#But those require acidic soil

[cozmicclown]

Welcome Home Secret Audio Tapes Transcribed (Accurately): Tape #4 Frank & Barnaby

Still posting these because the secret invisible transcripts under the audio tapes aren’t 100% accurate, and I like things to be exact. I may be motivated to post more of these if I spent less time doing them up nice. I’d also be WAY more motivated if I could find that special specific American typewriter font with the rounded Tuscan serifs used in the real WH script pieced together on that secret page. I’m beginning to suspect that’s a CUSTOM font.

Yes I know the last one I posted was audio tape #2, I’ve got #3 written out but not done up/aged, but I had this one finished and if I didn’t post it now it would be harder for me to get to it later.

Full Written Transcription Under Cut

Page 1

EXT. FRANKS FRONT GARDEN - DAY

SCENE FADES IN, AS FRANK FRANKLY, HOMES MOST STUDIOUS AND DETAIL-ORIENTED NEIGHBOUR, IS CAUGHT MID SENTENCE EXPLAINING SOME FINE DETAIL OF HIS METICULOUS GARDEN.

FRANK

“Blue, don't actually have any blue pigmentation. They have to grow in soil that is basic as well, so the pine straw should be left for the other beds-“

BARNABY B. BEAGLE, LARGE, BLUE, STAND-UP COMEDIAN CANINE (WHO GETS AROUND A LOT FOR A SUPPOSED LAY ABOUT), INTERRUPTS FRANK AS HE STROLLS UP THE PATH TO FRANKS FRONT GARDEN.

BARNABY

“You're tellin' me that these flowers are liars, Franky?”

FRANK

(Exasperated sigh as he notices Barnaby approaching.)

“Urgh, I'm not telling you that these flowers are liars, Barnaby. I'm talking about how these flowers are specially selected to look this way.”

FRANK GESTURES TO HIS CORNFLOWERS IN THEIR POTS.

BARNABY

“Eh, bein' blue isn't anything special, pal. Don't ya know that blue is all the rage nowadays?”

FRANK

“I don't think people are painting themselves blue, frankly. Are you saying your fur color isn't natural?”

FRANK SUGGESTS THIS WITH A SLIGHT CHUCKLE.

BARNABY

(Feigning insult.)

“I beg your pardon!? I'm a natural beauty, as far as you know.”

Page 2

FRANK

“Heh. I doubt you're any sort of beagle. I've never seen any blue dog before in my life! Now, if you don't mind, we'd like to continue tending to my flowers in peace.”

BARNABY

“You're gonna have to do more than tend to 'em if you want 'em to grow up nice and big. You know what they say: you gotta entertain your plants to make 'em happy.”

FRANK

“Heh, That's true... but I'm not going to let your snappy patter poison my petunias

I'd hardly call your material entertaining, much less fertilizer.”

BARNABY

(Subtle standup tone.)

“Oh, don't you worry, Frank. The last thing I'll do is overwhelm your orchid. Your plants all seem clover it.”

FRANK

(Annoyed groan before taking a deep breath.)

“Uuurrggggh. Not with these puns again. You're going to make all of my hard work wilt! Your humor is too dry for my impatiens.”

BARNABY

“Hey, hey! Not a daisy goes by where you don't get impatient... but hey, I'm just pollen your leg.”

FRANK

(Another deep breath and annoyed groan.)

“Uuurgggg. Will. You. Just. Get. Out of here!? My plants don't need your ridiculous jokes to grow; go find an audience for your silly gags somewhere else.”

Page 3

BARNABY

(Starting walking away backwards.)

“Alright, alright, I'll grow... But every dogwood has his day! I'll still poppy in from time to time, even if you're still a little rough around the hedges!”

FRANK GROANS AND FUMES AT EACH PUN AS BARNABY GETS FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY.

FRANK

“Hrrrrr, hm. Urgh, honestly with him! I don't know how you can stand to be around him, Wa//=Y.”

End Scene

[flowerishness]

Bryophyta (moss)

Fresh water algae first ventured onto dry land maybe a billion years ago. 470 million years ago, the earliest true plants, mosses and liverworts, covered the earth's surface. Today there are over 12000 known species of moss and to be this successful they had to solve some fundamental problems - How do you avoid drying out? How do you reproduce? How do you obtain nutrients?

Some desert mosses can survive a hundred years without rain but give them a few drops of the wet stuff and they green up in a few days. Mosses reproduce with tiny spores carried by the wind for hundreds of miles. In comparison, green algae can't stray far from the river's edge. They require water to transport their spores.

These photos demonstrate another bryophyte super power. There is no soil under this moss, just a piece of volcanic lava. This moss secretes organic acids that dissolve rock thus freeing up those valuable nutrients. Imagine living happily on a bare rock requiring nothing but the occasional rain shower for survival. Now that's what I call a relaxing lifestyle!

[bonefall]

Moorland Research Notes

I usually let these sit in my drafts because they're kinda messy, but no one actually knows anything about moorland, including myself shortly before starting this deep dive. So I'm just going to post this in the hopes that it's useful in some way

This post is about moorland in the UK, I have not done any research into moorland in other places, and then I focused more specifically on lowland heath.

Feel free to use this information for anything you so desire, and check out the sources I put at the bottom of this list if you'd like to learn more. I really hope this helps out WindClan Fans in particular

I do plan to condense what I've learned and chosen into a "Welcome to BB!WindClan!" type post at some point, but this is a REALLY broad post on what moorland is.

What is moorland?

Moorland is a broad term that lumps together several completely unique biomes, most of which are partially or completely reliant on the management of human beings. They are defined by low-growing flora and acidic soils, which makes them difficult for non-specialist plants to grow in.

These can be sorted further into upland or lowland, dry or wet.

Because many types of moorland are dominated by heathers, they are also called heathlands. Though the terms Moor and Heath are sometimes used interchangeably (and this is where a lot of confusion comes from), usually, Moor refers to upland/wet, and Heath refers to lowland/dry.

I have to stress a that LOT of the confusion is coming from this. Heather will grow in both, and the terms get used interchangeably, but an upland/wet moor is FUNDAMENTALLY different from a lowland/dry heath, down to the very soil.

Most specialists will open up an explanation by defining how they're using the Moor/Heath distinction, and will stick to those terms, but just keep in mind that in casual language, ALL of these biomes get called moors, and places without any heather will get called heath.

They can also touch. There are locations where upland moor slopes into lowland heath, or upland heath kisses lowland moor, and there can be very special species that exist in the transitional space between these areas. This too is yuri.

It is not a prairie. It is not a savanna. Please for the love of god stop portraying moorland as prairies and savannas

lots of purple. why he ourple? heathers and purple moorgrass.

Common heather is also called ling, flowery bell heathers are sometimes called erica, and gorse can be called whin or furze

Maritime heath, dune heath, blanket bog, upland moor, transitional upland heath... these are all frequently lumped under the same term even though they are very different.

How are moorlands managed?

Above 700 meters of altitude and in harsh weather conditions, you get montane heath. Near coastlines, you can find maritime heath. These are the only two that are completely "natural" and require no human management.

In wet moors, the elements will beat the vegetation down into peat. Above the peat is turf, the top layer which grows the visible flora. Peat = below, Turf = above. Peat has historically been used as a fuel, and if that bottom layer catches fire, IT IS DISASTROUS.

Because of this, most upland moors (which are usually wet and PACKED with peat) are managed primarily through grazing. There are even breeds of sheep and cattle who have been specially bred to thrive in upland moors-- such as the iconic highland cow. (Though overgrazing can be a problem, too.)

Sheep are used to graze back the heather (sometimes called ling), and in good modern practice, goats are brought out along with the flock to eat pioneering shrubs and saplings. Pigs are also used to control bracken and combat ex-pine plantations with scattered needles, because of their ability to churn soil.

However, controlled burns are still done in some circumstances and when required (LIKE BEFORE A HEATWAVE). Because of the serious danger, it's considered inferior to good grazing management. It's done carefully, in controlled patches, both to not set the underlayer of peat on fire and to make sure there is differently-aged patches of flora in one area to support different species of animals.

If peat catches on fire, it will burn for days or weeks... and can even smoulder underground after you THINK it's been put out.

In DRY LOWland heath, proper burning is common. Gorse and heather grows strong, woody, and flammable, and the thin layer of peat below can combine to devastating results when a wildfire does eventually break out. Large swaths of dry heather and gorse is an ecological powderkeg, even if it was only growing on mineral soil.

Worse, the older heather gets, the woodier it becomes. Woody heather can cause high-temperature fires that absolutely devastates new growth, leading to a slower recovery and causing a controlled burn to become uncontrolled real fast.

Burns are typically conducted in winter, when it's cold, and grazing animals are deployed in summer.

Cutting is also important in lowland management, literally cutting out squares of turf to expose the ground. This is good for mason bees, specifically.

Moorland. Is. Flammable. Fire risk = HIGH.

If you do not manage the moorland, the moorland will manage YOU. with FIRE.

Do NOT set the peat layer on fire. Whatever you do, do NOT let the peat get set on fire. PEAT FIRE BAD.

The controlled burning of moorland is "swaling", or a "muirburn."

Pigs and goats have special abilities when used in grazing management

Pigs are a tactical nuke

Sheep will graze heather a lot harder than cattle, causing grassy "sward". They should be kept away from it in winter.

MOORLAND IS NOT GRASSLAND. Sward BAD.

Cattle will graze moorgrass a lot harder than sheep and bite back any sheep-induced sward, but trample the soil with their heavy hooves.

