, depending on their desired result. Some of the reasons are to help prevent soil erosion, add nitrogen to the soil (if you select legumes like <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/growing-peas-and-beans-without-trellis.html">peas and beans</a> or crimson clover, for example), weed management, moisture regulation, food for farm animals (hunters and animal lovers may also use cover crops to feed local wildlife, etc.), and to provide future mulch and/or what some people call "<a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/expensive-compost-bins-are-not-necessary.html">green manure</a>" along with a few other reasons. When I say moisture regulation, I basically mean they help with water infiltration. Have you ever seen certain areas of ground (especially compacted soil) that always just puddles up even with the slightest bit of rain? Yeah, I'm talking about the opposite of that...</p><p>I'm not going to cover all of the different aspects of cover crops on this post, as it will be just a general guide for the person with a small to medium-sized garden. When it comes to that, the main reasons are to benefit soil health, add nitrogen, and attract pollinators to the area. Most folks with normal sized gardens don't have to worry with weed control (if you put in the work), moisture regulation or soil erosion, I wouldn't think. Unless you are a farmer, most people do not have cows and goats roaming around in their yard either, so I doubt the average person will need cover crops to help feed their livestock. However, I have known a few people out in the country that have fenced-in goats so they never have to mow their yard, but those animals will eat any type of vegetation they can get into their mouth. Trust me, I've been around goats before, and they are not picky eaters. Pretty much, if it's not meat, they are interested. I still remember this one goat in particular that even tried to smoke a cigarette that the person next to me was holding; ha! Wait a minute, I actually have a picture of this bizarre "smoking goat" from the past, and I will post it below:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgx5Fsz5wXyG6hNhqDWtXZHNX1mNeYqqW02aHhle9Zvb5uRmXjQBGxNSGtZ-NOtPaUTfQHQwHK7FxomNdeqfyRrHKp7zqsQKcbvI8yAnpDcD0_R-vrrzlwQBNOFCGpRdOFfzAH_jaoZQw0HBMbg5D062hmeOqRk4Hjj7w8Ij41Iuy3H2ij6YY3rPPS=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgx5Fsz5wXyG6hNhqDWtXZHNX1mNeYqqW02aHhle9Zvb5uRmXjQBGxNSGtZ-NOtPaUTfQHQwHK7FxomNdeqfyRrHKp7zqsQKcbvI8yAnpDcD0_R-vrrzlwQBNOFCGpRdOFfzAH_jaoZQw0HBMbg5D062hmeOqRk4Hjj7w8Ij41Iuy3H2ij6YY3rPPS=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>Okay, now back to the main subject...</p><p>Out of all the reasons and benefits for cover crops, when it comes to the average gardener, the improved soil quality via organic matter recycling within the soil along with the fertilization that occurs by way of nitrogen release from legumes, are the main advantages of this. There are many different cover crops you can choose from, depending on your needs, but for the typical gardener we will go with legumes. Instead of using up your seeds from your leftover <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/butter-beans-vs-lima-beans.html">beans</a> and peas, I recommend going with clovers. Plus, they are also normally a good bit cheaper than the seeds for food crops that I just mentioned. In this particular case, I selected the easy to <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/grow-strawberries-in-pyramid-bed.html">grow</a>, highly attractive Crimson Clover.</p><p>Its scientific name is Trifolium incarnatum (not that most people would call it that), but some people do refer to it as the Italian Clover, as well. A quote from Wikipedia states, "[...] a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to most of Europe. It has been introduced to other areas, including the United States and Japan. The plant is widely grown as a protein-rich forage crop for cattle and other livestock and is suitable to be made into hay. It is commonly grazed by domestic and wild ruminants. It is often used for roadside erosion control, as well as beautification. Crimson clover's flowers and sprouts are edible. They can be added as an ingredient in salads, sandwiches, etc." I selected that excerpt because it mentioned some of the other benefits besides its main reasons for the backyard gardener, which is to mostly fix the nitrogen in the soil and improve the quality of your <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/heirloom-paul-robeson-tomato.html">growing</a> substrate.</p><p>From the Amazon product page (with a minor edits): "Crimson clover is a winter annual with dark green, oval leaflets containing no V-shaped water mark making it easy to distinguish from other annual clovers. Crimson prefers well-drained soils and a pH between 5.0 - 6.5, but it is not extremely picky. It is the <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2021/11/fastest-growing-plants-for-indoor-mini.html">fastest</a> <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/growing-asparagus-is-it-worth-time-money.html">growing</a> of the annual clovers, easy to establish, and handles shade well. Crimson clover is a cheap, easy, productive, tasty, cool season grazing material for deer. It starts fast, withstands continuous grazing and produces a consistent, heavy seed crop with good reseeding potential."</p><p>If you live in the southern part of the U.S., the Crimson clover is an excellent choice for a cover crop to use after your summer & fall harvest has been completed. I planted mine where I live in September this year. The Crimson clover, unlike some clovers, can withstand freezing temperatures and does really well in southern winters. The timing of this crop is most likely different for the northern region, but it is really beautiful when it blooms, nonetheless. Well, I think I'll drop down another image of these attractive clovers and provide a link in case you're interested in this type of plant.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DUZCuiPFWKsOIiqFMFiFcJnvKUlZRhCkjE805KtCsDwvCTfIqf10q6qN6sOXJQ30QQiXx06IDHEgZKtPYw7L3hPdBcCWowdgbJy05m_6Olgh2mZwPFSLLTvpcGvwjtasIZKHlZBhtyI/s1500/crimson-clover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DUZCuiPFWKsOIiqFMFiFcJnvKUlZRhCkjE805KtCsDwvCTfIqf10q6qN6sOXJQ30QQiXx06IDHEgZKtPYw7L3hPdBcCWowdgbJy05m_6Olgh2mZwPFSLLTvpcGvwjtasIZKHlZBhtyI/s320/crimson-clover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Image Credit: Amazon.com - Product Images - Fair Use<div><br /></div><div>Shopping (Affiliate) Link:</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=crimson+clover&_encoding=UTF8&tag=establishedca-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=14f0a539eb892c5322ac2b01949aba97&camp=1789&creative=9325" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Click Here to shop for Crimson Clover via Amazon"</a></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Other plant-related posts from the Wildlife & Nature Blog:</div><div><br /></div><div>* <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/01/eyeball-plant-dolls-eyes.html">Eyeball Plant - Doll's Eyes</a></div><div>* <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/01/carnivorous-plant-venus-flytrap.html">Carnivorous Plant - Venus Flytrap</a></div><div>* <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/hornwort-aquarium-plant.html">Hornwort - Aquarium Plant</a></div><div>* <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/glowing-plants-and-glow-in-dark-trees.html">Glowing Plants & Glow-in-the-dark Trees</a></div><div>* <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/is-growing-bonsai-trees-difficult-easy.html">Growing Bonsai Trees - Easy or Difficult?</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>---End of Post "Crimson Clover - Benefits & Reasons for Cover Crops"</div>Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-78235279109719854242015-03-13T18:47:00.005-05:002021-12-04T16:01:11.823-06:00Growing Asparagus: Is it worth the time & money?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EY_PCBE_JA9OzUE8AddiBr4pbCgA7vSFKkm7sxH1ZJvj2CTKntx4LMSQxjAsRMXrkfiznSWARIVPhpMQp0nGHJM-xpKaJFjKZC_Lzvy9fGV0wTmE1kr-35yNRhy61xrNHmknNnS31B8/s1600/Asparagus_image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EY_PCBE_JA9OzUE8AddiBr4pbCgA7vSFKkm7sxH1ZJvj2CTKntx4LMSQxjAsRMXrkfiznSWARIVPhpMQp0nGHJM-xpKaJFjKZC_Lzvy9fGV0wTmE1kr-35yNRhy61xrNHmknNnS31B8/s1600/Asparagus_image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>This will now be a 2-part post since I recently deleted an old website of mine. I've been re-posting articles amid multiple blogs of mine lately, and have combined some posts that are related, etc.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Part 1: "Growing Asparagus: Is it worth the time & money?"</b></div><div><br /></div>
This is the question that I have been pondering today, when thinking
about the upcoming garden season this year. I was thinking about trying
something different, in addition to the usual crops that I plant every
year. First of all, it seems that a lot of people don't like to eat
asparagus, for whatever reason, but this stuff tastes great to me!
Anyway, a few years ago, I had this same dilemma, but it wasn't about
the money or time involved with setting it up, but more about the time
it takes to get a good harvest. I move around a lot, it seems, so that
is the heart of my quagmire.<br /><br />
Asparagus, when starting from seed, will take about 3 years to produce a
decent amount of yield. If you buy 1-year-old crowns, you'll still have
to wait a couple growing seasons for steady production. When you buy
the expensive 2-year-old roots/crowns, you still won't have very much yield (asparagus) during the first growing season when compared to how much
money you spent on the plants. Hmm... <br /><br />
If you are at a location that you are at least semi-certain you are
going to be at for a while and have the extra room for such things,
asparagus seems to be a good choice. Around here, they sell it for
nearly 3 dollars a can in the grocery section and I don't even know how
high it is in the produce section. People claim that it is so much
better fresh, right out of the garden (like most things), but I'm
totally satisfied with canned asparagus except for, well, the price. The
good thing is, asparagus seems to be fairly easy to grow, going by the
last few videos I have watched today.<br /><br />
Oh, I forgot to mention: Once you get your asparagus planted and
thriving, you shouldn't have to worry about replanting any time soon. On
average, it will keep coming back season after season for 15 to 20
years. I've even read that it can last for 50+ years! However, this
means nothing if you move around a lot! This is also the reason why I
said if you "have the extra room for such things," because wherever you
plant them at, you will be dedicating that area just for this particular
crop.<br /><br />
I could write a long list of the health benefits along with certain odd
qualities that asparagus has, but I'll spare you from the verbiage. I'm
just more or less talking to myself on here about whether or not I
should try <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/growing-peas-and-beans-without-trellis.html">growing</a> this awesome perennial vegetable. From the green
varieties to purple and white, you can find it all online. I will at
least provide something useful on this post, and add some quality links
below...<br /><br />
An easy-to-follow video that shows just how easy it is to grow asparagus, if you have the time and money for it: http://perpendicularity.org/blog/2012/07/30/video-growing-asparagus-is-easy/ [Link is no longer active since I deleted that website, but I re-posted that page at the bottom of this post.]<br /><br />
Additional reading material about asparagus:<br />
www.nytimes.com/2003/06/01/nyregion/cuttings-why-asparagus-belongs-in-the-flower-bed.html (link has been deactivated due to a subscription request on the web page)<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus" target="_blank">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus</a><br /><br />
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons - Source = Wiki link is already provided above.<br /><br />
---End of Part 1 "Growing Asparagus: Is it worth the time & money?"<div><br /></div><div><b>Part 2: "Video: Growing Asparagus is easy!"</b></div><div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ndevFQNuZjYNPj32L8EbWF1Yb0dJ7xzJU08WV9yMA1w22YWS5gW4Txhj6hAXu-TQFf_vsaOJh8t7ZpZbbUPZOH9WYfZlpO349DlWAyQM0mk7PXCB2j7uftzjk2SD0jo7-jrhhY4wbl0/s369/asparagus-steamer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="365" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ndevFQNuZjYNPj32L8EbWF1Yb0dJ7xzJU08WV9yMA1w22YWS5gW4Txhj6hAXu-TQFf_vsaOJh8t7ZpZbbUPZOH9WYfZlpO349DlWAyQM0mk7PXCB2j7uftzjk2SD0jo7-jrhhY4wbl0/w198-h200/asparagus-steamer.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><div>I recently watched a video about growing asparagus and just how easy it is to grow. All of this time, I have thought it was one of those crops that involved special care, a lot of money, and time. The reason why I thought that way before, is because I evidently read some crap on the web a few years back, that most likely spawned from a few idiots that were just typing poppycock in hopes they would make a few bucks via their advert networks. Anyway, in a moment, I’ll provide a video that explains in a simple fashion, just how easy it is to grow.</div><div><br /></div><div>I already knew that asparagus has the ability to grow year after year without the worry of having to replant, but I’ve heard some folks act like some years you couldn’t get any yield and would have to let the plants “strengthen.” Going by this video, the yield picks up the second year and thrives, under normal circumstances, for many more years to come. Of course, you need to take care of the soil and make sure it is fertile enough, has enough nitrogen, keep it free of weeds and grasses, etc., or else this little growing endeavor may not be worth it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another well-known fact about asparagus that isn’t included in this particular video, is the various health benefits a person can get by eating it. There are medicinal properties as well, but instead of me turning this “how to grow” post into a “health benefits of” article, I’ll just drop down a Wiki link, so you can get started: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Random Tidbit: “Asparagus is a useful companion plant for tomatoes. The <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/heirloom-paul-robeson-tomato.html">tomato plant</a> repels the asparagus beetle, as do several other common companion plants of tomatoes. Meanwhile, asparagus may repel some harmful root nematodes that affect tomato plants.”</div><div><br /></div><div>You can always search the web for more info, but try to only read from reliable sources. When it comes to cooking this stuff, I’ve seen people steam it, bake it, grill it, use it in stir-fry, and even eat it raw. Hell, even the store-bought asparagus out of a can taste great to me! I especially like eating asparagus when I’m in a meat mood, let's say steak, and all I mainly want is to eat the meat but need something else to add to my plate for balance. This is a healthy choice for a 2-course meal because it is power-packed with nutrients, and this is what I mean by balancing out a meal that lacks variety.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, when I do eat asparagus out of a can, all I do is put it on a plate, drizzle it with a little canola oil and sprinkle some seasoned salt and black pepper on it, throw in the microwave for about 45 seconds, and presto!</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, let's get back to growing asparagus and the video I’m about to provide, to show how easy this is. Anyway, in a thumbnail, the guy just dug a few trenches about 8 inches deep, dropped in some 2-year-old asparagus crowns, keeping them about 8 inches apart, covered them back up with dirt, and his crop took off within weeks. Okay, at any rate, that’s enough rambling from me. </div><div><b>Check out the video, below:</b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BYhKIfBx_Nk" width="320" youtube-src-id="BYhKIfBx_Nk"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>Image Credit: Asparagus Steamer - Product Image - Fair Use - Amazon.com<br /><div><br /></div><div>—End of Part 2: “Video: Growing Asparagus is Easy!”</div></div><div><br /></div><div>---End of Post "Growing Asparagus: Is it worth the time & money?"</div>Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-59404969390155660342015-03-08T18:24:00.003-05:002021-12-09T21:07:20.806-06:00Dick Proenneke: Alone in the Wilderness <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2JJv1oTRywyDuRH5DpZQ1D3EdgObsdke8m0XlmMp_plYnGaTsqE9cooUafMbNT-1M5WA1pKSCPsSJkwotxQDDIYLGQm3OOJa8_wuuhesPqhum-QlhtvvLs_sP8pJpa_q4N6nsdOIZgjo/s1600/dick-proenneke.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2JJv1oTRywyDuRH5DpZQ1D3EdgObsdke8m0XlmMp_plYnGaTsqE9cooUafMbNT-1M5WA1pKSCPsSJkwotxQDDIYLGQm3OOJa8_wuuhesPqhum-QlhtvvLs_sP8pJpa_q4N6nsdOIZgjo/s1600/dick-proenneke.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
"Alone in the Wilderness" is the story of Dick Proenneke living in
Alaska at Twin Lakes. This film shows a man living on pristine land that
is unchanged by man, while being alone in a type of wilderness that few
people would dare to challenge. Dick selected this type of peaceful
setting even though it had brutally cold winters in which provided the
serenity of stillness, at times. This DVD is so enjoyable to watch and
it has a calming effect to it, if you enjoy this type of stuff. Just to
see a person living off the land (for the most part - outside of the
occasional delivery of certain products like granulated sugar, etc.) and
having to put in all the hard work like cutting all of their wood,
building their own cabin, making their own utensils while catching their
fish, killing certain wild animals and growing their own food, all
while documenting and narrating the chain of events during the process,
is truly aesthetically pleasing to watch. For one to achieve such
things, not only did a person need to be an excellent craftsman (and a
great carpenter he was), but they had to also be very content with one's
own thoughts and company...<br /><br />
This was a dream come true and a lifetime challenge for Dick Proenneke,
that he ultimately lived out. What was going to be a 1 to 1.5 year
project, turned into 30 years of outdoor peacefulness and pleasant,
self-fulfilling adventures. He didn't leave the wilderness of Twin Lakes
until he was 82 years old! He mentioned that the -40 (Fahrenheit) and
-50 degree winters were starting to get hard on his joints. After
returning to civilization at age 82, he died 4 years later from a
stroke, at age 86.<br /><br />
Although this movie will not be for everyone, since not everybody seems
to enjoy nature nowadays, if you are looking for some soothing outdoor
explorations in a beautiful Alaskan setting, you'll love this flick!
