Flower #2

The giant pumpkin is in bloom. Oddly, the flowers of the giant pumpkin are quite a bit smaller than the flowers of the non-giant pumpkins. Maybe because it's early in the year and we don't have much light. Or maybe because Atlantic Giant, as far as I can tell, is a deformed mutant strain.

Baobab yesterday and baobab tomorrow

I have no idea how tall the baobabs are just now, but this is the latest leaf on Zadok. Zadok (he? she? it?) resumed growing, if slower than at first. Ahimelek not only hasn't resumed growing but lost two young leaves that shriveled up and fell off instead of developing. That's not a good sign. I've stopped watering it, as it's the only thing I can think of that could be wrong with it. I'd sprout more, but it's still two months until last frost and the place is full already.

Spring in the winter garden

Christos a înviat!

Knowledge is bliss

Thursday. I collect my paycheque, convert most of it into a money order to pay rent, and repair to the hardware store for my Liquid Gypsum.

Yay, Liquid Gypsum!

But I have an engagement for Thursday night, so I leave it till tomorrow.

Friday. Today. First thing I did this morning was to...

read the instructions.

Seriously. I'm the only person I even know who reads instructions. Instructions are awesome. I think it's awesome that somewhere in the world, someone I will never meet has written down all the knowledge I need to use this product, and here I am receiving this knowledge, just like that, effortlessly. Writing is like magic.

Under the instructions, however, they list the ingredients. 90% calcium chloride.

WTF? Calcium chloride is better known to most people as the salt we use on roads. So how is salt supposed to treat my salt problem?

Then I thought about it. First of all, one way to create gypsum is when hydrochloric acid dissolves limestone, which is made of calcium. So indeed, while not all CaCl is gypsum, gypsum is chemically CaCl. And second, the reason we put calcium chloride on roads rather than, say, sodium chloride (table salt), is because calcium chloride doesn't kill plants.

I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T!

Anyway. Instructions: apply 32 oz. per 1000 sq.ft. For severe problems, it is safe to double the dose.

Ok, great. What's that in metric? Well one cup (in baking) is approximately 8 oz. or approximately 250 mL. It's not exact, but close. Therefore 32 oz. = 4 x 8 oz. = 4 x 250 mL = 1000 L. And my lemon planters are 1 sq.ft. each, so I need (1000 mL / 1000 sq.ft) x 1 sq.ft. = 1 mL per tree, except it's a severe problem, so 2 mL per tree.

Excellent.

But I only have cooking utensils to measure quantities, and in cooking spoons, 1/2 tsp = 2.5 mL. So how do I measure out 2 mL rather than 2.5 mL?

Simple. I measured 2.5 mL, put it in the measuring cup, and then added water to 250 mL. Then I mixed it and dumped out 50 mL. The remaining liquid in the cup is 2 mL of Liquid Gypsum and 198 mL of water. (Approximately, of course.)

The only thing is, it also says to water for 15 minutes to work the gypsum into the soil. Hmmmmmmm... Well my trees can't take 15 minutes of water, but I'm willing to give them 3 L each. That's probably close enough.

In the afternoon, I also split a cup of gypsum solution between Deng Xiaoping and my remaining pear trees.

I love knowledge. In fact, I was recently reading a book about addiction, which as I had already theorised, is a way to replace deficient brain reward systems with artificial ones. And I was wondering why I don't have an addiction when I do seem to have deficient brain reward systems. Then I remembered that "being certain" is a brain reward, and on the other hand, I have a rather obsessive way of pursuing knowledge. I concluded therefore that absorbing knowledge is my way to give myself brain rewards. You might say I'm pleasuring myself with knowledge.

And here you thought this blog was G-rated, eh?

Baobab some day

I keep not getting around to posting a baobab update, and maybe if I had fewer demands on my time I would. I suppose I brought it on myself and I could just say no, but seriously, I'm overcommitted with things to do with/for people as it is, and if I phone someone to confirm a time that I'm to do something for them, and it takes 20 minutes to get off the phone, then that makes me cranky.

In any case. Zadok is now 8 1/2 by 8, and Ahimelek is 6 3/4 by 4 3/4. Or something. I forgot some of the numbers in the time between measuring them and walking back to my computer. Zadok would actually be close to 9 inches now, except the top leaf is curling and so losing a bit of height.

So, Ahimelek has hardly grown in about a month, and Zadok is slowly starting to grow again. I've resumed the watering regimen of 100 mL every four days, then I increased it to 150 mL every four days, and I'm thinking I might increase it again, as clearly it worked. Zadok is no longer turning brown, and is putting out new leaves.

Other than that, I haven't made any attempt to sprout more seeds lately. I've just been too busy and distracted by many things. And it's still 12 weeks until last frost.