Bones tell me about the funny cat environments

Victoria Holmes (the original writer of Warrior Cats, for those who have just walked in, still in your bathrobe and perhaps comically eating some sort of breakfast bagel, on a cat giving a detailed ecological lecture to a bunch of other cats) has spoken about how she based the environment of the Forest Territories on New Forest, Hampshire UK.

[ID: New Forest's heathland on a misty morning. It's dominated by common heather with a few sparse trees, and a New Forest Pony grazing alone.]

That means that WindClan's moor was a lowland heath, characterized by sandy soils with excellent drainage. This is consistent with the thin layer of peat, deeper layers of sandy soil and clay (as encountered by tunnelers), and lush vegetation that's seen in DOTC and Tallstar's Revenge.

If that's not enough evidence, it's also described after its destruction in these terms;

New Forest boasts some of the widest swaths of well-managed lowland heath in the entire UK. It's been managed collectively for hundreds of years, and exists in tandem with bogs and old-growth forest for miles. The heath is just as important as the trees, here!

In TNP, the forest is tragically bulldozed to create suburbs. While they were at it, they also bulldozed the geography of Great Britain because, suddenly, there is a MOUNTAIN in Southeastern England; a region notoriously flatter than the Onceler's ass

So once the Clan cats get to the Lake territories, we could be dealing with a completely different biome. They might have gone from dry, lowland heath, to wet, upland moor.

However, descriptions of the new territory are scarce, to put it lightly. In spite of the Lake Territory being the setting for the past 20 years, WindClan's land is rarely shown. When we do get a glimpse of it, like in Crowfeather's Trial, we only get told about the presence of certain species such as gorse. Because of there being no tunneling, we don't know what's exactly below the surface, either.

Occasionally though we are made aware of the presence of "moorgrass" (possibly Molinia Caerulea) and the smell of peat, pointing towards it probably being upland moor. The bigger question is actually where all the sheep are? There should be a lot of sheep here, but instead, there only seems to be horses.

Aaaaand lastly before I close out on canon material, Lungwort.

Lungwort is a herb that becomes a plot device in A Vision of Shadows. ShadowClan becomes sick with a variant of greencough, and it is said that Lungwort would be its only cure. However, it "only grows in WindClan" and the leader, Onestar, has refused to let them have this medicine.

But lungwort doesn't grow on moorland. ESPECIALLY not wet, upland moor, which we might maybe possibly be dealing with now.

Lungwort is a FOREST plant, it needs the absolute opposite conditions of a moorland. It requires moist but well-drained ground, FERTILE soil, and full or partial shade. There's no way that WindClan has it and ShadowClan doesn't, OR its neighbor ThunderClan, in the WOODS, who Onestar has no power over.

It would also poison a cat but honestly 75% of the plants they use in canon would also do that, so, whatever.

What they SHOULD have gone for is great mullein which prefers full sun and well-drained soils, so it could feasibly be found best in some parts of WindClan, regardless of which sort of moor or heath primarily makes up their territory.

What sorts of plants are found in moorlands?

In moorlands, you'll find plants that can withstand poor soil quality and full sun. In upland moors, they also have to be hardy in frequent heavy rains and high winds. Because it has conditions that so few plants are able to handle, moorland is chock-full of specialists and unique species that aren't found anywhere else!

Historically, moorland could not be used for agriculture exactly because of this. With the invention of artificial fertilizers and introduction of (invasive) pines from America, moorland is under serious threat. Even if it's just next to a pine plantation, the trees will attempt to spread.

COMMON HEATHER, also called Ling, is the big bad boy associated with most moorland, and used for a bajillion different things. First of all, it was used in construction for thatching. Second of all, it can be used as a yellow dye, especially on wool. Third, honey made from heather pollen is as thick as jelly. It's found on all sorts of moorland, and is an extremely hardy species.

BELL HEATHER, sometimes called Erica, is more commonly associated with lowland heaths. It's one of the best flowers for pollinators in the entire world, and attracts tons of insects.

GORSE, also called Whin or Furze, smells overwhelmingly like coconut. It is also covered in wicked thorns. It's highly flammable and can burn ridiculously hot, making it excellent to collect as kindle.

PURPLE MOORGRASS is associated with upland moor, but will grow basically anywhere nothing else could. It's scary hardy, surviving in acidic soil down to a PH of 2 (THAT IS THE SAME LEVEL AS YOUR STOMACH JUICE), and can grow as tall as 4 feet (and even taller, apparently, next to its bestie girls heather and gorse).

In heath, tormentil, milkwort, and heath bedstraw are indicator herbs, and wavy hair-grass, bristle bent, and vernal grasses are found here and there.

PLEASE remember that moorland is not grassland. When grasses go from sparse to common, it's a very bad sign. It means the soil is losing its acidity, and converting into a different biome.

Bramble, bracken, nettles, perennial ryegrass, and broadleaf plantain are some of the species that can indicate that a heath is becoming a grassland. A few patches or examples are fine, but if they're eating into the gorse/heather/moorgrass, it's time to call in some management.

There's also the fascinating, parasitic plant called dodder. Dodder likes to twirl around heather before suffocating it to death. Cool plant! I don't know where else to mention dodder. I just think it's neat.

Threats to Moorland

I mentioned the problems in passing through this whole post, but to restate, these are some of the major problems that moorland faces.

AFFORESTATION: When trees are added.

[ID: A sitka spruce plantation on upland moor in Scotland, followed by a clip of Markiplier who condemns it in no uncertain terms.]

American pines, such as the douglas fir and sitka spruce don't belong here. These are commercial plantations and they exist to make money, but are touted as "eco friendly" because uneducated rubes think 1 Tree = 1 Ecology Point. They provide diddly or squat to native wildlife, destroy valuable moorland which can negatively impact carbon capture, and let fools pat themselves on the back for doing nothing but put government money into a logging company's pocket.

(there are also only 3 native conifers to Great Britain-- the scotch pine, the common juniper, and the yew. All others are introduced.)

But even worse than being a wooden blight, these are wooden blights that spread. If there's a plantation nearby, it WILL begin to encroach on the surrounding moorland, and the traditional sheep and cattle will not eat the saplings. GOATS are being added to herds in modern grazing management to combat this new problem.

The native birches (silver and downy) plus the scotch pine will also move in when moorland is not managed! They are pioneer species, which success the moor into secondary woodland.

OVERBURNING: When moorland is burned too much.

Even if you don't set the peat on fire and cause an even bigger problem, too much burning is bad for the biome as well. This is often done to serve hunters, who want to perpetually keep common heather in the youngest state possible to support grouse populations... and grouse populations alone.

Properly managed moorland will be burned in sections, NOT all at once, so that there's a healthy mix of plants in different ages to provide shelter and food to the animals that live in the environment. Too much burning will decimate the insect population, and prevent peat buildup.

("Hold on Elder Bones, why is peat good?" Carbon capture and soil acidity! It's super efficient at combating global warming, and peaty soils will prevent the moor from quickly succeeding into a grassland.)

NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT: De-acidifying the soil and making the soil welcoming to other species

Specifically from dog and horse droppings, but also from the addition of fertilizers. The biggest thing that can be a problem here is how conservationists try to balance public access to these spaces with the "recreation pressure" from having too many visitors.

SOURCES

I have had to do SO MUCH READING. OH my god, this was not easy research, please appreciate this big, beautiful list of resources I am giving to you

GREAT BRITISH LIFE: A really good intro to heathland (This article was written by Katie Piercy from the Cheshire Wildlife Trust)

WILDLIFE TRUST: Heathland and Moorland, Moorland, Lowland Heath, Cheshire Heath, Bell Heather, The Roaches

BUGLIFE: Upland heath as it relates to insect populations (website contains insect-centric guides to many unique UK biomes)

NEW FOREST: Heathland information and history

NATIONAL TRUST: Bickerton Hill and the Restoration Work

WIKIPEDIA: The Roaches, Yorkshire Dales, Heath, Moorland (listen kids, wikipedia is always a great place to start. Just make sure to double-check the claims you see there.)

COUNTRY LIFE: A flowery article that describes the North York Moors (this one's just really pleasant!)

AN ACTUAL LOWLAND HEATH ECOLOGIST: Dr. Sophie Lake's Presentation for the NPMS (This is the most detailed and proper source on this list, if you want to learn some serious info, PLEASE check this one out)

[sirenjose]

Oracle, Orpheus' Drugs, and Yidhra Theory

Adding this here due to a curious comment I received regarding Oracle and Yidhra on my previous theory.

"Oracle" is technically a drug, as that is how it is described in the "medicine test records" and owner's diaries in the 2nd anniv pack, but it's interesting to connect the effects with Yidhra. Based on what I can find, she is described as being able to project thoughts into the minds of others that can create "dream-like worlds" and humans can mistake for reality, as well as manipulate the mental states of her victims so they're rarely aware of what's happening. So the similarities are pretty good.

And Yidhra's letters are always pretty curious, considering it keeps talking about abnormalities in the water, soil, and plants. The investigators refer to it as something like "pollution". Some of the plants are said to have "wilted", dried up, the soil is said to be "strongly acidic" in at least 1 area, and the "algal content" of the water is higher than normal lakes, They also mention strange "unidentified microbial deposits" in the water and soil, but their investigation is forced to end due to various reasons (missing records, destroyed environments, etc…).

Yidhra's 4th letter also mentions that the "edge of the forest" was withered, but the plants within the forest were "teeming with life". It is unknown whether the soil was acidic here too, but we do see Yidhra causes the investigator to blur "dreams and reality" as well as how the investigator "cannot seem to remember" if there was "an ending to last night's dream".

I did see that at least some ferns like acidic soil, in which case the soil by Lakeside would be good for them (or at least Orpheus could take some of it to grow the ferns in his greenhouse).