Alone in the Wilderness is the only film that featured Dick Proenneke
that I have watched, but they also made a couple more (not including the
Part 2, to this one) that was related to this one: "Alaska, Silence and
Solitude" and "The Frozen North." The DVD for this show seems to be
priced fairly high at the moment, so you may want to watch a short clip
on YouTube (it skips around through various parts and leaves out most of
the film), to get a better sense of what type of flick this is and/or
to see whether or not this style of documentary is for you: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJKd0rkKss" target="_blank">www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJKd0rkKss</a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Shopping (Affiliate) Link: </div><h3>"<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=dvd&keywords=Dick%20Proenneke&linkCode=ur2&tag=establishedca-20&linkId=FGL3V7IQDMESDB2I" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click Here for Dick Proenneke DVDs on Amazon</a>"</h3>
Image Credit: Fair Use - DVD Cover - Amazon.com<br /><br />
---End of Post "Dick Proenneke: Alone in the Wilderness"Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-44324630880731406772015-03-08T18:19:00.003-05:002021-12-09T21:02:49.959-06:00Biostone: Biological Concrete made from sand, bacteria, and urine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcv8TxZd1gDpY74-xKBTDSTmvnKKWKC9vzt2IZWj4DyAZogW4wwmmLrkyuGdFgi7pJNlt2DAe99VkNuLHwkLr_qb_pFDgWnan3nwL5efXY18YmpzOCCTZ1ShXZnF-ZXmCmShJenJ1g8pI/s1600/rocky-terrain-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcv8TxZd1gDpY74-xKBTDSTmvnKKWKC9vzt2IZWj4DyAZogW4wwmmLrkyuGdFgi7pJNlt2DAe99VkNuLHwkLr_qb_pFDgWnan3nwL5efXY18YmpzOCCTZ1ShXZnF-ZXmCmShJenJ1g8pI/s1600/rocky-terrain-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Now here is an interesting biological product that could eventually be
used to replace standard concrete while lowering our CO2 emissions.
Yeah, cement production is not the most environmentally friendly thing
in the world, to say the least. Anyway, the product is called "biostone"
and it plans on putting your urine to better use; ha! The combination
of this biological concrete uses sand, bacteria, and urine. <br />
<br />
The procedure for creating this biostone/biological concrete involves
filling a mold (that has the desired shape of the product) with sand
before pumping a bacteria solution of bascillus pasterurii into the
mold. From this point, it will set overnight. On the next day, a
solution of urea, calcium chloride and nutrient broth is then pumped
into the mold. As was stated on the actual page I just read: "The
bacteria uses the urea as energy to absorb the calcium chloride and
convert it into calcium carbonate, a cement-like mixture that binds the
sand together within the mold." You can read more about this, here: <a href="https://newatlas.com/dupe-sand-urine-bacteria-concrete-machine/30804/" target="_blank">www.gizmag.com/dupe-sand-urine-bacteria-concrete-machine/30804/</a><br />
<br />
One of the YouTube videos is located here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlgDFj0Q7p0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlgDFj0Q7p0</a><br />
<br />
Of course, this particular method would not interest the common consumer
nor would they probably like the idea of buying products that are made
from urine and bacteria. LOL! On a good note, this is a step in the
right direction since the idea behind this biological concrete/biostone
can be expanded upon and hopefully be used later on to build houses,
etc., and make industrial manufacturing more environmentally friendly
and sustainable. I just thought this was an interesting advancement
nonetheless and decided to share these <a href="https://random-twaddle.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">tidbits of info</a> today; cheers!<br />
<br />
Image Credit: My own photo of a nearby rocky terrain.<br />
<br />
---End of Post "Biostone: Biological Concrete made from sand, bacteria, and urine"Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-90743075005145724422015-03-08T17:10:00.007-05:002021-12-09T21:01:36.724-06:00PolyGenomX: Using Epigenetics and Polyploids to grow more efficient Trees and Plants <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGtBMpqulREqPKE1g6YMywzosf-sJ716MMs1NR32HfN9mOkTuMgy6S3iIJza4ScQm0X7L9w-bWXH03mM1bEplb3NROha4eC8VYCB9LcYeJRCdIcFm4yNiRi0iINyXaKEzTtHgPU6b75k/s1600/polygenomx.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGtBMpqulREqPKE1g6YMywzosf-sJ716MMs1NR32HfN9mOkTuMgy6S3iIJza4ScQm0X7L9w-bWXH03mM1bEplb3NROha4eC8VYCB9LcYeJRCdIcFm4yNiRi0iINyXaKEzTtHgPU6b75k/s1600/polygenomx.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
PolyGenomX (PGX) is a research & development company that deals with
plant-based biotechnology. They specialize in epigenetics and
polyploidy. The term 'polygenomics' spawns from the practice that
involves the deliberate creation of polyploids. I'll briefly explain
polyploids in a moment, but first... Before anybody gets their panties
in a wad, PolyGenomX does not involve itself with the creation of GMOs.<br /><br />
This technology could greatly enhance our biodiversity and could even
help give the future of this humanoid race, some much needed hope. With a
world population that is increasing at an alarming rate, we obviously
need to make further advancements since many of us are giving up on the
day that doesn't involve Big Oil domination and crude methods of energy.
Since we can't stop The Powers That Be, maybe more folks will work
around them like the ones over at PolyGenomX. Anyway, epigenetics is a
term that can be used to describe anything other than the DNA sequence
that influences the development of an organism. If you'd like to read
about this particular field of study, go here: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics" target="_blank">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics</a><br /><br />
Polyploids are especially common in plants. It involves a stress
response that helps, in this case, a plant or tree evolve/adapt to its
changing surroundings/environment that would, in turn, make it stronger
and more capable of surviving. They call this a "polyploid event," and
the main part of PolyGenomX consists of them trying to invoke a
polyploid event in these modified trees and plants. This, when done
correctly, will enhance the yield, shorten the breeding time, enhance
the growth, allow poor growing areas to thrive with green life, prevent
certain plant diseases and, overall, just make the trees and <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2021/11/fastest-growing-plants-for-indoor-mini.html">plants way more efficient</a>. For example, with this technology, a 4-year-old tree
would have the growth of a 10-year-old tree.<br /><br />
If you'd like to read more about polyploids, go here: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyploidy" target="_blank">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyploidy</a><br /><br />
If you'd like to read more about PolyGenomX, go here: www.polygenomx.com (link is not currently active)<br /><br />
If you are actually interested in this subject about using epigenetics
and polyploids to grow better plants and trees, watching this 16-minute
video may be of great interest: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N0SKREl2uE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N0SKREl2uE</a><br /><br />
---End of Post "PolyGenomX: Using Epigenetics and Polyploids to grow more efficient Trees and Plants"Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-26879959607554834942015-03-08T16:38:00.002-05:002021-12-09T21:00:39.593-06:00Are all amphibians poisonous to some degree?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiWbWOAI9KwU2C81KYD12l4o724Uo-hRiBRRaBDeOCDKk0tVIcGzNwitWSEktszJRwh8xAqIfEc0BJipw0NwERJ15IvzkNHevNoBg9rUFU3cbXCseu54sxsJ6K5JyMNM41g3Mak8dM3g/s1600/Red_Salamander.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiWbWOAI9KwU2C81KYD12l4o724Uo-hRiBRRaBDeOCDKk0tVIcGzNwitWSEktszJRwh8xAqIfEc0BJipw0NwERJ15IvzkNHevNoBg9rUFU3cbXCseu54sxsJ6K5JyMNM41g3Mak8dM3g/s1600/Red_Salamander.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
While checking out various types of venomous creatures vs. <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-poisonous-portuguese-man-of-war.html" target="">poisonous</a>
ones, I ran across a statement that said "all amphibians are poisonous" -
to some degree. Now, is this true or not? I haven't found definitive
proof of this yet, but it does seem that most of them have poison glands
in their skin albeit a lot of them are so weak, they wouldn't have any
effect on humans. I think that is what makes this hard to believe.
