Cloud forest room and tank maintenance

Today, June 8th, was a relatively simple day at the greenhouse. I spent the first hour watering plants in room C1. I captured the images above from some of the many flowering plants in that “cloud forest” room. The two stacked photos are, of course, orchids. The other is a rhododendron, very fragrant. Since it is summer, and quite warm outside, many of the plants can use extra water, I was generous with it.

The second part of the 3-hour shift was spent helping B... and Curator J... to clean the water-plant trays and tanks in room C3. I have cleaned these two tanks in the past, and the job is quite a chore. The reservoir tanks below the table trays are quite heavy, and they do not have drain holes. So, they must be pulled out and emptied of 100-200 gallons (or so). B and I slid one of the reservoirs full of water just enough so I could tip it up a bit to drain the old dirty water. In the process of helping me, B injured the skin on two of her fingers (requiring bandages to stop the bleeding). But, she is a trooper and was soon back in the saddle helping to finish the job. I may have a bit of a sore lower back tomorrow, but at the moment things feel fine down there.

I cycled home (downhill and with the wind), it was a beautiful ride through the campus in St. Paul, and on through Minneapolis Dinkytown along the commuter trail.

I came home with dirty wet shoes from the tank-draining activity. I’ll give the shoes a hand-wash to see if I can keep the smell out of them.

Comments

I celebrate learning this about cycad plants

I didn't know that the cardboard palm - Zamia furfuracea - is a cycad. It isn't a palm tree (don't judge me, I'm not a botanist). But it also doesn't look like the other more familiar types of cycads with their fluted upright palm-like fronds. I didn't know it is said to be the second most commonly cultivated cycad, after Cycas revoluta . I didn't know this plant is unrelated to the common ZZ plant - Zamioculcas zamifolia - although they have a similar appearance. Before today I didn't know any of these things, but now I am happy to have learned them. From the parking lot I walked to the U of M Conservatory greenhouse in near-zero F weather. Stepping into the tropical spaces was a joy of its own. But being able to learn new information and experience new procedures was a compounding factor. Joy squared. During my 3-hour volunteer shift, my initial task was to clean the parasite critters (mealybugs and scale) from the stems and leaves of the cycad, Zami...

Mobile indoor green wall

Finally, after three years... my plant vines have grown and spread to be green wall that I had hoped for. I'm not sure it would have taken as long if the plants were in a more humid, sunny climate, et cetera. But given our indoor Minnesota location - even with a southwest exposure - the vines have needed that amount of time to climb the six feet from the base to the top rungs of the metal grid supporting them. The result has been worth the effort. And to be honest, I didn't have to wait three years to begin enjoying the green wall. The vines were already attractive when only half way up the trellis. A metal grid is filled with mix of Epipremnum aureum cultivar "Marble Queen", Epipremnum aureum aka golden pothos, and Philodendron Brasil . Architecture of the green wall The initial intent of the project was to grow a green wall, in an apartment, that could be moved around to be able to clean underneath, and also to provide a mobile room divider for our open-plan loft....

Strung out in the greenhouse

The assignment for my four-hour volunteer shift at the University of Minnesota Conservatory greenhouse was clearly listed on a whiteboard, with my name attached. Since most of the tasks involved working with strings of overhead cables or air tubing, much of my shift was spent at the top of a ladder. Vining plants are limited to only a few of the many benches in the greenhouse. Steel cables are strung above the benches to support their growth. Because many plants grow in a small space, part of the challenge is to untangle and separate the vines so that they don't strangle each other. Not many of the vines are blooming at the moment, as it is winter. However, Thunbergia grandiflora is producing a few lovely blue flowers (its tendrils grow clockwise, hence the common name Bengal clockvine). It's a popular houseplant, but it has become an invasive weed in parts of the world, like Australia, especially around waterways. Thunbergia grandiflora; notice small brown scale insects sucki...

City Gardener

Search This Blog