I also saw that ferns require organic matter (like decomposing plant material) for growth. From what I found, microbial deposits consist of accumulations of microorganisms and their byproducts, which can help decompose organic matter and contribute to the nutrient cycle to make those nutrients available to plants, including ferns. So it's possible all these things in Yidhra's letters are related to the ferns.

I also did see that supposedly she can provide "bountiful crops and healthy livestock", so it'd stand to reason she can also cause the opposite to happen. In which case, that could tie to the dead part of the forest vs the flourishing part of the forest. Within the forest we know is the Forest of No Return/Darkwoods, where we can find the bonfire that Yidhra's form can appear in after eliminating 4 survivors by it (which ties to the part where she can provide those healthy crops and livestock if she is worshiped). We also know Marjorie likely saw Yidhra's form in the fire based on Yidhra's 2nd letter.

The issue with Oracle specifically is Netease seems to have decided against it to instead do something else, as we can see we have 4 different drugs, but they seem to at least do some similar things to what Oracle did, meaning the fern could still tie to Yidhra.

(Least this whole idea would tie Yidhra to the lore somehow + make some sense out of her letters)

[the-nosy-neighbor]

Who is alive?

This all feels very much like the rumors that swirled around the Abbey Road album by the Beatles.  There was a whole lot of speculation that Paul McCartney was dead because he wasn’t wearing shoes in the picture, among other details.  

So, let’s look at the crackpot details:

Barnaby is dead. (theory)  details taken from r/welcomehomeneighbor or r/welcomehomearg (I will post the user details when/if I find them.)

In the first image, Wally is sitting on a rock.  The rock is blue, and appears to have a hand and arm.  The colors on the hand are similar to the drawing of Barnaby’s paw that we see.  The paw is open with the palm up, based on the art of the paw and the color of the pads.  It looks like Barnaby has a red slash across his wrist.  There is a tic tac toe board on what would either be his back or belly.  I haven’t gotten to the tic-tac-toe parts yet, but my assumption is that the colors of the tic-tac-toe marks tell us something as well.  Using that theory, this game would be between Frank and Julie.  The colors kind of blend, so it is hard to be certain here.  

Then, we have a drawing of Wally on the News page, which seems on the up and up.  It’s a news page, everyone loves Wally.  So we have a drawing of him sitting in an armchair, reading a paper.  The armchair has a detail that is very suspicious.  The patch on the chair has a polka dot pattern that is closely associated with Barnaby.  Could this be Barnaby’s skin?  When you look closer, you can see that Barnaby’s face is on the newspaper.  I have seen speculation that this is a missing persons type article or death announcement, but Barnaby could very well be included in some Welcome Home paper for about anything.

The clothespins in a secret video:  the Barnaby/Frank video.

There are a row of clothespins that look like people.  I’ve always thought those type of clothespins look like people.  It looks very much like they are made up of a head, trunk, and legs.  There is a row of pins, almost like a semicircle, around one pin (upside down), and a destroyed tomato.  (Barnaby gets tomatoes thrown at him.)  

In the video between Frank and Julie we have dialogue about bugs eating the vegetables and what should be done about it, but in this video, Frank and Wally are having some garden time together (with Wally’s view very low, as if he is laying on his belly while looking at the tomatoes) as Frank teaches Wally about how these blue flowers require a basic soil, and how pine straw shouldn’t be used for these flowers.  I think these are hydrangeas, as they appear pink, purple, or blue depending on the acidity of the soil.  (according to google, hydrangeas are unique in this way.  Blue equals higher acidity, pink equals lower.)  According to The Spruce, the idea that pine needs lower ph or acidify soil is a myth (I don’t know if that is relevant.)  

Frank and Barnaby have an unfriendly conversation here.  Granted, these characters are foils, with Frank being meticulous and fussy and Barnaby being super casual and joking all the time.  It appears that Barnaby’s only activity that gets discussed throughout the website so far is that he goes around telling people jokes, hanging out with Wally, and chasing Eddie around the neighborhood.  The chasing thing, at least, could be a reason for Frank to be put off by Barnaby, but it could just be the fact that they are so different.

Frank is so done with Barnaby from the beginning, (which I totally get because pun runs are pretty much the worst) and it quickly devolves into Frank being catty about the color of Barnaby’s fur, and he actually seems to kind of take offense.  Barnaby continues to punish us all with puns until Frank makes him leave, and says “I don’t understand why you like him, W…”

During the video clips so far, we have seen Barnaby interacting with different people.  He and Howdy get along because of the jokes, but I don’t trust either of them, especially given the way Howdy sells fake food to Sally (I will discuss at some point.)  Barnaby is pretty awful to Julie, telling her that her joke is terrible and she can’t tell jokes.  Barnaby chases down Eddie to get his packages, even though Eddie has apparently told him time and time again that he has to put it in the mailbox (I don’t know whose policy, maybe just Eddie’s?”  And in the final clip of the day, Barnaby is talking to home about everyone, being snarky and unkind, to the point that home seems to be disapproving.  

Back to some non-canon art.    

As an early representation, we only see five colors on the phone:  Wally, Barnaby, Julie, Frank and Poppy.  The covered entities could potentially be dead/gone/erased.  Home is not included as a neighbor, which continues.  Two options on the phone dial are blanked out, as well.  

It could be that color nuance is removed in the grainy footage, but it might mean something specific that those colors are there.  If the video goes back up, I will get the full order of colors.

The tomato in our video image have been demolished.  They are completely open and spread out on the ground.  The tomatoes behind the row of figures are whole and look healthy enough.  This could be pointing to the death/destruction of our upside down clothespin friend and the neighbors being the line of defense between certain destruction and safety. 

[rjzimmerman]

Proof from tomatoes that biofertilizers increase yields—minus the environmental costs (Anthropocene Magazine)

Excerpt from this story from Anthropocene Magazine:

Using eco-friendly fertilizers instead of synthetic chemicals produces high quality tomato crops with competitive yields, a team of Italian scientists has shown. 

Their new study considered two groups of fertilizer alternatives: a nutrient-rich algae-infused concoction; and fertilizers made with symbiotic root microbes like fungi and bacteria that fix nutrients from the soil to increase crops’ uptake. These alternatives, known broadly as ‘biofertillizers’, can be made without the emissions-intensive process required to make conventional synthetic fertilizers, and can significantly reduce crops’ need for these chemical additives in the first place.

The researchers tested their alternatives on tomato fields in Italy, where they subjected growing tomato plants to different combinations of the two: some tomatoes received one of two fertilizers through drip irrigation, containing a mix of growth-promoting fungi or bacteria; some were treated with the algae infusion; and others received a combination of both microbial and algal fertilizers. In each case, the fertilizer-treated crops were compared with tomatoes that had received no fertilizers at all. 

Of all the fertilizers, the second microbial mixture containing a combo of root-colonizing fungi and bacteria produced the tallest and bushiest tomatoes, with the largest root mass. The symbiotic root-colonizing behavior of the microbes in this treatment seem to have supported denser, deeper-reaching roots, which can help plants snare more nutrients—and may also help plants to access deeper water sources in times of drought, the researchers say.

The success of that microbial mixture was exceeded only by tomato plants that received it in combination with the algal fertilizer, which was applied to plants as a growth-promoting spray, rich in amino acids, and vitamins. In those tomatoes plants, not only did this combo exceed all growth parameters, but it also produced striking yields: these double-treated crops generated 67.2 tons of tomatoes per hectare, compared to the 30.3 tons per hectare produced when researchers applied the microbial fertilizer on its own—and almost threefold more than the 26 tons per hectare from tomato plots that received no fertilizers at all. 

What’s more, the combination of microbial and algal fertilizers also produced the highest number of marketable fruits, with fewer green and rotten fruits than in those plants that received just one fertilizer treatment or none, the researchers found. Interestingly, they noticed that microbial fertilizers led to larger and sweeter tomatoes, while the algal fertilizers were associated with redder fruits. “We were fascinated by the idea that an environmentally-friendly approach like this could produce such strong results,” the scientists say. 

[cherryblossomshadow]

You Are Not Evil

hankschannel

TL;DW

Humans are not evil.

We solve problems.

And when we do, we create new problems

.

Transcript excerpts below the cut:

I would like to talk really quick about this image. It's a sad Earth, covered in storm clouds … covered in cut-down trees and standing in a puddle of refuse … the Earth is sad. It is crying, and it says, “No intelligent species would destroy their own environment.”

…

Hannah Ritchie’s very excellent book, “Not the End of the World,” has a subtitle … “how can we be the first generation to build a sustainable planet”

.

The argument she makes is that sustainability in her definition includes things like “children not dying in infancy.” And when I look at images like this, what I see is a complete disregard for the accomplishments of humans

…

In the United States in 1895, a quarter of people born could expect to not live to five. And that was lower than it used to be. And I have to emphasize this as much as I can: The biggest problem that our planet faces is that there are so many humans, and that the humans in question want to provide a very high standard of living for themselves and their children

So the reason why the environment is fucked … and I know that there's a group of people who will not believe me when I say this. And they will say, “No, it's the fossil fuel companies.”

And look, the fossil fuel companies have made this much worse and have slowed down our transition. They are not the only problem, but they are a huge problem

But the biggest reason why we have a problem is love. It's that we want to have children, and we want them to survive.

And so now there are 8 billion of us … and we want all 8 billion of those people to have pretty good lives

And I, sitting here in my heated office in short sleeves in December, I cannot tell a bunch of people in China or India or Ghana that they can't have what I have

.