Basically, all <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2013/09/frogs-mantella-of-madagascar.html" target="">frogs</a>, toads, <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2013/07/axolotl-mexican-salamander.html" target="">salamanders</a>, newts, etc., are poisonous,
technically.<br /><br />
I find this to be interesting, in a weird sort of way. I mean,
personally, when I see stuff like toads, <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/01/living-fossil-prehistoric-pignose-frog.html" target="">frogs</a>, salamanders and newts, I
don't usually think "it's dinner time!" LOL! Although <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2013/08/what-is-heaviest-longest-snake-in-world.html" target="">snakes</a>, <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2013/05/galapagos-lava-lizards-fighting.html" target="">lizards</a>
and turtles are <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2013/05/reptiles-turtles-crocodiles-lizards.html" target="">reptiles</a> and are not amphibians, I feel the same way
about them, too. But back to the primary subject, are all amphibians
poisonous? I know that all frogs supposed to be because of their skin,
which is why you often hear how you should wash your hands immediately
after touching a frog. Just think about the ones that chop frog legs for
a living. Wait a minute, they probably wear gloves.<br /><br />
Well, if all the frogs are poisonous to some degree, why not all the
toads? Yeah, the toads definitely look like they are! Many of those
brightly colored salamanders actually look poisonous without even having
to know this, and the newts are not much different. Hmm, maybe that is
why I've seen my cats throw up before, shortly after eating them. Or was
that a lizard? Hmm... Anyway, I just thought I'd bring this up, in case
some of y'all have never thought about it before. I know that it's a
good thing it is usually just the skin that is poisonous, and the actual
flesh/meat of a bullfrog and other <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/01/jurassic-frog-vs-goliath-frog.html" target="">large types of frogs</a> (for example)
are not poisonous, or else a lot of people would be sick from eating
them; ha!<br /><br />Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons - Source is found here: <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/01/red-salamander-lungless-tritons.html" target="">http://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/01/red-salamander-lungless-tritons.html</a><br />
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---End of Post "Are all amphibians poisonous to some degree?"Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-11733603477977625282015-03-08T16:14:00.004-05:002021-12-09T20:56:17.622-06:00 Natural ways to Fertilize your Garden without Expensive Compost Bins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This will now be a 2-part post since I've recently deleted an old website of mine and decided to combine the related posts together before I start separately publishing the stand-alone articles on multiple blogs, etc. I've fused the titles together between the two pages, so I hope it still makes sense...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Part 1: "Expensive Compost Bins are not necessary"</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1yyNoi2oucYeOX07rbla623UoT1YJkC2fiOgZvaQpauMraI_6Ht33sxqgPndD30U9_bG8IQdDqEt3oODxjCBb5F-yuk_Udba_OoGC2UFUqpXLWsEkV1ZsqK_ZKeQFnhrCYGKT4ILKMw/s1600/composting-bin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1yyNoi2oucYeOX07rbla623UoT1YJkC2fiOgZvaQpauMraI_6Ht33sxqgPndD30U9_bG8IQdDqEt3oODxjCBb5F-yuk_Udba_OoGC2UFUqpXLWsEkV1ZsqK_ZKeQFnhrCYGKT4ILKMw/s1600/composting-bin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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For the ones that use compost or have at least thought about it, you
probably know what I mean when I say, "expensive compost bins." Good
grief, some of these things are outrageous in price. Out of curiosity, I
was just checking Amazon.com and seen a lot of them listed from 100 to
200 dollars, and some of these bins were even in the 300-to-400-dollar
price range! I'd build my own before buying those. Plus, I don't think
they are necessary anyway. To me, at least, compost bins are more of a
convenience than a requirement. Sure, these expensive contraptions help
churn, turn, stir, air out, mix, etc., but so does a pitchfork; ha! <br /><br />
Anyway, I use various types of natural, organic soil amendments for my garden
every year to fertilize, but I've never did the compost pile thingy that involved these expensive bins or whatever. During the
non-growing season, I'll periodically dump a lot of used tea bags,
vegetable waste, etc., on top of my garden area. Of course, if you have a
commercial lot or a giant corn field, for example, this will not be
sufficient. However, if you are only growing enough food for a
single family, it is very easy to accumulate enough organic material
during the fall, winter, and early spring, for your small to
medium-sized garden. <br /><br />
Another method is to simply save a lot of the waste in buckets, dump the
smelly stuff out in early spring, and till/plow the waste into your
soil a month or so beforehand. At any cultivating rate, I'm going to try
the compost pile thing for the next couple of months, just to see how
it smells, oops, I mean goes. If you want to reduce the odors, adding
more brown matter than the green matter to your pile at a ratio of 3:1
or 4:1 will help a lot. Brown matter is stuff like dried leaves, dried
grass trimmings, etc. Think 'dead' for brown, and fresh produce
trimmings and fresh manure for green, etc.<br /><br />
Well, anyway, I'm going to modify some extra-large plastic containers
for the compost bins, and manually stir the crap as it rots. One must
remember, compost is just decomposed organic matter. This ain't rocket
science, as they say. I also like to spread a fair amount of wood ashes
over my growing area once a year, as a soil amendment. Wood ashes will
raise the pH a bit if you overdo it, so only use 'em in moderation. <br /><br />
Image Credit: Fair Use - Product Image - Amazon.com<br />
<br />Related Post: http://perpendicularity.org/blog/2010/05/03/organic-fertilizer-natural-ways-to-fertilize-your-garden/ [Link is no longer active, but it is now Part 2 of this post.]<br />
<br />
---End of Part 1: "Expensive Compost Bins are not necessary"<div><br /></div><div><b>Part 2: "Organic Fertilizer – Natural ways to Fertilize your Garden"</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Original Post Date: 5-3-2010</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Buying inorganic/synthetic fertilizers at local retail stores/markets, is a simple solution to fertilize poor soil, but they often lack the trace elements that are naturally found in organic fertilizers. On this page, I’ll go over some of the basic ingredients to use in compost, along with a few other soil amendments.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Composting - Organic Fertilizer in the making...</b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4WI8Xz8JrPTN0EKZ02gIWsuvVRHW68-8pIAzKUhj8CtEuXLx4MhStReXkipMNLHm7gsp07nt9TDZT45hYmKeZVk33R6m63Pb-Lus1iB3GT_T__UeRCFvMAUcF67oY5a62VXexFK_rkGEQFXMprgmQLAo-J8mm89egaRKrnjd07nRPeXLF79xT4FXu=s591" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="591" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4WI8Xz8JrPTN0EKZ02gIWsuvVRHW68-8pIAzKUhj8CtEuXLx4MhStReXkipMNLHm7gsp07nt9TDZT45hYmKeZVk33R6m63Pb-Lus1iB3GT_T__UeRCFvMAUcF67oY5a62VXexFK_rkGEQFXMprgmQLAo-J8mm89egaRKrnjd07nRPeXLF79xT4FXu=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Organic, natural fertilizer is the way to go, especially for personal gardens and flower beds. A prime example of an organic fertilizer is the end result of a self-made compost.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Compost involves a variety of waste material…</b></div><div><br /></div><div>There are many benefits, when it comes to using this method. For one, the environment, since a lot of the waste material used while composting would normally find its way into the trash cans and/or landfill. I mean, that is such a senseless waste... Compost typically contains all of the nutrients needed for vigorous plant growth, improves the soil quality and moisture retaining properties, and acts as a slow-release fertilizer.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Make your own Compost…</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Generally, you can either use an “open bin” or a “compost container” for the composting process. You can buy these expensive bins and containers or, if you’re the least bit dexterous and motivated, you can always make your own. There are loads of informative reading material and how-to advice on this subject via the world wide web.</div><div><br /></div><div>You’ll also need a shovel, garden cart/wheel barrel or some type of transporting device that you’ll use to convey the final product to your garden or flower bed, a pitchfork or some other useful type of tool to turn, mix & stir the active compost pile within the container/bin.</div><div><br /></div><div>A proper balance of microorganisms is necessary for an effective compost pile – don’t worry, those microscopic beings will be there by way of nature. The main thing you have to watch for, is to not have too much green material versus brown material, or else, you’ll end up with a smelly, heaping pile that reeks like garbage.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I speak of green material, I mean stuff like kitchen scraps (avoid adding meat scraps), fruits, green trimmings, tea bags, fresh manure (chicken, rabbit, cow or horse dung – but only in small quantities), etc. The brown material should be somewhat at a minimum of 3:1 to green material and the optimal ratio is roughly 4:1. Brown material mostly consists of dried leaves and dried grass trimmings – which you can easily accumulate the dried grass trimmings during the spring & summer months and the dried leaves during the autumn season. You can add, but only recommended in small amounts due to the very high carbon content, wood shavings and sawdust (this is especially useful if you have too much green material in your pile).</div><div><br /></div><div>During the composting process, you’ll need to turn & mix often – as this will help keep the brown & green material balanced and adds oxygen to the pile. The microorganisms need water, food, and air. To enhance the process by adding additional <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/new-tank-syndrome-adding-healthy.html">healthy bacteria</a> into the pile, it has been noted that adding a shovel or two of garden soil into the mix will help speed up the decomposition of waste material. A quick tip for your compost pile: If possible, try to keep the particles & scraps that you add, as small as possible – this makes it easier for the microbes & bacteria to break ’em down. When garden season rolls around, you should have a nice, dark, fertile mass of compost that is ready to be applied to your growing area.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Soil Additive – Wood Ashes as Fertilizer:</b></div><div><br /></div><div>If you still use a fireplace or have occasional campfires and you have a garden or flower bed, you might want to save some of those ashes. When used in moderation, wood ashes are a decent soil additive. Ashes will lack when it comes to Nitrogen, so it is better to use this method in conjunction with other additives and fertilizing techniques. The composition is often estimated at: 1.5 – 2% Phosphorous, 4 – 8% Potassium (depending on the type of wood), 25-50% calcium compounds and magnesium carbonate/oxide, along with other trace elements and nutrients. Due to the high amount of calcium & magnesium, wood ashes have the ability to raise the soil pH – this, in turn, is not good if your soil is already alkaline albeit it still takes about twice as much wood ashes to increase the pH as it would if you applied lime to the soil. In most cases, using wood ashes in small amounts only helps your soil’s condition. Also, one shouldn’t apply wood ashes to your garden no more than once a year – due to the risk of elevated pH and salt levels. Please be advised, wood ashes are a big no-no if you’re dealing with certain plants that require and/or thrive in acidic soil conditions.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion:</b> </div><div><br /></div><div>There are many natural ways to fertilize your garden; I just listed a few. You may want to skip the compost method if it seems like too much trouble. I know someone personally that fertilizes their garden by saving their tea bags, coffee grounds, eggshells, and wood ashes during the winter and early spring, and then, simply tills them into the soil (their garden area) each spring. Whatever works, but the main message in this page is: try and be more prone towards organic, natural methods besides synthetic/artificial ways. If you have any particular natural methods of fertilization that has worked for you, feel free to drop them down in the comment field. Good luck and have a great growing season…</div></div><div><br /></div><div>---End of Part 2: "Organic Fertilizer – Natural ways to Fertilize your Garden"</div><div><br /></div><div>Image Credit: perpendicularity.org/blog/ [Link is no longer active]</div><div><br /></div><div>---End of Post "Natural ways to Fertilize your Garden without Expensive Compost Bins"</div>Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-66090458078267274772015-03-08T16:00:00.003-05:002021-12-09T18:46:12.782-06:00How to Freeze Summer Squash for Frying Purposes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbc-XSwoSKwV7wrkYDSaAzoOzIdB_tcbZt-5NnbkTJoqMh_auyIFtdHmJmbUJeOjvCx9aamx10_bWI80SovOyCIX47lHW5cgtC-d4xs5_vFRp-NXP456Hm-b4cwiDX_RQG5Gj379mHkc8/s1600/Yellow_squash_produce-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbc-XSwoSKwV7wrkYDSaAzoOzIdB_tcbZt-5NnbkTJoqMh_auyIFtdHmJmbUJeOjvCx9aamx10_bWI80SovOyCIX47lHW5cgtC-d4xs5_vFRp-NXP456Hm-b4cwiDX_RQG5Gj379mHkc8/s1600/Yellow_squash_produce-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>If you're interested, below this post is an article about a garden pest that often attacks your squash plants. But back to the original topic...<div><br /></div><div>When freezing produce, a lot of folks think you just "throw it in a bag"
and simply freeze the stuff. While true for some things, like corn on
the cob, for example, it doesn't always work out for other items that
may be in your garden. I selected summer squash for this post because
not everybody uses it for healthy stews and various recipes, as some of
us like to bread and fry it!<br /><br />
When you freeze summer squash, whether you blanch it first or not, it
will thaw out in a soggy condition. This mushy stuff will usually not be
something that will bread and fry very effectively, and you may end up
with a scrambled mess, to say the least. However, there is a way to
freeze your squash for frying purposes, as I found this out by way of
trial & error.<br /><br />
Please note: This method takes a bit of time and space, so you can only
prepare so much at one time, in most cases. First, you slice your extra
squash into your desired degree of thickness for frying. From there, you
bread it (I use yellow corn meal and additional seasonings) as if you
were about to fry 'em up. Now, take a couple cookie sheets out (or
whatever works) and place every single slice of squash on the pans or
however many you can fit on there. Make sure that none of the squash
touches each other and quickly put them into your freezer. When they are
completely frozen, you can now put them all into freezer bags. <br /><br />
Since each slice froze individually, they will not stick together in the
freezer. Plus, they are already breaded for frying purposes. Now,
instead of worrying about them being too mushy to fry, you can drop them
into some hot oil later on while they are still frozen because you
don't have to wait until they thaw out to separate them for the breading
process. You see how easy this is? Hey, it works for me! Cheers!<br /><br />
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons - Source = <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_squash" target="_blank">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_squash</a><br /><br />
---End of Post "How to Freeze Summer Squash for Frying Purposes"<div><br /></div><div><b>Semi-related Post: "Garden Pest: Squash Bugs"</b></div><div><div><br /></div><div>Original Post Date: 8-13-2012</div><div><br /></div><div>It seems that every garden season or at least every other one, I have a new visitor (garden pest) enter my glorious growing areas – no matter how many times I change locations, move the crops, etc. Although, I always manage to have a decent yield while staying organic without the use of insecticides, pesticides, poisons, chemicals, and so on.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the past, I have written about other garden pests, such as the Japanese Beetles – that once decided to come into my corn field as a throng of silk-eating freaks, and as the battle raged on, I was still victorious minus several ears of corn; ha! Last year I got to finally meet the beloved Tomato Hornworms, as those fat, green caterpillars got catapulted from my garden in a ballistic fashion, after realizing that they were eating my <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/heirloom-paul-robeson-tomato.html">tomato plants</a> like a crazed glut!</div><div><br /></div><div>This year, I decided to grow more squash than usual in case I wanted to freeze some, so guess what? I got visited by lots of squash bugs! By the way, I experimented with a different way to grow squash, as I staggered my planting session into two-week intervals and spread them out in different areas in the yard. This allowed me to not only have an ongoing supply of squash, but it also gave me a good idea of how well the plants did in different areas and conditions, such as more shade versus more sun, soil conditions, etc. All in all, I found out that squash, at least the ones I planted, do better in areas that get sun during the first and latter parts of the day, and shade during the middle of the day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, I’m getting off subject here, and I was going to briefly talk about these pesky little garden pests known as “squash bugs.”</div><div><br /></div><div>In my opinion, these bugs can easily be worked around without the use of poisons. The main thing is to make sure your squash plants get a good start in fertile soil with enough water, as once they grow to a large size, it doesn’t seem to matter if the foliage is being ate by these squash bugs. It is when they attack early and get on the young squash plants, is when your yield is mostly affected. Basically, if you have a healthy squash plant that is flourishing, by the time these bugs do enough damage to kill the plant, you would have most likely already picked plenty of squash from the plant.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, if you know what to look for, you can remove these little devils before very much damage occurs. First, you need to know what the squash bug eggs look like:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoyPYfzGFHQCBOVsXBdkPhn6zdha2xDQwNI6hKp-58PHQVm_ArlZ-VvnKsvkijjnfofyP6jAUQVPmiGH9-X7kxJqZcNoK19YDmUmetlfRCUC6TnIlbk36AxhmhNCFL5FANe0QDocOJSvVDd_VZgFhIIpP8bF4oFZYB-Jmr6tZchZz-Bk7blNW4f3KA=s800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoyPYfzGFHQCBOVsXBdkPhn6zdha2xDQwNI6hKp-58PHQVm_ArlZ-VvnKsvkijjnfofyP6jAUQVPmiGH9-X7kxJqZcNoK19YDmUmetlfRCUC6TnIlbk36AxhmhNCFL5FANe0QDocOJSvVDd_VZgFhIIpP8bF4oFZYB-Jmr6tZchZz-Bk7blNW4f3KA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Please note, you must check underneath the big leaves on your squash plants, as well, because they like to hide these egg clusters on the underside in addition to the egg clusters that are in plain sight. At any rate, it shouldn’t be much of a problem for you to scrape the eggs off so you can discard them. Without the use of chemical sprays, that’s all there is to it, really. If you have a massive amount of squash plants and want to keep things organic but are too lazy to check your plants for squash bugs and/or squash bug eggs, well: You better make sure your plants are thriving from the start and it wouldn’t hurt to use some organic compost, beforehand, to help give ’em the boost they need to combat this particular garden pest.</div><div><br /></div><div>Below, is a photo of the Squash Bug nymphs, not long after they hatch:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQFxTxb8RNcHcJzFW0MBEdzUnEvNZvSachfjdwWJ1Trc8hOIouYXnF3MZ5-I4YQHsTSHhrIhvG-xArNW65vbmep85O73-mgUHmxOKAA8QrpddBjmBPzUe9Q_ZK3LSgTgKszlcHo5SNCOs2BIEezaMvZ6g14B46dfzp9U7EqaZqHCLno-wqDj2HwjHC=s400" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQFxTxb8RNcHcJzFW0MBEdzUnEvNZvSachfjdwWJ1Trc8hOIouYXnF3MZ5-I4YQHsTSHhrIhvG-xArNW65vbmep85O73-mgUHmxOKAA8QrpddBjmBPzUe9Q_ZK3LSgTgKszlcHo5SNCOs2BIEezaMvZ6g14B46dfzp9U7EqaZqHCLno-wqDj2HwjHC=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>This next image, displays an adult squash bug:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbm-KeO-l7YZEcxOe3hcSdQbWhTNT-WeKHrNWKAsjkYREyEaNim_C_EZ-pdb6oxu6SmIWsxVx5eYR3LyLAmN3x8eejgcNasdDIFWykiPPT4Md9nJmRbFQhvB_7dnhY_sKX6mYkhiorRlTC0MvpLSYyiS_JMs3-6CTnb_dEwIhiATKU3MmgRU9SJSTe=s589" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="589" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbm-KeO-l7YZEcxOe3hcSdQbWhTNT-WeKHrNWKAsjkYREyEaNim_C_EZ-pdb6oxu6SmIWsxVx5eYR3LyLAmN3x8eejgcNasdDIFWykiPPT4Md9nJmRbFQhvB_7dnhY_sKX6mYkhiorRlTC0MvpLSYyiS_JMs3-6CTnb_dEwIhiATKU3MmgRU9SJSTe=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Well, now that you know what may have been eating your squash plants and just how easy they are to locate and remove, you have no reason outside of bad weather and soil conditions, to not have an excellent yield of squash! My favorite way to prepare yellow summer squash, is of course the least healthy – which is breaded and fried, but it is so yummy! Which is why the first post on this page is entitled "<b>How to Freeze Summer Squash for Frying Purposes</b>." Ha!</div><div><br /></div><div>Image Credits: perpendicularity.org/blog/ [Link is no longer active]</div><div><br /></div><div>—End of Post "Garden Pest - Squash Bugs"</div></div></div>Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-80531457610875888822015-03-08T15:43:00.003-05:002021-10-27T12:20:00.834-05:00World's Oldest Trees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNzyhQnMbbqAUAb-K0YyMP5ZDpeEXJ7ZPZmO1f0bEWJHgFWuraqJHQcXj6glKRn2FeZC8votZf-rHCTPc9CFdsZXZQIvVGmi-MVzuNixNUGCtqxxJZGkjv3EAQr1dJAuaJxQ2n5GcUQw/s1600/450px-President_Tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNzyhQnMbbqAUAb-K0YyMP5ZDpeEXJ7ZPZmO1f0bEWJHgFWuraqJHQcXj6glKRn2FeZC8votZf-rHCTPc9CFdsZXZQIvVGmi-MVzuNixNUGCtqxxJZGkjv3EAQr1dJAuaJxQ2n5GcUQw/s1600/450px-President_Tree.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
First of all, the tree shown on this post is not the world's oldest
tree. It is really old, though. Yeah, like 3,200 years worth of old! I
decided to go with this image because, to me, the giant sequoia trees
are the most prehistoric/ancient looking. In fact, giant sequoias are
the world's largest single trees by volume. These magnificent trees grow
to an average height of 164 to 279 feet with a freakin' diameter of 20
to 26 feet! Of course, they can get much larger, but that is on average,
if that tells ya anything.<br /><br />
Anyway, when it comes to determining the world's oldest trees, some of
the answers seem to vary. Personally, I don't really count the clonal
trees that constantly grow new trees from the same root structure albeit
some folks really get off on such things. It is like, "Hey, look at
that 9,550-year-old Norway spruce tree! Well, the tree isn't that old
but some of the root structure may be." Say what? Yeah, they can produce
exact copies, or clones, if you will... <br /><br />
Then, there are the ones with "estimated years of existence" and so on. I
thought they were all estimates, in a way. I mean, it is not like we
were actually there to see 'em back then, but there is some varying
criteria used and a variety of sources, estimations, tree-ring counts,
and whatnot involved. <br /><br />
Not too long ago, the Methuselah was considered the oldest non-clonal
tree in the world, at 4,841 to 4,845 years old (don't ask why two
different sources reported 2 different ages). The oldest individual tree
(non-clonal) I recently read about was 5,063 years old and is located
in White Mountains, California. However, I still like the giant sequoias
the best and I will always favor them when it comes to the antiquity of
trees; cheers!<div><br /></div><div>Side Note: Although it is not usually found on a list for individual longevity, you can't get much more of an older species than Gingko Biloba (a.k.a. Maidenhair Tree). I have read about them being 1,400 years old, but the species itself is thought to have been around during the Dinosaur Era! Now that's old! I once wrote about this tree on a health blog, here: <a href="https://health-fitness-guru.blogspot.com/2011/01/ginkgo-biloba-supplement-or-just-pretty.html" target="_blank">Health & Fitness Blog: Ginkgo Biloba supplement or just a pretty tree? (health-fitness-guru.blogspot.com)</a><br /><br />
Related Links to further your reading:<br />
* <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_trees" target="_blank">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_trees</a><br />
* www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/photos/the-worlds-10-oldest-living-trees/methuselah [That link now redirects, here: <a href="https://www.treehugger.com/the-worlds-oldest-living-trees-4869356" target="_blank">The World's 10 Oldest Living Trees (treehugger.com)</a>]<br /><br />
Image Credit: This work has been released into the Public Domain by its author at the English Wikipedia project.<br /><br />
---End of Post "World's Oldest Trees"</div>Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-50043187757115972832015-03-08T15:39:00.004-05:002021-12-09T16:27:09.435-06:00Growing Peas and Beans without a Trellis, Lattices, Cages or Poles <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguh8UBHFJ0KHHENgX-uawLeDc-x2dFVCUT3qcVIXT57p-1wJPUgsSr13tDMCPT1axj6eEtmGk9iRVIlc1p1hPr3Z-T_ctQHNONmKdxD3bre6OzEg1msiVwTUIWOhMu1yitPWLwZjGE8pw/s1600/beans-peas.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguh8UBHFJ0KHHENgX-uawLeDc-x2dFVCUT3qcVIXT57p-1wJPUgsSr13tDMCPT1axj6eEtmGk9iRVIlc1p1hPr3Z-T_ctQHNONmKdxD3bre6OzEg1msiVwTUIWOhMu1yitPWLwZjGE8pw/s1600/beans-peas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Okay, this title may be a bit misleading, but it's in the ballpark.
Instead of the common how-to advice about how to grow certain types of
beans and peas while using latticework (lattices), a trellis, poles,
cages, etc., I'm simply going to highlight a couple types of plants that
doesn't require them. Yeah, I'm not going to talk about how to grow
'em, since the growing part is strictly your problem (or joy) to begin
with; ha!<br /><br />
Anyway, I always exclude peas and beans from my garden for some strange
reason, but mainly because I don't want to deal with all the extra
poles, cages or lattices. I don't know why I've never checked on the
other varieties of peas and beans that doesn't require such things.
Hell, many of these plants grow like a bush anyway and never need a
trellis system while growing. So, while pondering over what type of new
plants I'll be adding to the garden (outside of the ones I grow every
year), I found a couple that sounded great. They are the Sugar Ann Sweet
Peas and the Early Contender Bush Beans, as depicted above.<br /><br />
The Sugar Ann Sweet Peas only reach an average height of 18 to 24
inches, are completely stringless, and produces quite a bit earlier than
the standard snap peas. They have an estimated harvest date of 56 days!