Here's my point: our intelligence for the vast majority of history of life on Earth has been oriented toward survival. And that has resulted in a huge amount of survival. And now we are in a situation where there can be a good life that has a great deal of survival and thriving in it, that does not require the amount of impact on the environment that we are having

But an unintelligent species that did what we have done … this has happened before. Trees, for example, caused a mass extinction when they arrived on land. They absorbed so much carbon dioxide that there was no longer very much carbon dioxide in the air, the water became less acidic, and many things died on the planet because of trees. And they didn't know that they were doing it. but also you can't blame them because they're trees. And so of course, they couldn't see it coming

But here's a story that I think we miss: When we as a species encounter local environmental problems, we tend to fix them. It was not long ago that London could be so clogged with coal smoke that you had to clean it off the windows every day, and that is no longer the case. You now never think of London as a place that has like got a coal smoke problem. In fact, the United Kingdom recently stopped burning coal entirely, which is very weird historically, considering they were where the coal started

But it was also very recently … that Beijing had this problem, and now Beijing has this problem much less. It still has an air pollution problem, just like Los Angeles does, but much less. When rivers catch on fire, we actually change our policies. When the rain becomes acidic, we change our policies

.

The problem with global warming is twofold

It's invisible. There are cold days and hot days, like there always were. There will always be  cold days and hot days. You can't see the river catch on fire, you can't see the trees on the hilltop dying, because the soil has become so acidic, because the coal-fired power plants have been putting sulfur into the atmosphere. You can't see it

We only know about global warming because we are an intelligent species. If we were not smart, we would be trundling down this path completely oblivious, sometimes wondering why it got so hot.

Which, I have to point out was a thing that happened in the past. There were times when it just got cold or hot, and we didn't know why. And then the crops would fail, and a bunch of people would starve, and it was because there was a freaking volcano halfway across the world. We only know the problem exists, because we're smart. We only have the tools to deal with it, because we're smart. We are only implementing those tools, because we are smart

2. And the other problem with global warming is, another reason why we are too slow at this is because carbon dioxide is the goal gas. I feel like this is not understood by people but with acid rain, we didn't want the sulfur or the nitrogen to get released into the atmosphere. That was just a side effect of burning coal. With the hole in the ozone layer, we didn't want those molecules being released into the atmosphere. That was just a side effect of how it worked

Like what we wanted was cooling. And cooling, by the way, has saved so many lives. And we are going to have to have more of it to continue to save those lives. And that's going to be energetically expensive. (But it won't be expensive when it comes to the hole in the ozone layer, because we have we have better solutions now)

But energy is what so much of our thriving is based on, and we do not want to give up that thriving. And the way that we have created that energy for the most part has been burning fossil fuels. And the goal gas, the gas that you inevitably get out of burning fossil fuels if you burn them as cleanly as possible, all you get is carbon dioxide and water vapor

We built our society on it, we built our thriving on it. Because we are smart, and because we want to provide a good life for ourselves and our children. This is a Smart Species Activity

.

My son has stared to come home from school with ideas like this in his head, where he's like, “We need to stop cutting down all the trees, Dad.” And I'm like, “Yeah absolutely, like what we need is for there to be lots of forests that are left to their own. But also remember that the house that we live in is built out of wood.”

And like the gears crank in his head, where he starts to ask himself if he's part of the problem. Which is why we need to have the definition of sustainability include the opportunity for human freedom and agency

I'm not saying that I shouldn't be responsible for more carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere, absolutely I shouldn’t … I should be wearing a hoodie right now, I should not have had the heater on all night in here

.

But I think if we have this simplistic idea of humans or certain humans … a lot of the responses I saw to this [meme] were like, “No one ever said a Republican was an intelligent species.” And I'm like, “Oh my God, you people are so caught up in a current discourse and the current moment that you can't see how hard our all of our ancestors worked to provide us with a world that has plenty of food.” That's the biggest thing, plenty of food, but also climate-controlled shelter and pretty easy transportation to anywhere within what 400 miles? And then expensive, but still accessible transportation to the whole world. And also bananas which I love, and we're not going to grow in Montana. And if we did, it would be more energy expensive than shipping them from South America, where they're supposed to grow

Humans are remarkable. We are very powerful. Give any species this level of power, and they will provide opportunities for thriving for themselves and their children. They will try and prevent their children from dying. They will … walk through fire to make sure that their children don't die. They will destroy the Earth to make sure their children won't die. But I'm glad that we have enough intelligence both to provide those opportunities for our children to not die but also to start to uncover the impacts that we have, hopefully some time to self-correct some amount. We're at this point going to experience significant negative impacts from the warming of the planet. We did not move fast enough. I think that there's all kinds of like … not valid, but like understandable reasons, why we haven't moved fast enough

This is hard. People are greedy. People suck. People will tell stories to make themselves believe that the things that they want to do are in fact the right things to do. We all do that

But I don't want my son growing up, thinking that the species he is a part of is in some way evil. And I feel like that's like the root of a lot of sort of armchair environmentalism. I want him thinking humans are problem solvers, and solving problems creates new problems. And that's a little bit more of a complicated idea, but it is so true. I have solved so many problems, and never have I solved a problem that didn't create a new problem. I think we're absolutely at a place where increasing the amount of access to energy that I have as an individual will not make my life any better. But that is not the case for the majority of people on Earth. More access to medicine, refrigerators, ways to cook food that don't involve fires … (which we honestly in the US could also do a better job of, for Christ's sake. We have to stop having natural gas stoves. This is so stupid. I made a video about that once. I'll put that video at the end of this video)

.

But when we solve the global warming problem, we will have created new problems. And we're doing it right now. In the background, there's like a land use fight. Renewable Technologies use way more land. Solar panels take up a lot of space, wind turbines take up a lot of space, you have to make a road between each win turbine, and those roads take up a lot of space. They impact the environment by being there

I think in the future, we will uninstall a bunch of those things, because we'll have other technologies that are better. We'll have maybe like advanced geothermal or we'll have more fission or we'll have fusion or whatever it is. But we're going to need energy

And the people of the future will be mad at us for the work that we did, and that's fine. Just like we're kind of mad at all the people who made the world a better place by burning a bunch of coal, so that we could all have refrigerators, which nobody thinks about as a perk anymore! They just think that's normal! A 100 years ago, more than half of Americans didn't have a refrigerator. It wasn't that long ago

And that's the situation in India now. Less than half of households in India have a refrigerator, and in the next 100 years, that number had better be 100% or we’re going to be pissed off at us

.

I know this video could have been a lot shorter it could have just been one sentence it could have been:

Humans are not evil. We solve problems. And when we do, we create new problems

And I think that is like universally probably going to be a pretty normal story of intelligent species. Like if we found another, I bet they'd have a lot of stories about how they created Problems by solving problems

.

And the speed at which we solve the problems … I think there's absolutely some shame we should experience here. I admit it's a hard one, but oh my God, the extent to which we will not accept any inconvenience in exchange for making the world more livable for people in other places in the world and also our own children in the future is stupid

I will say, this is an amount of foresight that is unusual and requires a great deal of intelligence. There aren't a lot of other species out there trying to figure out how to make the world work for the next generation. Like that's not how they think. Because most species don't think about the future. They don't have a conception of the future. Like dogs don't have a conception of the future. So like, it's remarkable that we're able to do it at all. I do think we could have been better at this, and I am frustrated the extent to which we have spent a lot of time arguing instead of acting, and we could have acted faster, and that would have mattered

…

18:20

I'm going to stick the video about stoves and why we shouldn't use for both health reasons and environmental reasons why we should no longer use gas stoves okay enjoy that goodbye

(link to gas stove)

[aisling-saoirse]

Eastern Camas - Camassia scilloides

Eastern Camas/Wild Hyacinth is a lesser known relative to the famous western species C. quamash. While this plant is native throughout the Midwest, especially around the Mississippi river, it is generally restricted to wet meadows, stream banks and the occasional open woodland with moist acidic rich soils.

The Eastern Camas is a perennial bulb forming member of the asparagecea family, unlike the Hyacinth which the common name derives this species only really propagates via seed. In terms of appearance the plant typically holds a single raceme (think stalk) that ends in 30-40 flowers. As for size of the plants scientific studies have found a noticeable morphology in appearance between where said seeds are sourced. Seeds collected from the Ozark populations tend to have taller individuals than those found in Illinois bottomlands, this study suggests that Camas populations found further south adapted without glaciation and inhabited a location for a much longer time period without physical change. What an interesting hypothesis!

Camas are well known for their edible bulb, the western 'common Camas' is famous for its ethnobotanical use amoung indigenous peoples, the Eastern Camas is no different. The Camas bulb is edible, when eaten raw it can be gummy but sweet, indigenous methods of preparation require a slow cook over 48 hours which render the bulb to a flavor reminiscent of chestnuts. Bulbs can also be dried and made into flour as well. I would never remove camas from their habitat personally: I enjoy their beauty, I'm not indigenous and have heard members of eastern tribal diaspora upset over the removal of their ancestors' foodway, and most importantly beginners often confuse this species with the death camas: Zigadenus venenosus.

So if you live around the Midwest, look for beautiful fields popping up around April-May, you may get a chance to see something wonderful.

[granvarones]

A song about the end.

Ain’t it funny?

I always thought “End of the road” was a funeral song, as it blasted on radios in 1992.

“Although we’ve come to the end of the road, still I can’t let go.”

STILL I CAN’T LET GO.

STILL

I CAN’T LET GO.

It was about the end of a relationship.

What songs are sung about the start of a connection that happens long after death?

On Monday October 26, 1992 Melvin Winfred Dixon “a professor of English at Queens College whose works on African and African-American literature were widely praised, died” his New York Times Obituary read. This was published on October 29, 1992, that was a Thursday. Further, “Professor Dixon died of complications from AIDS.”

How many times have we heard those words echo within our bodies?

AIDS complications

Complications from AIDS

Complicated AIDS

AIDS complicated

AIDS is so complicated.

Our relationship to AIDS is complicated by the histories rendered muck

By the moral antagonism of the time. As Mariah Carey sang in 1990, “love takes time.” They just couldn’t “see” they “treated you wrong.”

Plural you. Big wrongs.

That same day that “Professor Dixon died” I turned 9 years old. I was born in Philadelphia on October 26, 1983 and Dixon died on October 26, 1992 in

Stamford, Connecticut.

Nine, the number of completion.

Melvin died on my birthday.

Big head me, running into the gaze of those who beheld me at a tender age, much to be joyous about. Surrounded by the possibility of the world. Loved on, poured into, not fully seen.

Him, held in the memory of the loved ones gathered to see him depart us earthlings. At rest and filled with the rhapsody of everlasting life in the after. Seen fully, fully loved without question or requirement. I imagine he is not hurting, not overinflamed from a viral death.

I imagine his family still can’t let go.

Do you see him in the Pantheon of AIDS heroes? Or are his glowing bones lodged in a blind spot.

Bright like a stolen diamond, captivating as a Pearl necklace.

“Then there is the chilling threat of erasure.”

After death the archives speculate our disremembrance by suggesting white time.

Because love takes time at the end of the road.

Because you have to first be a person; to be a person living with AIDS.

Because you have to first be a person; to be a person who died of AIDS.

Who died of AIDS?

How many can you count?

Love takes time.

Love takes our time.

Our time is love. A loving time.

STILL

I CAN’T LET GO.

Gone & For Ever

The pain feels like shards of glass in your feet, the milked honey turned into clotted cream.

Wafts of your smell lingers in air, eroding acids enter soil near the disturbed earth you were meant to lay.

I guess this is what it feels like to be dangerously in love, close to you, yet deathly far.

A box on shelves with you inside.

A body to ash, magnificent dust of glittery magic, these bones live and dance their demands of respite.

Melvin transitioned celestially, his words as pillows, his heart bleeding love.

I am here dancing in the practice of making sounds with my quiet anger, forming shapes out of his legacy.

To return to him his body, made home for the spoil of the grid.

The lights out, party floor, quilt made of red ribbons swimming in the sky, a memorial to a full-blown possibility of being.

A cake made of sweet taboo, topped with candles burning rush, eats itself.

As the Pantheon of decadent forebears watches the folding onto each other for the love of sexual rapture.

These lovely bones hold heaven in its gristle. Parts of your world unearthed, saponified remnants of old grudge made new beef.

So I creep to waterfalls made of sand, fisting the stream with calloused hands, I make sculpture out of pounded yam.

I see your silhouette and then this song plays “can I call you Rose (Can I call you Rose?) ‘Cause you’re sweet like a flower in bloom.”

Roots, sacred acre that is washed with the squeeze of one lemon.

They got the juices drooling on mucosa kissed by a bug.

Time after time, making bread out of yeast.

“We got everything to lose with you” like Gary Clark Jr. said.

To lose all of Shange’s stuff, left discarded on Avenue unknown, drenched with rain water and some sweet tea.

A teddy bear ripped open, its insides like cotton clouds of regret lay bare the truth that we are Gone & For Ever.

A body that dies

A body is born.

Then a body grows.

A body is loved.

Then a body hurts.

A body dies.

Then a body is mourned.

Then we are bones.

I love us bone-in.gristle love.fat love.

fall off the bone Black love.

I love you in the Mournin’. salt taste love.

I love you like love ain’t never loved before. futurity love. like we ain’t ‘spose to be here love.

that love.

A body to love. When you have nobody to love.

The reanimated body whispering:

“I am soot-made-mud into moons.”

“If i had the spoons I’d be a glowing red balloon.”

“I am in your stories deeply buried.”

“made to glamor in vanishing rooms. Swept under your feet.”

“Sweet.”

“I am sweet.”

“I live in the phantom times. when macrophage and dendritic cells were in me.”

“I am memory, come to reflect on the boundless archive of neglect.”

“I caught your eyes gazing on me.”

“Love on me.”

“I Tended the cells of my rebirth.”

“Take pride in my bloody ways.”

“I never hid love’s tapestry.

“My body changed territory.”

“I was washed with the glitter of a thousand Black faggots”

“Hung in the cold of past-ness”

Time has a way of looping in the cold, the warm, and the hot.

“Hot like fire”

Our work burns hot into the minds of the possible you.

Grief

Tell the truth,

grief is HEAVY like Effie’s Dream—

gurl, bulbous and magnificent.

“I’m magnificent.”

all you can do is wrap your arms around it.

feel its warmth enrobe you.

let it live in you.

the aliveness of sorrow. the sorrow of being alive.

the salt.

the sweat.

the wail.

Like Rivers

All I see are faces.

What is there to be done about memorial, exalted death mounted on blue clouds, the death rattle now. Our “double cremation” caused by the sexual and gender subjugation in our Blackness, the white supremacy of the maelstorm of gay normativity binds us. Our collective resistance to Black deviance has de-remedied freedom. Has displaced us from the recordkeepers’ gaze.

There is repair in water.

Streaming the hearts of our wayward ancestors, coming together a mighty river of magnificent energy.

We are the water that washes the pain away.

We are the water that remembers their joy.

We are the water of ceremony.

“Like rivers remember source”

We remember them.

And Melvin is somewhere listening for his name.

aAliy A. Muhammad is a poz writer born/raised in Philadelphia. In their work they often problematize medical surveillance, discuss the importance of bodily autonomy and center Blackness. aAliy is the creator of Black Reverence Chair, a joy and affirmation ritual. With Dr. Lyra D. Monteiro, aAliy is a co-convener of Finding Ceremony, a descendant community-controlled process, restoring the lineages of care, reverence, and spiritual memory to the work of caring for our dead.

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Giant Sundew

CR 12

Neutral Huge Plant

Bestiary 6, pg. 258

It’s nice to do a simple monster now and then, isn’t it? Especially after the 3000 paragraph monstrosity I recently posted! And so we have the Giant Sundew, a creature just complex enough to be interesting but simple enough that I can write a succinct article in the haze of manic energy I find myself in.

Like many, many, many examples of Golarion’s carnivorous flora, the Giant Sundew’s primary divergence from its tiny and mundane kin are sturdy roots that have evolved beyond the need to try and scavenge for nutrients in the soil and instead let the thing crawl around like a spider. While most flesh-eating flowers crawl at glacial paces, the Sundew is surprisingly speedy at 20ft/round, downright lightning fast compared to the 5ft or 10ft speeds of lesser plants! There’s also its space and reach being a step above other meat-eaters, too, at 15ft each, giving it an impressive threat radius that a party may just blindly bumble into.

Though it has no Stealth capabilities, almost every Plant monster that’s “mundane plant Except Bigger” relies somewhat on fading into the background of their homes right up until they lash out with their vines and leaves, but this trick can’t be pulled on an attentive party more than once or twice in a campaign. Eventually they will catch on and start making Perception checks specifically to watch for plantlife that’s more mobile than it should be. Those vines moving without wind? Those leaves closer than they were a minute ago? Time to start burning them on the off-chance they’re hungry.

... pft, “off-chance.” of course it’s hungry! everything on golarion wants to eat delicious human flesh!

Sundew aren’t particularly picky, though, which is a refreshing change of pace from the man-eating menagerie. They’ll eat just about anything they can catch, from giant bugs to birds to any wildlife that’s drawn in by the tantalizing aroma of honey that they exude, to any adventurers drawn in by the tantalizing sparkle of loot among its leaves from past victims. Most of them, of course, will just end up joining the bones of the past.

That 15ft of reach is put to good use by the Sundews, having two slam attacks they can make, each one dealing 2d6+10 damage... or more, if the plant elects to use its Power Attack. Yes, a Giant Sundew has just enough Intelligence to have access to feats, including Power Attack, Combat Reflexes, and Lunge, extending its reach ever-so-slightly further when it needs to. The Acid of the Giant Sundew deals 1d6 Acid damage to any creature slammed by the plant, grappled by it, or otherwise touching it, but it affects only organic substances; it has no effect on metal or stone. Interestingly, Sundews can recognize if a creature isn’t being affected by its acid and will refuse to attack such creatures--especially when more vulnerable prey is nearby--not wishing to waste time and energy on a creature that it cannot digest. A party wishing to avoid combat with a Giant Sundew can buff themselves with Communal Energy Resistance, dissuading the creature entirely after the first round! So long as the party doesn’t force it to defend itself, the Sundew will wallop everyone once or twice to see if it can get a taste, and will wander off once it confirms it can’t.

Everyone else, though? Hoo boy. Hooooo boy. The highly Adhesive dew on the Sundew’s arms isn’t just for show; that stuff is top-shelf sticky, glomming onto anything it slams automatically without needing a grapple check and quickly becoming a hold that is literally impossible to break without killing the plant or neutralizing the Adhesive. I’m not emphasizing that for dramatic effect, the ability literally states any creature grappled by a Giant Sundew cannot get free without removing the goo, which requires potent alcohol or Universal Solvent. If the Sundew takes 10 or more points of Cold damage, the Adhesive freezes and cracks away 1 round later as well, but it renews the round after unless the chill is re-applied. Just... try to be careful with AoE Cold damage. Wouldn’t want to freeze your poor Barbarian, right?