This sounds like a good option, unless there are some hidden surprises
in store like poor quality or not very disease resistant, etc., but I'll
find out in a few months.<br /><br />
The other one shown here is the Early Contender Bush Beans. They have an
average height of 12 to 20 inches, are stringless, and produce really
early. They have an estimated harvest date of 49 days! Another good
thing about this variety is that they are really hardy, disease
resistant, and can withstand a lot of heat.<br /><br />
So, as you can see, when it comes to growing beans and peas without all
the poles, cages, lattices, and trellis work being involved, there is no
how-to advice necessary. Just pick out the right seeds; cheers!<div><br /></div><div>Update: Well, over the last few years I have grown both of these types of crops. I must say, I haven't really had much luck with the Sugar Ann Sweet Peas, but I think it is because they are a cool weather crop and I usually plant during the warmer months. However, I've had really good success with the Early Contender Bush Beans. It makes tons of green beans, grows in a bush just like it claims, and the only problem is finding enough time to pick them all! On another note, both beans and peas are legumes. These types of plants are well known to <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2021/11/crimson-clover-benefits-reasons-for.html">fix the nitrogen in the soil</a>, so if anything, it helps fertilize your soil. The point is, even if you didn't like peas or beans, they would make for an excellent cover crop for your garden area before or after your <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/growing-asparagus-is-it-worth-time-money.html">growing</a> season. ---End of Update<br /><br />
Image Credit: Fair Use - Product Images modified by my MS Paint - Source = www.gurneys.com<br /><br />
---End of Post "Growing Peas and Beans without a Trellis, Lattices, Cages or Poles"</div>Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-88379842327639457232015-03-08T15:00:00.005-05:002021-12-09T16:26:45.063-06:00Grow Strawberries in a Pyramid Bed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6X3fs-BI9rIl1pGa7qQyAgwNfKQ1TxtbHf8-dahPfPxVWFaI8mTtrrhXfGe-WwcGqvEDCyDOj9SVz6Wi2H7WO_h2LC-wgiYSNlCphVTbQlHmEWCXKWTC8szH6-No8OZE2cZKGew0leEU/s1600/pyramid-strawberries.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6X3fs-BI9rIl1pGa7qQyAgwNfKQ1TxtbHf8-dahPfPxVWFaI8mTtrrhXfGe-WwcGqvEDCyDOj9SVz6Wi2H7WO_h2LC-wgiYSNlCphVTbQlHmEWCXKWTC8szH6-No8OZE2cZKGew0leEU/s1600/pyramid-strawberries.jpg" /></a></div>
I've always wanted to grow strawberries for the fun of it (well, to eat,
too) to compliment my vegetable garden, etc., but so far, I'm yet to
give it a try. However, I was just reading about growing 'em in a
pyramid bed, like the one shown here. Is that cool or what? You can also
buy these pyramidal beds with a sprinkler system for a few extra
dollars. Well, this particular model seems to always come with a
sprinkler. Like most things, prices seem to vary albeit I have seen them
priced as high as 60 dollars online. The old catalog I have lying
around the house has them listed for 40 bucks, but the catalog is 5
years old. Oops!<br />
<br />
Anyway, this aluminum pyramid bed would be excellent for your
strawberries (or whatever you want to plant) and it will roughly hold 50
plants in a circle that is 6 feet across. The sprinkler that is placed
on the top level will water the entire bed. I may give it a try this
year, but it would be better/cheaper if I built my own pyramid bed and
watered them myself; cheers! <br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">
Shopping (Affiliate) Link: </div><h3>"<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=lawngarden&keywords=pyramid%20garden&linkCode=ur2&tag=establishedca-20&linkId=XC2QRX4ZNZOVA3NT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Search for Pyramid Bed Gardens via Amazon!</a>"</h3><div><br /></div>
Image Credit: Fair Use - Product Image - henryfields.com - This image can be found on various catalogs and websites.<br />
<br />
---End of Post "Grow Strawberries in a Pyramid Bed"<br />
<br />*Update: 3/24/16 - Well, I finally ordered some strawberries online this year. I decided to get them online from a certain website (Gurneys.com) because they had some interesting and somewhat unique types of strawberry <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2021/11/crimson-clover-benefits-reasons-for.html">plants</a> for sale this year. They called them Whopper Strawberries and they claim that they can reach the size of peaches! Hell, yeah... So anyway, I ordered like 40 plants for 20 bucks (plus tax and shipping and handling, of course). Unlike the title of this little low-traffic blog post, I decided to not grow my strawberries in a Pyramid Bed. I mean, it sounds like a neat idea, but I would rather not invest that much money in a crop I have never grown before. Plus, it is much more fun being able to spread your fruit plants out in random places throughout your lot/yard, etc.<br />
<br />Side note: If you use the Amazon link above, you might have better luck typing in 'strawberry pots' or 'strawberry planters' into the search bar once you get there, as there are currently better options from those particular search results as opposed to the one I originally provided within the link above; cheers!<br />
<br />Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-82044353515534928502015-03-08T14:50:00.008-05:002021-12-09T16:25:49.205-06:00Growing Dwarf Fruit Trees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE35K2Z8KxfQvEIOe2u6O9jtg8SjzuEM-gAwaVzzy0g0drtKcprWGvPWKEieh6V1ey99iX89BdhDL-rz88Psegahu8aNna9TIfyn_ENLDaqf_mNifTzt2v0ekNdmDs-fdo-ec0ylem3T0/s1600/dwarf-fruit-trees.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE35K2Z8KxfQvEIOe2u6O9jtg8SjzuEM-gAwaVzzy0g0drtKcprWGvPWKEieh6V1ey99iX89BdhDL-rz88Psegahu8aNna9TIfyn_ENLDaqf_mNifTzt2v0ekNdmDs-fdo-ec0ylem3T0/s1600/dwarf-fruit-trees.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
After browsing through a catalog and checking online, I stumbled upon a
type of container plant that I've never tried growing before . . . Dwarf
fruit trees! At first, it sounds really cool, but depending on where
you live, it may not be worth the time or money. I say that mainly
because a lot of these dwarf fruit trees do best in the growing Zones 9 -
10, which is damn-near a tropical climate with extremely mild winters. <br />
<br />
Where I'm from, we have both really hot summers and can also have really
cold winters. Yeah, it ain't the tropics, to say the least. Of course,
you could bring your dwarf fruit trees inside, but being in a low light
environment for several months is bound to delay the fruit
production/ripening process along with being somewhat of a strain on
these lovely trees. Now, if I had a sunroom or a patio enclosure, these
dwarf fruit trees would be an excellent idea! Perhaps one could also invest in grow lights, which would be another option. I'm just not sure if it would be worth all the electricity and time while waiting on these little things to produce. I suppose that if you had a room that you already had <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2021/11/fastest-growing-plants-for-indoor-mini.html">plants growing</a> under artificial lighting it wouldn't be as bad since they could sort of "borrow" from the existing light rays, but just to go out and buy growing lights (LED would be the cheapest option when concerning electricity consumption) specifically for these types of miniature trees is, uh, well, up to you.<br />
<br />At any rate, I checked www.gurneys.com
and they had several varieties of fruit trees that were dwarfs and
suitable for large container growing. They had a dwarf fig, pomegranate,
meyer lemon, venous orange, key lime, and even a dwarf banana tree.
Speaking of the dwarf bananas, they wasn't kidding. It produces little 4
4-inch bananas. Ah, how cute... LOL!<br />
<br />
Anyway, I just posted about these in case some of y'all have a
sunroom/patio/whatever or live in a climate that is perfect for growing
this type of mini tree. If I lived in the right area, I would definitely
consider this. I suppose I could have written more about growing these
plants, but you'll just have to go online and search for how-to advice if you require such things; ha! Most of these trees sold for under 15
dollars, but the dwarf banana was about 20 bucks, the last time I
checked; cheers!<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">
Shopping (Affiliate) Link: </div><h3>"<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=lawngarden&keywords=dwarf%20fruit%20trees&linkCode=ur2&tag=establishedca-20&linkId=P2HHQMRJT44N7V35" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click Here for Dwarf Fruit Trees via Amazon</a>"</h3>
Image Credit: Fair Use - Product Image - I combined 4 fruit trees from gurneys.com to create one photo.<div><br /></div><div>Semi-related Link: <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2021/11/crimson-clover-benefits-reasons-for.html">Cover Crops - Crimson Clover</a><br />
<br />
---End of Post "Growing Dwarf Fruit Trees"</div>Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-85438739624071106212015-03-08T14:44:00.005-05:002021-11-06T18:14:17.322-05:00Glowing Plants and Glow-in-the-dark Trees <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Jra-kcACPhW2UliQO74MpemOqgCYDa-98D-9QijxqzUirFr5RgLkHWwekQlCO4SwGva-1LRcnM2_XHm-W4gX1Rw2q1rKd2-GJIUQmiJrPyrrzEBxfOrlcemP9wOhIvp-6iFE3QE-t0k/s1600/glowing_plant.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Jra-kcACPhW2UliQO74MpemOqgCYDa-98D-9QijxqzUirFr5RgLkHWwekQlCO4SwGva-1LRcnM2_XHm-W4gX1Rw2q1rKd2-GJIUQmiJrPyrrzEBxfOrlcemP9wOhIvp-6iFE3QE-t0k/s1600/glowing_plant.png" width="320" /></a></div>
This is such a cool subject. I've had plenty of disagreements with
certain aspects of genetic engineering over the years, but this one
sounds innovative in a good way. One of their campaign slogans from the
research group is "use trees to light our streets instead of electric
street lamps." However, this isn't exactly a new idea. During the '80s, a
group of scientists used firefly genes with tobacco plants to
genetically engineer glow-in-the-dark plants.<br /><br />
Of course, trees take a long time to grow, which makes the idea of
replacing street lights with glowing trees a bit futuristic, to say the
least. They'll need lots of funds to get the ball rolling, too. Their
"Glowing Plant Project" video was their initial fundraiser, found here: <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/antonyevans/glowing-plants-natural-lighting-with-no-electricit" target="_blank">www.kickstarter.com/projects/antonyevans/glowing-plants-natural-lighting-with-no-electricit</a><br /><br />
It appears that they have raised more than enough money to get this
thing started, going by the figures found on their video page. Even if
the trees weren't very successful, the smaller plants could still
replace nightlights, I suppose. Well, instead of reading about what I
think of this nifty project, if interested, read more about it, here: <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/creating-a-new-kind-of-night-light-glow-in-the-dark-trees-9600277/" target="_blank">http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/creating-a-new-kind-of-night-light-glow-in-the-dark-trees-9600277/</a><br /><br />
Image Credit: Already provided within the post.<div><br /></div><div>Update: I was going over traffic stats today for this blog and I was surprised by how this post hasn't received many hits when compared to a lot of the others on here. Maybe the majority of people are not into the whole GMO thing, but these trees & <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2021/11/fastest-growing-plants-for-indoor-mini.html">plants</a> are genetically modified for something else besides consumption, so I'm not sure what harm that would do. Other than the fact that I don't like night lights and prefer to keep my room really dark when trying to sleep, I definitely don't see anything ethically wrong with glowing foliage, to say the least. I mean, we got people in underground labs making all kinds of freaky hybrids with animals that would definitely cause some questions if it was ethical or not. If you don't believe me, you should check out the bottom, updated section of this post, here: <a href="https://myths-legends-folklore.blogspot.com/2010/05/satyrs-centaurs-mythical-hybrids.html" target="_blank">Satyrs & Centaurs - Mythical Hybrids</a> </div><div>Perhaps, though, it was simply because it was such a short post and it doesn't rank very well in the search engines. Either way, some subjects I don't elaborate on as much because I feel that the resource links within the post would be of more value. ---End of Update</div><div><br />
---End of Post "Glowing Plants and Glow-in-the-dark Trees"</div>Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-17931135561200747892015-03-02T20:26:00.003-06:002021-11-01T21:25:47.891-05:00Building Cob Houses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2f9z1egAC8ZLQdZ6R41Tu953WqD0bAGGNTyc5ix3BCKZP39yv4v89RovWiENeV8cjaV7WGO889zrMeAgrBeZlwQ5GS3PwOi-pmeFpxejYCnvavnetrw5TiwxIePhcAMGpHPRllycfGA/s1600/The_Cob_House_-_Cadhay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2f9z1egAC8ZLQdZ6R41Tu953WqD0bAGGNTyc5ix3BCKZP39yv4v89RovWiENeV8cjaV7WGO889zrMeAgrBeZlwQ5GS3PwOi-pmeFpxejYCnvavnetrw5TiwxIePhcAMGpHPRllycfGA/s1600/The_Cob_House_-_Cadhay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This is an interesting but ancient subject. Well, I say that because
"Cob" is an ancient building material that was most likely used way back
during the prehistoric times. Cob, sometimes spelled "Cobb," is
all-natural and consists of sand, clay, earth, straw, and water. It is
very much like another primitive building material they call "adobe." If
you'd rather read about adobe, go here: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe" target="_blank">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe</a><br /><br />
I got reminded of this style of building a couple years ago, when a
co-worker requested 3 weeks off from work, to go to these types of
workshops that demonstrated and/or taught this particular building
technique. However, the guy also signed up for a "rain harvesting"
class, which me and another associate made fun of him for that. Ha-ha! Who
needs to take a class on how to collect rainwater? LOL! At any contemporary rate, there
wasn't enough idiots to sign up for the rain harvesting class but the
cob building workshop most likely had a lot of participants.<br /><br />
Anyway, a short while after that, it got me to searching about old cob
buildings/cobb houses. I found them to be quite interesting and unique
in their own little archaic way. I like the idea of living off the land
without the use of synthetics and fabricated material. At any primitive
rate, I included a sample image for this post, in case you have
never seen a cob building before. Would I like to learn how? Would I
build my home out of this stuff? Uh, uh... Probably not, if I don't have
to. I'm spoiled by modern houses, I guess... Either way, when I was a
kid, I always enjoyed playing in the dirt, rocks and mud; cheers!<br /><br />
If you'd like to read more about this subject, go here: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cob_(material)" target="_blank">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cob_(material)</a><br /><br />
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Source is provided in the link above.<br /><br />
---End of Post "Building Cob Houses"Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-53969913438864032642015-03-02T20:12:00.004-06:002021-12-09T16:20:55.661-06:00Is growing Bonsai trees difficult, easy or just different?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIzaprssP4xq-cLCT_hjRwtpptFv1eIhsiQ3aOyQ4PZsulEjjvWz1eTSVyGJ0dio51r4H0UpvnXgEAUuShAmqQCQdUSS9iq72w7Y-YNGMCnzv_thJ1Av0TZEcIGJkOYpU5D-HsOasduI/s1600/456px-Dwarf_Japanese_Juniper,_1975-2007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIzaprssP4xq-cLCT_hjRwtpptFv1eIhsiQ3aOyQ4PZsulEjjvWz1eTSVyGJ0dio51r4H0UpvnXgEAUuShAmqQCQdUSS9iq72w7Y-YNGMCnzv_thJ1Av0TZEcIGJkOYpU5D-HsOasduI/s1600/456px-Dwarf_Japanese_Juniper,_1975-2007.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
I've grown several different types of plants over the years, ranging
from common house plants to exotic cacti. However, my favorite plants to
grow are the ones that provide me with food, like garden plants, but
that is still a few months away for me. Anyway, I stumbled upon a mini
Bonsai kit for sale, and it came with a low price tag and a 32-page
Bonsai booklet. I'm not sure if I'll tackle that project, as I was
initially thinking it would be a waste of money.<br /><br />
I mean, if anybody knows, is <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/growing-dwarf-fruit-trees.html">growing</a> Bonsai trees easy, difficult or
just plain different? My first thoughts were that it was just a slow
growing tree people prune for artistic reasons, but this mini growing
kit was promoting this like it was some indoor decoration for your home
or place of work. I was like, WTF? I don't know of any trees that grow
well indoors unless you have a sunroom or massive amounts of artificial
lighting that mimics UV rays, like growing lamps. <div><br /></div><div>Update: They do make some really affordable, highly efficient growing lights nowadays that uses LED technology. They produce a lot of light while using a fairly low amount of power. I used to always prefer the fluorescent lighting, but when it comes to grow lights, you definitely get more bang for your money using LED. In fact, I've recently bought 2 growing systems that use LED lights for my <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2021/11/fastest-growing-plants-for-indoor-mini.html">mini indoor hydroponics setup</a>. ---End of Update<br /><br />
Well, after reading a bit more online, I've nearly lost interest in this
subject. Wikipedia's entry looked more like a novel that just
complicated the matter even further (Geez, I'd hate to see Wikipedia try
to explain simple tomato plants; ha-ha!). There was another website
that had a bit more common sense and a realistic approach toward the
topic, but it basically said that it can be difficult, easy, and
different. Well, thanks for the info! LOL! <br /><br />
Either way, if one has the patience, time and knowledge, this artistic
style of growing small trees in relatively tiny containers, may be a
cool hobby. Is it for me? Uh, probably not... I'll just wait for the
<a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/glowing-plants-and-glow-in-dark-trees.html">glow-in-the-dark</a> models to come out before I buy any of them; ha!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Shopping (Affiliate) Link: "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=lawngarden&keywords=bonsai%20kit&linkCode=ur2&tag=establishedca-20&linkId=XGN75PTXMG735DL2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click Here for Bonsai Kits via Amazon</a>"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons - Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonsai<br /><br />
---End of Post "Is growing Bonsai trees difficult, easy or just different?"<div><br /></div><div>Semi-related Post: <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2021/11/crimson-clover-benefits-reasons-for.html">Benefits & Reasons for Cover Crops - Crimson Clover</a></div></div>Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-37209465550806105912015-03-02T19:32:00.005-06:002021-12-09T16:19:56.255-06:00Butter Beans vs. Lima Beans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxDLniyNU_yZvPHUIcLTad9TE-zvbdL_c1ta934GAXWdyJtNhrOgg0k6rPKpbTxDyaN0senKludDy6qkpbCKDtUE0VddtPfNd7ynT4inb8juNPTsaqqEoDDfhDjQjjtgdUe80mWKNQLI/s1600/butter-beans.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxDLniyNU_yZvPHUIcLTad9TE-zvbdL_c1ta934GAXWdyJtNhrOgg0k6rPKpbTxDyaN0senKludDy6qkpbCKDtUE0VddtPfNd7ynT4inb8juNPTsaqqEoDDfhDjQjjtgdUe80mWKNQLI/s1600/butter-beans.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GlsKvS7n6S9sKqDgRM7uY30WjM7Pl_0DZSaVv5dS2BBOU8FRDnqpjLYEaSErG58Rti_pWOpqONrx6GaJmSXKDYZdOM_FpOE2FFcviD_0k8gLkhFytvCSHsgRJwsBE7tWD8t8WT8L6og/s1600/lima-beans.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GlsKvS7n6S9sKqDgRM7uY30WjM7Pl_0DZSaVv5dS2BBOU8FRDnqpjLYEaSErG58Rti_pWOpqONrx6GaJmSXKDYZdOM_FpOE2FFcviD_0k8gLkhFytvCSHsgRJwsBE7tWD8t8WT8L6og/s1600/lima-beans.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm actually slightly surprised at the confusion a lot of people have
when concerning butter beans and lima beans. Some of this may be the
fact that "butter beans" is a name that is more often used in the
southern regions of the U.S. for another variety of lima beans, but
either way, there are two common varieties of lima beans, which I will
briefly explain in a moment. The other thing I was surprised about
(although I shouldn't be), is the amount of incorrect data and
misinformation I found on the Internet while searching for some
free-to-use images. There really are people out there that need to be
removed from certain how-to/informational websites. Where do these
people come from? 2nd grade? Anyway, I'm not getting into all the
baloney I just read from a couple different websites, as they obviously
don't know a bean from beano. LOL!<br /><br />
Okay, like I mentioned before, there are 2 common varieties of lima
<a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/growing-peas-and-beans-without-trellis.html">beans</a>. One is the Baby Lima, and the other is the Fordhook Lima. The baby
lima is smaller, light green in color, and they don't have a very
strong flavor. The Fordhook Lima (what many of us call Butter Beans)
are similar to white beans in color, much larger, and have a more
flavorful, stronger taste than the little green baby lima beans. This
doesn't mean the baby lima are really baby butter beans, as they are 2
totally different beans!<br /><br />
The first image on this post shows the Butter Beans (Fordhook) and the
second image shows the baby lima (click to enlarge). See, it's as
simple as that! Why some people confuse the two and write about them
online in an incorrect fashion while proclaiming to be a bean expert or
something, sure 'beans' the heck out of me... Ha-ha!<br /><br />
Image Credit: Bing Image Search using the 'free to use & share' function...<br /><br />
---End of Post "Butter Beans vs. Lima Beans"Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-4917079037182174362015-03-02T19:04:00.008-06:002021-12-09T16:18:14.087-06:00Topping & Growing Tomato Plants - Heirloom Paul Robeson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This will now be a 3-part post, since I've recently deleted an old website of mine and decided to combine all the related pages together before I start adding all the stand-alone pages amid multiple blogs, etc.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Part 1: "Heirloom Paul Robeson Tomato"</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSF-8pxQkH_8_c6Sw4w3m5PJTDeD9vnwyDWZ8RIy_MOKs_lZx0GEeTwK191rf80Nm7dicxAzv_bSi5xOnA1MV7BV0lURQBs8OdoaZaGtpNeM9BpFMetBL55TzyjzcA1UdFKDy72CL-n0/s1600/Paul-Robeson-Tomato.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSF-8pxQkH_8_c6Sw4w3m5PJTDeD9vnwyDWZ8RIy_MOKs_lZx0GEeTwK191rf80Nm7dicxAzv_bSi5xOnA1MV7BV0lURQBs8OdoaZaGtpNeM9BpFMetBL55TzyjzcA1UdFKDy72CL-n0/s1600/Paul-Robeson-Tomato.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I've grown several different types of tomatoes over the years, but until
today, I never even heard of a "Paul Robeson Tomato" before. This is a
Russian heirloom tomato that is named after an equal rights advocate,
Paul Robeson. I don't know anything about the guy or why they named this
veggie/fruit after him, but I'm curious about <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/03/growing-asparagus-is-it-worth-time-money.html">growing</a> some of these
regardless. What got my attention, was when I seen some new seeds listed
on a seed & nursery company's website. Well, this is what all the
hoopla & ballyhoo was about. LOL!<br />
<br />
After I read that it has a smoky flavor with a well-balanced acid/sweet
taste, I really became interested in this Russian heirloom. They say the
Paul Robeson tomato has such an amazing flavor that the true tomato
connoisseurs out there can't get enough of 'em. Wait a minute... A
tomato connoisseur? You have got to be kidding me; ha-ha! Anyway, its
surface has a brick-red to black color when ripe, which also adds to the
unique properties it has. After checking around the Internet, I noticed
that a lot of seed/garden websites have these. Even Amazon.com has Paul
Robeson tomato seeds, so maybe they are not as rare as I initially
thought.<div><br /></div><div>Update: It has been several years since I posted this, and I still haven't tried these yet! I was just going over all of my blogs and performing random updates, etc., and noticed this post. Dang, I forgot to try growing this particular heirloom of tomatoes. I have tried a few different tomato varieties since I originally wrote about this, but since it is no longer growing season in my area it looks like I'll have to wait a few more months. Anyway, if anybody has tried growing these before (or simply ate them) and would like to provide a comment about 'em, feel free... </div><div>---End of Update</div><div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Shopping (Affiliate) Link: "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=lawngarden&keywords=Heirloom%20Paul%20Robeson%20Tomato&linkCode=ur2&tag=establishedca-20&linkId=35WE4PBDBUH6CEKD" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click Here for Robeson Tomato Seeds via Amazon</a>"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
Image Credit: Fair Use - Product Image - Amazon.com<br />
<br />
---End of Part 1: "Heirloom Paul Robeson Tomato"</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Part 2: ‘Topping’ Tomato Plants toward the end of Growing Season…</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Original Post Date: 8-20-2012</div><div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-Svq7JWC3C6IqM-uu4VJel6oP6ekGtuUufgS6F77t0nJ-R586uQPYHFPhTotqlPovv6ZzcLFLmfxNGEwFdRlvuwf0vWfKsfJSzM1yKFZnbG7HJmJtOp9ooOfGxra7ZsY5MnxQFj4fASBTlJQU6pdaKZsgUZfqgx11gGRExbFxRJPmeO7r0c-HITQk=s624" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="624" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-Svq7JWC3C6IqM-uu4VJel6oP6ekGtuUufgS6F77t0nJ-R586uQPYHFPhTotqlPovv6ZzcLFLmfxNGEwFdRlvuwf0vWfKsfJSzM1yKFZnbG7HJmJtOp9ooOfGxra7ZsY5MnxQFj4fASBTlJQU6pdaKZsgUZfqgx11gGRExbFxRJPmeO7r0c-HITQk=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>This is something that I recently tried this year, as I have always denied the whole pruning philosophy when concerning tomato plants, but this year I had another problem, which was a good one, and that being the need to “top” my tomato plants (I’ll get to the reason for this, in a moment).</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, even though this post is about ‘topping’ your lovely tomato plants, and since I’ve already managed to gripe about pruning fanatics, I shall provide a quick excerpt from ehow.com that speaks about pruning: “What Is Pruning and Why? Pruning tomato plants means removing unwanted side-shoots, or suckers, from the main stem. This will keep your plant from getting too bushy. It will also cut down on the amount of fruit your plant produces but allow it to produce larger-sized fruit. Pruned tomato plants will also produce fruit earlier than other plants.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Even though that is the concept of pruning, I’m yet to see why anybody would want to do that! If you have excellent soil and your plants are thriving, why would you not want your tomato plants to be bushy and have loads of tomatoes? If you yearn for over-sized tomatoes, then perhaps you need to try other types of plants, like the beefsteak tomato, for example.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, we are not pruning anything in my garden patch, but I did have to resort to “topping” this year, which is where you cut the tops off, in hopes that the remaining small tomatoes will produce decent-sized red ones toward the end of their growing season.</div><div><br /></div><div>To make a long story short, I had a great growing season this year, and most of the things I planted did really well. However, I have never had a year when the tomato plants seemed like you couldn’t kill ’em even if you tried. Normally, they die out toward the end of summer… But this year, they kept thriving (maybe I’m getting better at this) and this is what has brought me to this topping situation.</div><div><br /></div><div>You see, after your tomato plants have been around for quite a while and have grown to enormous size, it gets to the point that your tomatoes get smaller and smaller as your plants vine out. Think about how much further the fruit is from the roots, as it grows… Well, one can normally wait for them to slowly grow and ripen when you have an ongoing, excellent yield, but not when you are heading toward the end of your growing season! So, instead of having to throw a bunch of tiny green tomatoes back onto the ground, if you top the plants (remove/cut the tops off just above the potential fruit clusters), you will have a better chance of those last sets of tomatoes growing to full size, as no more energy and nutrients will be wasted on unnecessary growth and/or foliage. Pretty simple stuff, eh?</div><div><br /></div><div>Although I don’t grow this particular crop, since it is illegal, I have heard of people topping their marijuana plants to get it to bud faster and provide a quicker, higher quality yield. I don’t even know if I should have mentioned that last tidbit, but either way, the concept remains. If cool weather is just a month or two away and you still have tomato plants that are producing green tomatoes, then topping your plants may be the solution for you.