Any creature grappled by the Sundew can not only be slammed repeatedly, but suffers 2d6+10 + 1d6 Acid in constriction damage as well, which is typically enough to spell the end of anything caught in its grasp... especially since that grasp is inescapable, letting it take its time beating the victim to death. Any weapon brought to bear against the plant is similarly stuck unless the wielder succeeds a DC 23 Reflex save after every attack, so an especially unlucky party may be bereft of their best weapons after a single round, severely limiting their ability to fight back or free their stuck allies. Maybe shoot it from a distance?

A long distance, preferably around 40 feet away, because once per day, a Sundew brought to half HP or lower immediately releases a cloud of Stupefaction Pollen in a 20ft radius around it. Any creature caught in this cloud must make a DC 23 Fortitude save or take 1d6 Intelligence damage and become staggered for 1d4 rounds. It’s not particularly dangerous on top of what it can already do, but when you’re already being eaten by a giant plant, being staggered for a few rounds just feels insulting.

You can read more about them here.

[aquaticlifes]

Top 8 Substrates for a Healthy and Vibrant Aquarium Tank

Understanding the importance of aquarium substrate is crucial when creating a thriving aquatic ecosystem. What is Aquarium substrate , it refers to the material placed at the bottom of your tank, providing a foundation for your plants, facilitating nutrient cycling, supporting beneficial bacteria colonization, and enhancing the overall beauty of your tank. In this article, we will explore the top eight substrates that can help you create a healthy and vibrant aquarium tank, ensuring the well-being of your aquatic inhabitants and the visual appeal of your underwater paradise.

Gravel:

Gravel stands as a versatile and functional substrate choice. Available in various sizes, colors, and textures, gravel allows for creative aquascaping possibilities. It provides stability for plant roots, promotes water flow, aids in filtration, and prevents debris accumulation. When choosing gravel, ensure it is appropriate for your tank inhabitants, avoiding sharp or overly large pieces.

Sand:

Sand, a natural and visually pleasing substrate, replicates the appearance of sandy bottoms found in aquatic environments. With different grain sizes, from fine to coarse, sand creates a soft and comfortable substrate for bottom-dwelling fish, facilitating their natural behaviors like sifting and burrowing. Consider the compaction potential of sand types, as it can affect water flow and filtration efficiency.

Plant-Specific Substrate:

For planted aquariums, selecting a plant-specific substrate can be highly beneficial. These substrates are specially designed to provide essential nutrients and minerals that promote optimal plant growth. They create a nutrient-rich environment for robust root development, vibrant foliage, and help maintain proper water chemistry balance. Plant-specific substrates are ideal for aquarists aiming for lush and thriving aquatic plant displays.

Aquatic Soil:

Aquatic soil, also known as planted tank soil or nutrient-rich soil, is a remarkable choice for planted aquariums. Packed with essential nutrients, organic matter, and beneficial bacteria, aquatic soil nourishes plant roots, supports healthy growth, enhances nutrient absorption, and creates a fertile substrate for demanding plant species. It is crucial to closely monitor water parameters when using aquatic soil, as it can influence water chemistry.

Crushed Coral:

Crushed coral serves as a substrate option suitable for aquariums requiring higher pH levels, such as those housing African cichlids or saltwater tanks. It gradually releases calcium carbonate, raising and buffering pH levels accordingly. Additionally, crushed coral contributes to natural aesthetics and provides a suitable environment for certain marine organisms.

Clay Balls:

Clay balls, also known as clay substrate or laterite balls, are excellent additions to planted aquariums. These porous balls are rich in essential minerals and nutrients, acting as a long-lasting source of nourishment for plant roots. Clay balls provide stability to the substrate, support beneficial bacteria growth, and contribute to water clarity.

Peat Moss:

Peat moss serves as a natural substrate option suitable for specific aquarium setups. It has the ability to lower pH levels and soften water, making it appropriate for aquariums housing species that prefer acidic conditions, such as certain Amazonian fish. Peat moss adds a natural appearance to the aquarium and can benefit certain plant species as well.

Bare Bottom:

In certain situations, a bare bottom aquarium may be preferred. This substrate-free option is commonly utilized in breeding tanks, quarantine setups, or tanks with specific cleaning requirements. A bare bottom allows for easy maintenance and prevents debris buildup.

Conclusion:

Selecting the appropriate substrate is pivotal in creating a healthy and visually appealing aquarium tank. Whether you choose gravel, sand, plant-specific substrate, aquatic soil, crushed coral, clay balls, peat moss, or opt for a bare bottom, each option offers unique benefits and considerations. Consider the specific needs of your aquatic inhabitants, the desired aesthetics, and the requirements of your aquatic plants when making your substrate selection. With the right substrate in place, you can achieve a thriving and visually stunning aquarium that will delight both you and your aquatic friends.

ALSO VISIT : The Perfect Foundation: Unveiling the Best Substrate for Your Tank

Creating an Aquatic Paradise: Discover the Best Substrate for Your Tank

From Gravel to Sand: Exploring the Best Substrate Options for Your Tank

Achieving Optimal Health: Selecting the Best Substrate

[lolotheparagon]

A bit different from what I meant to write. Somehow the tiny gays superseded the decking of the scrublord.

---

Parfait giggled as she and Florabelle walked through the streets of Prettiopia, her tail wagging fast enough that there was a light breeze as she passed by. It was their one-month anniversary, and she had reservations at a little cafe Lemon Chiffon recommended. Once she told them who it was for, they had been more than happy to accommodate the two girls. It was just for the two of them, and absolutely nothing could ruin this day.

She said as much to Flo, who giggled and nuzzled into her side. “So long as we’re together, I think everything will be great.”

Parfait’s heart fluttered. She loved Flo so, so much! And she wanted to give Flo everything, even if it was selfish, because Flo deserved it.

There was a ruckus up ahead, and the two girls looked at each other. “That’s where we’re supposed to be heading,” Parfait noted, worry stilling her tail.

Florabelle smiled softly and gave her hand a squeeze. “We should check it out. Together.”

Parfait felt her cheeks heat and she threw her arms around Flo’s shoulders, hugging her tightly. “Yeah! You and me, let’s get our reservations!”

They charged forward, coming into the outskirts of a crowd. There stood Sugarcoat on a crate, a bright smile on his face and a graph on his right. “And as you can see, by bulldozing the empty stores and planting flowers, we can turn wasted space into a beautiful walking path for all our citizens! Any questions?”

Parfait stumbled forward into the crowd, narrowing her eyes at the graph. “Wait, that’s Gilded Row.”

Sugarcoat grimaced when he saw her, but quickly turned it into a cheery smile. “Ah, Princess! How lovely to see you here! I’m starting my campaign for representative, would you care to stay and watch?”

Parfait traced her paw over the map. “The stores in Gilded Row are empty because the water supply was found to contain high amounts of arsenic. It’s not safe to build there.”

Florabelle tutted softly at the flowers drawn on the projected path. “If you wanted to plant flowers there you should start with sunflowers, not azaleas. Those require really acidic soil and won’t do well with chemicals in the water. Sunflowers are hardy and seep up chemicals better than most other plants, and so long as they’re properly disposed of come winter you’ll have much healthier soil for the next season.” She patted a quivering Sugarcoat’s hand gently. “It’s okay, not a lot of people know that.”

“I knew that!” he snapped, before composing himself. “Ah, eh. What I meant to say was that the plan is just in the development phase!”

Parfait hummed softly. “We could actually do with some more pollinator-friendly plants! If you spread out the flowers across the blocks, it would help our local hives.” She gave Sugarcoat a big hug. He was stiff, so she quickly released him and gave him a solid clap on the shoulder instead. “You’ll do a great job, Sugar, I’m sure of it!”

“I will? I mean, of course I will!” Sugarcoat beamed beatifically. “Glad to hear your support. And, might I ask, where are you going?”

Parfait giggled and took Florabelle’s paw in her own. “We’re on a date! Actually just behind you, could you move a bit please?”

Sugarcoat didn’t move. “You? A date?” He laughed haughtily. “What’s the point of dating now when our wonderful King will pick the perfect spouse for you when you’re older?”

“Because I love her!” Parfait insisted. “She’s my girlfriend, and I love her so so much!”

Flo blushed and hid her face in her paws. “Fayfay…” she mumbled.

“I love you, and I’ll tell you again and again!” She nuzzled Flo’s cheek until the other girl started giggling.

Sugarcoat rolled his eyes. “You’re eleven, what do you know about love?”

There were some hushed whispers in the crowd, but Parfait ignored them. “I know plenty, Sugarcoat. Don’t you have someone like Flo in your life?”

He choked and stumbled back, limbs stiff. “THAT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!” he roared, electricity crackling across his fur. Someone screamed, and Parfait realized it was Florabelle, cowering behind her at the mouse’s outburst.

Oh.

Oh, that’s it!

Parfait growled, flames alighting on her arms and in her eyes. “Apologize to my girlfriend, Sugarcoat.”

Sugarcoat yelped in terror at the blue flames coming off the princess. “Eek!” His own sparks snuffed out, he bowed at a sharp ninety degrees (Papa had been very specific in instructing her how to bow and who to bow to, when to curtsy and the difference, and she knew that this was one of total submission to be given only to the King and Queen). “I- I am so sorry, dear puppy. And to everyone, I’m afraid my own temper got the best of me.”

“We have reservations,” Parfait told him, her flames climbing higher. “You are in our way. Move, and take your presentation somewhere else.”

Sugarcoat swallowed. “B-but!”

“No buts!” Parfait bared her teeth. “I won’t let you scare Flo again. Now scram!”

Sugarcoat laughed nervously. “A princess really shouldn’t throw her authority around like this-”

“NOW!”