</div><div><br /></div><div>Side Note: This only applies to the larger varieties of tomato plants, as it might not be a good idea to ‘top’ your small/medium-sized tomato plants; cheers!</div></div><div><br /></div><div>---End of Part 2: 'Topping’ Tomato Plants toward the end of Growing Season…</div><div><br /></div><div>Just to reiterate, I realize the above post didn't involve the Heirloom Paul Robeson Tomato, but I've recently deleted an old website and I'm trying to combine the semi-related pages together, so it will be fewer separate articles I have to spread out over multiple blogs, etc.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Part 3: "Growing Tomato Plants from Trimmings/Stem Tip Cuttings"</b></div><div><div><br /></div><div>Original Post Date: 8-26-2012</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, as the garden season in my area is approaching its latter days, I decided to do a little experiment this year with my tomato plants. It is something that, for whatever reason, I never thought about doing, but it involved a technique that I used to use for houseplants. It involves a simple process, often referred to as “stem tip cuttings” and/or what I like to call “growing from trimmings,” and it works like a charm. Anyway, all you have to do is cut a healthy portion of your plant off from one of the tips, set it in a container of water, and within a few days, roots will start to develop and you can transplant back into the soil when the root structure is decent, and presto; you have a new plant! Some people speed up the process by using some type of root hormone, but I either just use plain water or a diluted miracle grow solution.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can use whatever type of container(s) you like, but the way I did it, involved me placing a 5-gallon bucket near my garden that was full of water. I added several trimmings from my tomato plants (as I was topping them for better yield) into the big bucket of water. Of course, I lost a few, but since I was already topping my plants anyway, it didn’t matter. Also, it is a good idea to cut back a few leaves from the stem that you are placing in the water. This will help more energy be focused on growing a root structure as opposed to the strain of keeping all of its foliage hydrated. Most of my stem tip cuttings from my tomato plants, were anywhere from 16 to 24 inches long. You will most likely have a higher success rate from shorter trimmings, but I had plenty of tomatoes and took the chance. I have a few transplanted as of now and they are doing great at the moment. I just hope that there is enough time for them to fully develop. </div><div><br /></div><div>Outside of this method saving you 4 to 6 weeks or more (depending on how large your cuttings are) in time, since you are not starting the plants via seeds, there is also another benefit to this, which is the fact that you can select your healthiest plants to clone (which is basically what it is). I find this to be an excellent late season option, for the ones who still want tomatoes for several more weeks. Just think, some places in the world grow these suckers all year long!</div><div><br /></div><div>This brings me to another option, which is something I haven’t tried yet: <b><a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2021/11/fastest-growing-plants-for-indoor-mini.html">Growing Tomato Plants Indoors</a></b>. If I decide to buy some fluorescent grow lights, I may give it a GO this Fall/Winter, but I’m still not sure. However, if I do decide to grow these self-pollinating tomato plants inside, you can bet I’ll be using the new plants I got from my prior trimmings/stem tip cuttings. Anyway, if you’re interested in such things, you may need to check into buying growing lights, etc.</div><div><br /></div><div>—End of Part 3 "Growing Tomato Plants from Trimmings/Stem Tip Cuttings"</div></div><div><br /></div><div>---End of Post "Topping & Growing Tomato Plants - Heirloom Paul Robeson"</div>Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-31669917907050222342015-03-02T18:51:00.003-06:002021-12-09T15:17:32.684-06:00Oceanic Whirlpools & Gigantic Maelstroms in the Atlantic Ocean<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1fKEg1yF2FvTOw2sv7wBZ5Umv4ufOFJoVYB5mX0fsYNr0Uqr_DjBuHevol_h-DKgvRqHlHfDW1Egg7-rZW2sVGxW4KH4Dug5qQXIveI8cBe9Algjr5KcLYhzXB87fx2XLbrwTbYeDcI/s1600/whirlpool.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1fKEg1yF2FvTOw2sv7wBZ5Umv4ufOFJoVYB5mX0fsYNr0Uqr_DjBuHevol_h-DKgvRqHlHfDW1Egg7-rZW2sVGxW4KH4Dug5qQXIveI8cBe9Algjr5KcLYhzXB87fx2XLbrwTbYeDcI/s1600/whirlpool.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Well, unlike a lot of subjects on here, this post is not about wildlife or plant life, but it still fits the niche of this blog via the nature category in its strictest form... Mother Nature!</div><div><br /></div>
Thanks to satellite technology and the internet to propagate upon, we
now have a lot of extra things to ponder over. Next up on the list of
things that involves a mulling madness of a Mother Nature malefactor, is
the oceanic whirlpools & gigantic maelstroms that have been spotted
in the Atlantic Ocean. Hell, don't take my word for it or the pretty
picture depicted on this post, just simply go here to read more about
it: <a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/satellites-glimpse-ultra-powerful-%E2%80%9Cblack-hole%E2%80%9D-whirlpools-in-atlantic-151036336.html#Zq33ckB" target="_blank">uk.news.yahoo.com/satellites-glimpse-ultra-powerful-“black-hole”-whirlpools-in-atlantic-151036336.html#Zq33ckB</a><br /><br />
I think this is a totally cool subject, don't get me wrong, but I really
do wish they would drop that whole "black hole" stuff. There is no
freaking hole about it, nor is there an actual 'hole' involved with the common
"black holes" they often speak about while using cosmic terminology.
Now, talking about a wormhole is an entirely different subject
nonetheless, but we won't cover that today as it would be extremely
unrelated to this particular topic. I mean, it's not like we are about to embark upon a <a href="https://random-twaddle.blogspot.com/2015/03/interplanetary-travel-secret-journey-to.html" target="_blank">secret journey to Planet Serpo</a> or something; ha!<br /><br />
At any rate of water-based whirlpools and oceanic maelstroms, the
Atlantic Ocean can also be a very violent place. The Pacific Ocean is
even more vast and gigantic, but honestly, I'm scared of all of them.
Some aliens are more geared for aquatic activity (<a href="https://myths-legends-folklore.blogspot.com/2010/09/crop-circles-underwater-ufos.html" target="_blank">underwater UFOs?</a>), while some of us are
not. I'm not. I've never liked deep water, and never will until I get my
gill <a href="https://random-twaddle.blogspot.com/2015/03/alien-implants-without-microchips.html" target="_blank">implants</a>; ha!<br /><br />
Anyway, this oceanic vortex concept is simply amazing in a bad way, when
concerning all the creatures that love to frequently go out into the
deep blue oceans. I wonder if the infamous <a href="https://myths-legends-folklore.blogspot.com/2015/01/bermuda-triangle-atlantis-aliens-or.html" target="_blank">Bermuda Triangle</a> has one of
these thingies going on, too? Yeah, that would explain a lot, eh? There
have been many stories told about such things in the past, but now the
proof is here for all to see. In fact, one of the better comments on the
page I linked to above, was: "for hundreds of years sailors have been
reporting giant maelstroms and freak waves in our oceans, but these were
taken as exaggeration. Now proof exists, and all of those sailors'
yarns are vindicated. Perhaps we should look more closely at tales of
sea monsters."<br /><br />
Well, it is fairly obvious that the majority of this planet is
definitely water, and that we only know so much about our land
situations and the creatures found therein, so to say that all of those
ancient sea stories are not true would definitely be a ludicrous
assumption, in my opinion.<br /><br />
Image Credit: Is already provided on this post and is shared amid
multiple websites. Some of the related images on the web involved NASA
and Satellite technology, etc., and they are not under copyright
protection.<br /><br />
---End of Post "Oceanic Whirlpools & Gigantic Maelstroms in the Atlantic Ocean" Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-77539638621861729772015-02-16T10:49:00.003-06:002021-11-01T20:38:43.748-05:00Oscar - Aquarium Fish <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtycBWMIQPTT-zK8zbqQ0SfTu2kx7Vlzw3ulgdPeBo8_YymoZwKpTWxXWIo5QQYcSG2Z6_MEzcLNpA_cOI0M-WyWWk_F2h4DcC1kmtPiu-eftNL-jvLRlQwG79zoyGcmfBPA7jCG8dnps/s1600/800px-Oscaroscar.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtycBWMIQPTT-zK8zbqQ0SfTu2kx7Vlzw3ulgdPeBo8_YymoZwKpTWxXWIo5QQYcSG2Z6_MEzcLNpA_cOI0M-WyWWk_F2h4DcC1kmtPiu-eftNL-jvLRlQwG79zoyGcmfBPA7jCG8dnps/s1600/800px-Oscaroscar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I have written several aquarium-related
posts/articles on here, and this is the only one that involves a
fish, plant or aspect of this aquatic hobby that I actually have no
experience in. I've never owned an Oscar. I've never wanted one, and
will most likely never buy one. However, this is a very popular fish for
home aquariums. <br />
Please Note: The Oscar that is depicted in this post is a little baby one, as they get much bigger than that!<br /><br />
Personally, I don't like them for community tanks because they will
literally eat almost any fish that they can get inside their greedy mouth. I
have talked to some experienced tank owners in the past that had them
before, and about the only good thing I've heard was about how they are
one of the smartest aquarium fish you will commonly see. I think they mainly say that because they often stare at the owners in anticipation of food, but does that really signify intelligence? Then again, I suppose that awareness is a sign of intelligence albeit when related to hunger, it's not a very keen marker for such things. Speaking of that, they can grow
quite large, as well. I just read that they can get up to 3.5 pounds.
Hell, they are often sold as a food fish in South America, where they
naturally reside.<br /><br />
The Oscar is a species from the Cichlid family. If you'd rather read
about African Cichlids (I've actually owned several of those before),
feel free to visit my recent post, here: <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/african-cichlids-aquarium-fish.html" target="">http://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/african-cichlids-aquarium-fish.html </a><br /><br />
Anyway, many people are proud of their Oscars. It must be a macho guy
thing or something, you know, to hear stuff like: "Man, I got the
baddest Oscar in the world. Dude, it like totally ate my Betta fish the
other day. It is so cool; I'm going to drop some crawdads in there today
and watch him tear them to pieces." LOL! I've heard stuff like that
before. It reminds me of the guys that brag about how tough their dog
is, blah, blah! Maybe there is some compensation going on, not sure...
Ha!<br /><br />
At any aquatic rate, if you'd prefer a large rocky tank with just a
couple big Oscars and perhaps a big scavenger fish like a Pleco to
accompany them, then this may be the best choice for you. If you'd
rather read about a Pleco, go here: <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/plecostomus-aquarium-fish-giant-algae.html" target="">http://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/plecostomus-aquarium-fish-giant-algae.html</a><br />
I would much rather have a tank full of variety and fish with tropical
colors, than a small group of hungry swimming pigs. Hey, if I resort to
that, I'll just get a pond out back and stock it with bass and catfish,
as I'll be eating those!<br /><br />
Image Credit: It is in the Public Domain and is not under copyright protection. <br /><br />
---End of Post "Oscar - Aquarium Fish"Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-35608989579289009912015-02-16T10:38:00.003-06:002021-11-01T19:40:51.875-05:00 African Cichlids - Aquarium Fish <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkaH_49o11jiTNgyCxNcCT6NPm5GBmkpqp5loTN-JV3mOp0G1NqkJksDAS-wY_Us5dH62n5LcCHMpFALfyKccvqH14rrTAkcGP9MTupd6W6bX5tHF-PrL5dP0A7vbh1a1Q_BaggTgwqE/s1600/800px-Pseudotropheus_Crabo_Male_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkaH_49o11jiTNgyCxNcCT6NPm5GBmkpqp5loTN-JV3mOp0G1NqkJksDAS-wY_Us5dH62n5LcCHMpFALfyKccvqH14rrTAkcGP9MTupd6W6bX5tHF-PrL5dP0A7vbh1a1Q_BaggTgwqE/s1600/800px-Pseudotropheus_Crabo_Male_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qCU3x-kDxo1Zto9MKOa1_v7wVYIOHuK9lq2vHuSs9Aj2-BTFuCvLov9fKnD9OgHgkS4P9qnzwe0gMuxQ-yzm8zG6v4ZCkcVDW4K-xxXVo7gghLqDIUDIXE0Y5r-dTgdUzrsi_OpNxEI/s1600/cichlids.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qCU3x-kDxo1Zto9MKOa1_v7wVYIOHuK9lq2vHuSs9Aj2-BTFuCvLov9fKnD9OgHgkS4P9qnzwe0gMuxQ-yzm8zG6v4ZCkcVDW4K-xxXVo7gghLqDIUDIXE0Y5r-dTgdUzrsi_OpNxEI/s1600/cichlids.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
To some people, there is only one type of freshwater fish worth having
in your aquarium, and that is the African Cichlids. However, I don't
believe that, as I always liked a decent variety in my tanks, but some
people are literally obsessed with these aggressive little bastards
nonetheless. I've owned a few of these over the years, and I must say
that they are one of the more intelligent types of fish to own.<br /><br />
Most of the African Cichlids I owned, acted like they were starving most
of the time, no matter how much I fed them. Some of them will actually
watch you through the glass, come up to the top, and/or basically beg
for food via slight gestures - anytime you walk by the tank. Yes, they
are bad about staring. When I had a couple tanks in my bedroom, my
girlfriend that would come over at the time, would always want me to cut
their lights off because they kept looking at her - or so she said;
ha-ha! Oh, please don't put these Cichlids in small tanks. The smallest
tank I've had them in was a 29 gallon (tall) tank. Most of them only
grow 4 to 6 inches long, but still, they need room to play!<br /><br />
There are over 1,200 species in the Cichlidae family, with most of them
coming from the Tanganyika and Malawai Lakes of central Africa. The
first one depicted above, is called the Bumblebee Cichlid. I've only
owned one of those before, and it was utterly beautiful. I've had the
other ones that are shown here, including some that I couldn't find
photos of. <br /><br />
Some people believe that African Cichlids should only be kept with their
own kind, outside of a few <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/corydoras-aquarium-fish-bottom-feeder.html">scavengers</a> you may be required to have.
However, I've had them in community tanks without too much trouble. I
have had to separate a few of them before, though, by putting them in
another tank by their self for a day or two. When I would put them back
into the community tank, they would generally have a new attitude. Yes,
they have major attitude problems, at times. It is not uncommon for one
to try and be "king of the tank." This can be problematic. The
power/reign of each fish is often short-lived, as they seem to rotate
who is "the boss." They get rough, too, and have been known to kill each
other. It happens, but what can I say? Humans are bad about fighting
with each other, too.<br /><br />
Oh, make sure you have enough gravel in your tank if you have several
African Cichlids in there. I say that, because they love to dig and play
in the gravel. They can totally transform the decorations and gravel
arrangements in your tank, in a matter of a couple hours, if motivated.
I've came home from work before and basically said: "Who in the hell
re-done my tank? Is this even the same aquarium?" LOL!<br /><br />
Well, I could babble about these cool fish for several more minutes, but
I guess I need to stop right here before it gets too long. Cheers!<br /><br />
Image Credits: The first image was from Wikimedia Commons. Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cichlid<br />
The other images were from Bing Image Search using the 'free to use & share' function.<br /><br />
---End of Post "African Cichlids - Aquarium Fish"Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-73293122101101574212015-02-16T10:30:00.004-06:002021-12-09T14:00:15.621-06:00Gold Gourami - Aquarium Fish <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlPmvnvK3j6Lr9vV-IEeisxxvhCORNay4x7rGkVaWMC7UK43f5eZJcN3UWZEaZpUgLxk75MA5wduvgn-ATQGZxMWKygmfkyF34iLQ8IOGCH8SGZPX7Xh8UGflCxcCi3U0LWL11Jmno8w/s1600/gold_gourami.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlPmvnvK3j6Lr9vV-IEeisxxvhCORNay4x7rGkVaWMC7UK43f5eZJcN3UWZEaZpUgLxk75MA5wduvgn-ATQGZxMWKygmfkyF34iLQ8IOGCH8SGZPX7Xh8UGflCxcCi3U0LWL11Jmno8w/s1600/gold_gourami.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
When it comes to the labyrinth fishes (the ones that have an auxiliary
set of lungs to help their gills out), the Betta may be the most
popular, but I've always preferred the Gold Gourami for this category. They are also bubblenest builders, which is a method they use to provide a nest for their fry via blowing bubbles at the surface. These types of fish can live in small spaces as well, since they can
literally come up for air; but, just like the Bettas, I always supplied
them with a decent-sized fish tank. If I had to use the word 'cute' to
describe the behavior for a certain fish, I would, for this one.<div><br />
They are so timid and friendly towards most other fishes, as they make
for an excellent addition to the common community tanks that have a
diverse population (excluding the extra <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/african-cichlids-aquarium-fish.html">aggressive fish</a>). They have a
good appetite, too. Some people claim that they can be aggressive
towards certain types of fish with long fins, but I've never had a
problem with them. The most popular one out of all the gourami fish is most
likely the Blue Gourami (a.k.a. 3-spot Gourami). There are other
variations of this type, but like I said, the Gold Gourami is my
favorite for this particular class of fish. Because of their capacity to
breathe atmospheric oxygen, the gourami, like the betta, can withstand
less-than-ideal tank conditions in the form of overcrowding albeit you
should never constantly keep them in poor conditions. I have had one
killed before by another fish, but it was a complete accident. A big
<a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/bala-shark-aquarium-fish.html">bala shark</a> got scared during the middle of the night and darted into the
corner of the tank and busted a plump Gold Gourami right in its side.
Other than that, I have never had any trouble keeping them alive.<br /><br />
Image Credit: Google Advanced Image Search using the 'free to use & share' function.<br /><br />
---End of Post "Gold Gourami - Aquarium Fish" </div>Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-46814313456598672122015-02-16T10:24:00.003-06:002021-12-09T13:56:05.409-06:00Tiger Barbs - Aquarium Fish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiA15Kz_cITh6_8m9YSuk4X3GxLpX2frwxiKCByN_3STF8mNOF3lL0zaTcJ8_jaEf7C7YqEEMxN526E5yBJJNU-R-2WMLiInk1nu3CmeNplFadF10zC-GfbqGldbIdltKmfZNwNHCKISc/s1600/800px-Puntius_tetrazona001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiA15Kz_cITh6_8m9YSuk4X3GxLpX2frwxiKCByN_3STF8mNOF3lL0zaTcJ8_jaEf7C7YqEEMxN526E5yBJJNU-R-2WMLiInk1nu3CmeNplFadF10zC-GfbqGldbIdltKmfZNwNHCKISc/s1600/800px-Puntius_tetrazona001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHlgI1a3wtXkonv3lJShazVGuGHRiFp427rHnU7Cf7q7Vjuc0PoGFTUgPNovomqXLRlVPT6WyShHy_cvps70BsefHW3i_rc4HyoTc6s97v8E7CYrDhnPFp8FNMTFHd6SbgzhdO6d7SkA/s1600/800px-Green_tiger_barb_school.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHlgI1a3wtXkonv3lJShazVGuGHRiFp427rHnU7Cf7q7Vjuc0PoGFTUgPNovomqXLRlVPT6WyShHy_cvps70BsefHW3i_rc4HyoTc6s97v8E7CYrDhnPFp8FNMTFHd6SbgzhdO6d7SkA/s1600/800px-Green_tiger_barb_school.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This is another excellent addition for most community aquariums, as they
generally do well with a large variety of fish. The Tiger Barbs are a
dedicated "group fish," though, and things can change in a bad way if
they are kept in a community tank only as a pair or as an individual.
Actually, they need to be in groups of 5 or more, in my opinion. The
reason for this, is that they are pesky little devils and are notorious
for being fin-nippers and whatnot. Slow moving fish like the <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/gold-gourami-aquarium-fish.html">Gouramis</a>
and <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-betta-siamese-fighting-fish.html" target="">Bettas</a>, for example, may not take too kindly to a bored Tiger Barb
that doesn't have many friends. Let's just say, that your pretty little
Betta may be minus most of its fins, in a couple of days; ha! <br /><br />
In general, when you have a nice school of Tiger Barbs, they will spend
the majority of their time playing with each other as opposed to acting
like little mini piranhas. Much like the <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/giant-danio-aquarium-fish.html" target="">Giant Danio fish</a>, they are
extremely active and help add life and motion to any fish tank that has a
respectable size. The tiger barbs are small and usually don't grow much
past 2 inches long. The second picture I used for this post, shows the
green tiger barbs albeit I still like the common tiger barbs the best.
Overall, this type of tropical fish is quite hardy. Oh, if you do have a
highly competitive community tank full of aggressive fish, don't worry
about the tiger barbs not being able to compete for food. They are so
nimble and quick, as they can snatch up food particles like a vacuum.
Hmm, I've seen humans like that before; LOL! <br /><br />
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_barb<br /><br />
---End of Post "Tiger Barbs - Aquarium Fish"Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-90500507848197901762015-02-16T10:17:00.001-06:002021-11-01T19:29:21.947-05:00Giant Danio - Aquarium Fish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMKydEHeH9vsEMvRpAvbOz3wvlV-m6VSnj8YjOdQuzSxlQR8TB4EqBwskDxZ_p4yxoFT1HlBJmtNdlNsutxELiFenQAza3lLjBk4dDjUsSv6Y7fFBp-gXzMaNT41TCdKQjOFnTnlPPXU/s1600/800px-Devario_aequipinnatus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMKydEHeH9vsEMvRpAvbOz3wvlV-m6VSnj8YjOdQuzSxlQR8TB4EqBwskDxZ_p4yxoFT1HlBJmtNdlNsutxELiFenQAza3lLjBk4dDjUsSv6Y7fFBp-gXzMaNT41TCdKQjOFnTnlPPXU/s1600/800px-Devario_aequipinnatus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
On this post, I'm talking about a very active, busy fish known as the Giant Danio.<br /><br />
Now, unlike a lot of tropical fish, this one isn't known for being
attractive and colorful. They are like the busy-bees of the tank. It is
almost required and/or it is a necessity that you only buy these in
groups of 3 or 4 or more. They truly are a 'group fish' (sort of like
how the <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/tiger-barbs-aquarium-fish.html">Tiger Barbs</a> do best in groups) and they will be extremely sad
and depressed if they are kept in solitude. Seriously, they will only
stick to their own kind and that is just the way they roll. To me, they
look more like a creek minnow, but unlike a common minnow, they prefer
warm waters (tropical fish; duh!).<br /><br />
They are a close relative to the Zebrafish and the Pearl Danio, but that
is neither here nor there. These swimming fanatics swim constantly.
Back and forth, back and forth... In fact, the ones I had seemed to
never sleep, for the most part. It didn't matter if it was in the middle
of the night with the lights off, while all the other fish in my
community tank were sleeping, they would be consistently making their
laps. The point is, they can fill the activity gap in a community tank
that is full of variety. Have you ever seen a boring, lifeless fish tank
full of lazy fish before? Well, not if you have Giant Danios in there!
They are excellent jumpers, too. They hit the food almost as soon as it
lands on the water surface, sort of like a cold-water bass. I can't
count the amount of times they have splashed water on me when I was
feeding the fish. Crazy bastards; ha!<br /><br />
The textbook lifespan for the Giant Danios often state that they only
live a couple of years, but that is wrong. I've had them live for
several years, even to the point to where they became hump back. Bottom
Line: They are not the prettiest fish, but they are one of the more
active ones; cheers!<br /><br />
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_danio<br /><br />
---End of Post "Giant Danio - Aquarium Fish" Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998875034138309776.post-27948779682687804082015-02-16T10:12:00.002-06:002021-12-09T13:39:21.881-06:00 Corydoras - Aquarium Fish - Bottom Feeder <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiS-10WRuSHGSN9HNq9jW36ADWQmr2DIwJGtKzEk3av5q-36LbGuOXn8sGbfYh6NHEJF3Yby09lk9xew1gQL-CwRK0IFW53rbUQEWyj62ZkFnsnhanEc9UqSD4YHNC9aockgXcKADC0yg/s1600/800px-Corydoras_semiaquilus_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiS-10WRuSHGSN9HNq9jW36ADWQmr2DIwJGtKzEk3av5q-36LbGuOXn8sGbfYh6NHEJF3Yby09lk9xew1gQL-CwRK0IFW53rbUQEWyj62ZkFnsnhanEc9UqSD4YHNC9aockgXcKADC0yg/s1600/800px-Corydoras_semiaquilus_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This cool fish is a tropical catfish in the armored catfish family and
is the best bottom feeder I have ever had for my freshwater aquariums.
As you know, any uneaten food particles collect at the bottom of your
fish tank and if they are not consumed, they will literally rot and make
your water cloudy and polluted. Of course, if you have a well-established aquarium there should be enough <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/new-tank-syndrome-adding-healthy.html">healthy bacteria</a> in there to
prevent the cloudy water, within reason, but it will still ultimately
raise your nitrate and nitrite levels in a hurry.<br /><br />
This is why it is important to have a certain number of scavengers and
bottom feeders in your community aquariums. The <a href="https://exotic-life-creatures.blogspot.com/2015/02/bala-shark-aquarium-fish.html">Bala Sharks</a> I have
previously written about are not generally praised for being scavengers,
but they also go around with their sucker-like mouths at the bottom of the
tank while keeping your gravel clean - especially when they are hungry
in between feeding times, but the Corydoras are the best at this that
I've seen. This is all they do besides sleep and lay the occasional set
of eggs. They are busy little catfishes, to say the least. I do recommend some type of shelter, big rocks, plants, or cave for them because they prefer to sleep under stuff.<br /><br />
That reminds me, the Corydoras are often called Cories, Cory Cats and/or
Cory Catfish. There are various types of them, but they all look fairly
similar between each species. As a side note, they are best kept in pairs, at the very least. I would not just buy one of them, as they really appreciate companionship with their own kind. I had two in my community tank for years, and they always stuck together, like two peas in a pod. Ha!<div><br /></div><div>Anyway, if you have a decent-sized tank
that requires multiple feedings throughout the day, don't forget to add
these excellent bottom feeders to your aquarium. They can save you many
water changes over time; cheers!<br /><br />
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corydoras<br /><br />
---End of Post "Corydoras - Aquarium Fish - Bottom Feeder" </div>Obscurely Diversehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00093125094173965474noreply@blogger.com0