Sugarcoat squealed and ran, his presentation tucked under his arm. He left a trail of dust as he fled, and the crowd watched him with various levels of amusement.

Parfait sighed and smiled, pulling Florabelle forward a little. “It’s okay, I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

Flo nodded. “I- I know. And don’t worry, I’ll protect you next time.”

“We’ll protect each other!” Parfait promised. The crowd “aww”-ed, but Parfait only had eyes for the other girl. She leaned forward and rubbed her nose against Flo’s, giggling softly. “We’ll be there, no matter what!”

Flo blushed and hid her face in Parfait’s shoulder. “Fay!” she mumbled. “People are staring at us.”

“Oh!” Parfait looked out at the crowd, who were watching with expressions of warmth or, in a few cases, envy. “Eh, sorry folks, but we really do need to get to our reservations.” She ushered Florabelle inside the cafe. Only once they were in their seats did she put her face in her hands, groaning. “Oh, that was so unladylike of me!”

Flo patted her arm gently. “If it makes you feel any better, I felt really safe behind you.”

“Really?” Parfait mumbled, poking her head out just slightly. “Even though I was all flamed-up and angry?”

“Well, yeah.” Flo looked over the menus on the table. “Because you were angry for me. You wouldn’t have yelled if Sugarcoat didn’t scare me. And I knew you wouldn’t hurt me.”

“But… what if I do? What if one day I lose control and hurt you?”

“You won’t,” Flo told her gently. “Do you wanna know how I know that?”

“How?”

“Because we have each other. And nothing will change that.” Flo pointed to a carrot cake. “Do you want to share that?”

Parfait grinned. “I would love that.”

[forenerblog]

Why Jostaberries Are the Perfect Low-Maintenance Berry for Your Garden

If you love homegrown fruit but don’t want the hassle of high-maintenance plants, jostaberries might be your new favorite berry. These unique, thornless bushes produce delicious, nutrient-packed fruit without requiring constant attention. But what are jostaberries, and why should you consider growing them in your garden?

Jostaberries (pronounced "yusta-berries") are a cross between black currants and gooseberries, combining the best traits of both. They offer the disease resistance and rich flavor of black currants with the size and ease of gooseberries—all without the thorns! Whether you're a beginner gardener or someone looking to expand your berry patch, jostaberries provide a hassle-free, productive, and rewarding growing experience.

What Are Jostaberries?

Jostaberries (Ribes × nidigrolaria) are a hybrid fruit created by crossing black currants and gooseberries. They were developed to be more flavorful, larger than black currants, and easier to grow than gooseberries. The result? A dark purple, juicy berry with a sweet-tart flavor that works well in fresh eating, jams, desserts, and even winemaking.

Why Jostaberries Are a Gardener’s Dream

If you want a berry bush that practically takes care of itself, jostaberries are a great choice. They:

Require minimal pruning

Are resistant to most pests and diseases

Thrive in various climates

Don’t need a pollination partner (one bush can produce fruit on its own)

Grow without thorns, making harvesting a breeze

Jostaberries vs. Other Berries: What Makes Them Special?

Compared to strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries, jostaberries are more adaptable and require less effort. They don’t need acidic soil like blueberries, nor do they spread aggressively like raspberries. Plus, their disease resistance makes them a lower-maintenance alternative to currants and gooseberries.

Easy Growing Requirements

Jostaberries aren’t picky. Here’s what they need:

Sunlight: Full sun is best, but they tolerate partial shade.

Soil: Well-draining, nutrient-rich soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.

Water: Moderate watering; they don’t like to dry out completely but hate soggy roots.

Climate: They thrive in temperate regions with cold winters and mild summers.

Once established, jostaberries need very little attention, making them perfect for busy gardeners.

Pest and Disease Resistance

One of the biggest advantages of growing jostaberries is their strong resistance to common berry diseases like powdery mildew, rust, and leaf spot. They are also less likely to be affected by aphids or fruit worms, which commonly attack other berry bushes.

No Thorns, No Problem!

If you’ve ever picked gooseberries, you know how painful those sharp thorns can be. Thankfully, jostaberries are completely thornless, making them easy to prune, harvest, and enjoy without gloves or scratches.

How to Plant Jostaberries

Planting jostaberries is simple. Follow these steps:

Choose a Spot – Find a sunny location with well-draining soil.

Dig a Hole – About 18 inches wide and deep, loosening the soil.

Add Compost – Mix in organic matter for better root growth.

Plant the Bush – Set the roots slightly deeper than the original planting depth.

Water Well – Keep the soil moist but not soggy during the first few weeks.

Jostaberries are best planted in early spring or late fall when they’re dormant.

Caring for Your Jostaberry Bushes

Once your jostaberry is planted, caring for it is easy.

Water weekly, especially in dry spells.

Mulch around the base to retain moisture and prevent weeds.

Feed with compost or a balanced fertilizer in early spring.

Prune lightly each year, removing old or tangled branches.

Harvesting: When and How to Pick Jostaberries

Jostaberries ripen in mid-to-late summer. Here’s how to know they’re ready:

Color: They turn deep purple-black.

Texture: They feel soft but firm to the touch.

Taste: Sweet with a slight tartness.

To harvest, gently pluck them off the stem—no thorns to worry about!

How to Use Jostaberries in the Kitchen

Jostaberries are versatile and can be used in many ways:

Fresh eating – Enjoy them straight off the bush.

Jams and jellies – Their natural pectin makes thick, flavorful preserves.

Baking – Perfect for pies, tarts, and muffins.

Smoothies and juices – Their bold flavor pairs well with other fruits.

Wine and liqueurs – A unique way to enjoy their deep flavor.

Health Benefits of Jostaberries

Jostaberries aren’t just delicious—they’re packed with nutrients and antioxidants. They contain:

Vitamin C – Supports immunity and skin health.

Anthocyanins – Powerful antioxidants that reduce inflammation.

Fiber – Aids digestion and promotes gut health.

Iron & Potassium – Essential for heart health and energy.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even though jostaberries are low-maintenance, avoid these mistakes:

Overwatering – They like moisture but hate soggy soil.

Skipping pruning – Prune lightly each year to encourage new growth.

Planting in deep shade – They need sunlight for the best fruit production.

Final Thoughts: Why You Should Grow Jostaberries

If you're looking for a delicious, low-maintenance berry that produces abundantly without thorns or pest problems, jostaberries are a fantastic choice. They require little effort but give back years of fresh, flavorful fruit. Plus, with their resistance to diseases and ability to thrive in various conditions, they’re perfect for both beginner and experienced gardeners

[wearefreedomfarmsd]

The Best Way to Order Organic Grass-Fed Meat Online

For those who value quality and sustainability in their meals, organic grass-fed beef is a top choice. Sourced from cattle raised on natural pastures without synthetic hormones or antibiotics, this beef offers superior taste and nutrition. If you're looking to Order Organic Grass Fed Meat Online, you want to ensure you get the best cuts from a trusted provider.

Why Choose Organic Grass-Fed Beef?

Organic Grass Fed Beef stands out for its health benefits. It is richer in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins compared to conventional grain-fed beef. Because the cattle graze on organic pastures, the meat is free from artificial additives and harmful chemicals. This results in a more natural and flavorful product that supports both your well-being and the environment.

How to Find Quality Organic Grass-Fed Meat Online

When shopping for organic grass-fed meat online, consider the following factors:

Transparency in Sourcing Look for farms that provide detailed information about their cattle-raising practices. A commitment to ethical farming ensures you receive high-quality meat.

Certified Organic and Grass-Fed Labels Always check for official certifications to confirm that the meat is genuinely organic and grass-fed. These labels guarantee that the cattle were raised according to strict organic standards.

Freshness and Packaging High-quality suppliers use proper packaging and freezing techniques to maintain the meat’s freshness during shipping. Vacuum-sealed packaging is an excellent sign of a reliable seller.

Customer Reviews and Testimonials Reading feedback from previous customers can help you determine the quality and reliability of an online meat supplier. Positive reviews indicate a reputable business with satisfied buyers.

Cooking Tips for the Best Flavor

Once your organic grass-fed beef arrives, proper cooking techniques can enhance its natural flavors. Because this type of beef is leaner than grain-fed meat, it requires slightly different preparation:

Cook at a Lower Temperature: Grass-fed beef cooks faster, so using a lower temperature helps retain moisture and tenderness.

Use Simple Seasonings: The natural taste of the meat shines with just a touch of salt, pepper, and fresh herbs.

Rest Before Serving: Allow the beef to rest after cooking to keep the juices intact for a more flavorful bite.

Supporting Sustainable Farming

By choosing organic grass-fed beef, you contribute to a more sustainable food system. Grass-fed farming practices promote soil health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support animal welfare. Buying from responsible sources ensures that future generations can continue to enjoy high-quality meat.

For a reliable and convenient way to order organic grass-fed meat online, look for farms that prioritize ethical and sustainable practices. This ensures you receive fresh, healthy, and delicious beef delivered straight to your door.

[imaancraze]

Choosing the Right Coffee Beans: A Guide to Finding Your Perfect Brew

Choosing the right coffee beans is essential to crafting a delicious cup of coffee that suits your taste preferences. With so many varieties available, it can be overwhelming for both newcomers and seasoned coffee enthusiasts. However, Choosing the Right Coffee Beans understanding a few key factors can help you find the perfect beans to make your ideal brew.

Firstly, consider the type of coffee bean. There are four main varieties: Arabica, Robusta, Liberica, and Excelsa. Arabica beans are the most popular and are known for their smooth, mild flavor and higher acidity. They are ideal for those who enjoy a refined, aromatic coffee. Robusta beans, on the other hand, have a stronger, more bitter flavor with higher caffeine content. They’re often used in espresso blends for an added punch. Liberica and Excelsa beans are less common but have unique flavors, often fruity or floral, offering a distinct experience for adventurous coffee drinkers.

Next, think about the origin of the beans. Coffee beans are grown in various regions around the world, and their flavors are influenced by the soil, climate, and altitude at which they’re cultivated. Beans from Central and South America, such as those from Colombia or Costa Rica, tend to have bright acidity and fruity flavors. African coffees, like Ethiopian or Kenyan beans, often boast floral notes and complex, fruity profiles. Beans from Asia, such as Sumatra or Java, tend to have earthy, spicy flavors, with a heavier body. Each region offers its own unique flavor characteristics, so it’s worth exploring different origins to discover what suits your palate.

Roast level is another crucial factor in selecting the right beans. Coffee beans are roasted to various levels, ranging from light to dark. Light roasts preserve the natural flavors of the beans, emphasizing their acidity and floral notes. These are perfect for those who enjoy a brighter, more nuanced coffee. Medium roasts strike a balance between acidity and sweetness, offering a smooth, well-rounded cup. Dark roasts, with their bold, smoky flavors, are ideal for those who prefer a rich, intense brew. Experimenting with different roast levels can help you find the perfect strength and flavor for your taste.

When it comes to freshness, it’s best to buy whole beans rather than pre-ground coffee. Grinding your beans just before brewing preserves the oils and aromas, ensuring a fresher, more flavorful cup. Ideally, buy beans in smaller quantities to ensure they stay fresh and are used within a few weeks of roasting. If possible, buy from local roasters who prioritize freshness and quality, or opt for brands that provide roasting dates on their packaging.

Finally, consider your brewing method. Different brewing methods, such as espresso, pour-over, French press, or drip coffee, require different grind sizes and roast profiles. For example, espresso requires a fine grind and typically benefits from darker roasts, while French press coffee requires a coarser grind and pairs well with medium roasts. Understanding the nuances of your brewing equipment will help you choose the beans that will deliver the best results.

In conclusion, choosing the right coffee beans is a personalized journey that involves experimenting with bean varieties, roast levels, and origins. With a little exploration and a willingness to try different options, you’ll be able to find the perfect coffee beans to create your ideal brew.

[tameblog]

Huernia zebrina With spreading, spineless stems, lifesaver cactus (Huernia zebrina) is a quirky succulent. Gracing a windowsill, trailing from a hanging basket, or serving as ground cover, the shiny red centers and tiger-striped petals of the flowers are uniquely mesmerizing! Lifesaver cactus is an evergreen succulent that has branching, leafless stems lined with spikes. Those spikes may look like spines, but they are not sharp to the touch, and despite its common name, H. zebrina is not a true cactus! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Also known as lifebuoy huernia, owl eyes, little owl eyes, and zebra-striped huernia, the stems have four to six angles, and are green, turning reddish purple when exposed to intense light or cool temperatures. Ready to learn more about this unique succulent? Here’s what I’ll cover: These succulent plants reach three to six inches tall and have a creeping growth habit, spreading to 12 inches wide or more. At the base of the stems is where the intriguing flowers appear, in pairs or small clusters. These blooms are fairly large – measuring between one and three inches wide – and are star-shaped, with yellow and red tiger stripes or mottling, and a glossy round ring at the center, inspiring the plant’s common name. Quick Look Common name(s): Lifesaver cactus, lifebuoy huernia, owl eyes, zebra-striped huernia Plant type: Evergreen succulent Hardiness (USDA Zone): 10b-11b (outdoors) Native to: Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe Bloom time / season: Spring, summer Exposure: Full sun, light shade Soil type: Succulent/cactus growing medium, well draining Soil pH: 6.1-7.8, slightly acidic to slightly alkaline Time to maturity: 2-5 years Mature size: 12 inches wide x 3-6 inches high Best uses: Hanging baskets, houseplant, ground cover, xeriscaping Taxonomy Order: Gentianales Family: Apocynaceae Genus: Huernia Species: Zebrina Ready for a less picturesque detail? Since the flowers are pollinated by flies, they look – at least, glancingly – like rotting flesh. But these flowers don’t stink, unlike those of some of the relatives of this species. If they are pollinated, the flowers will give way to large seed pods that will ripen, dry, and split open. The seeds have bits of fluff on them, which allows them to be dispersed by the wind. This fascinating succulent is native to what is arguably the hotspot of succulent biodiversity in the world – the southern part of Africa, where it grows in Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. In these regions, H. zebrina populations occur among rocky limestone soils or hard loam soils in dry scrubland. Photo by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin. H. zebrina is classified botanically within the Apocynaceae or dogbane family, related to family members that may seem unexpected – hoyas, string of hearts, and milkweed! Within the dogbane family, lifesaver cactus is grouped into the taxonomical subtribe Stapeliinae. The members of this subtribe are known as stapeliads – and include other similar-looking succulents such as starfish flower (Stapelia grandiflora) and Orbea variegata. Lifesaver cactus makes an excellent houseplant on a sunny windowsill or under a grow light. And mature specimens can also be used as hanging and trailing succulents in hanging baskets. You might also include it in a mixed succulent planter, or if you’re feeling rather whimsical, in a succulent fairy garden! Outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10b to 11b, lifesaver cactus can be cultivated in a container, or planted in a xeriscape as a ground cover as long as you provide excellent drainage and protection from abundant rainfall. How to Grow To successfully grow lifesaver cactus you’ll need to provide the right light, water, and soil. You’ll also want to know about its temperature requirements, particularly if you are growing outdoors for part or all of the year! Let’s start with light. Light Lifesaver cactus needs four to eight hours of direct sunlight to thrive. Whether you’re growing indoors or out, that direct sun exposure should be during the morning and evening, rather than when the sun is at its hottest in the middle of the day. Photo by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin. If you’re keeping it outdoors for all or part of the year, be sure to choose a spot so it receives filtered light during the heat of the day. Indoors, a south facing window is your best bet, although you may need to hang a sheer white curtain at certain times. Are you using a grow light instead of or as a supplement to direct sun exposure? Make sure the plant is receiving at least 800 foot candles as an equivalent to that direct sun. Not sure how to measure foot candles? Use a light meter! Soil and Containers Lifesaver cactus needs a somewhat gritty potting medium to provide good drainage, and it should have a pH of between 6.1 and 7.8. When choosing a container, the first thing to look for is that it has drainage holes, a must when tending to any succulents. These plants don’t have deep roots, so shallow succulent planters that are wider than they are deep will work perfectly, plus giving them the lateral space to expand into a clump. For growing medium, you have options – lifesaver cactuses aren’t particularly fussy as long as they have good drainage. You may want to make your own succulent mix, using approximately 50 percent cactus and succulent soil with roughly 50 percent additional grit such as pumice added. I like to use Rosy Soil Cactus and Succulent mix, which is available in four-quart bags via Walmart. Rosy Soil Cactus and Succulent Mix If you live in a particularly arid location, you might want to skip adding extra grit to the succulent and cactus soil, since it will dry out more quickly than in regions with extra humidity. Water Allow the growing medium to dry fully or almost fully between waterings – there is a bit of flexibility here. If you use a moisture meter, the needle should point to the dry range. If in doubt, err on the side of under- rather than overwatering. When you’re ready to water, use the bottom watering technique or water the surface of the soil with a narrow spouted watering can. If you keep your plant sitting on a saucer, make sure to empty it after watering, to avoid root rot. Temperature and Humidity Lifesaver cactus will thrive with humidity levels between 40 to 50 percent. Photo by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin. And while some gardeners claim to be able to keep these plants outdoors at temperatures down to 42°F, to be safe you should bring them indoors while temperatures are still above 50°F. If your lifesaver cactus is exposed to temperatures around 50°F, be sure to keep the potting medium or soil dry, since cool, wet conditions can lead to rot. Where to Buy You can generally find lifesaver cactus available at stores that specialize in succulents or from online vendors. Lifesaver Cactus For example, you can purchase an H. zebrina specimen in a four-inch pot from Wekiva Garden Foliage via Amazon. In addition to the species plant, there is a cultivated variety, H. zebrina ‘Variegata.’ Variegated lifesaver cactus. With the same fascinating flowers, this cultivar has yellow and green mottled stems. Variegated lifesaver cactus isn’t as easy to find as the species plant, so check with sellers that specialize in stapeliads if this one is on your succulent wish list. Maintenance If you were hoping for a low maintenance succulent, with lifesaver cactus you’ve got it! For the most part, you won’t have to worry about removing spent foliage, as you would with echeverias. However, do snip off spent flowers as you see them with a pair of clean, sterilized scissors or garden snips to avoid spreading disease. Fertilizing To provide your lifesaver cactus with nutrients, use a gentle fertilizer formulated for succulents, such as Dr. Earth’s Succulence Cactus and Succulent Plant Food. Apply the fertilizer only during the growing season, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Dr. Earth Succulence Dr. Earth Succulence is available in 16-ounce pump bottles from Arbico Organics. You can learn more about fertilizing succulents here. Repotting Every two to three years you’ll want to repot or at least freshen up the growing medium if the plant hasn’t outgrown its container. If the lifesaver cactus is growing in the wrong type of growing medium, one that lacks drainage, it’s wise to switch out the growing medium immediately. If the plant is becoming root bound, with its roots filling the pot, you should transplant to a slightly larger container, regardless of the time you last repotted. To repot, remove the lifesaver cactus from its current container. If you are transplanting into the same type of medium that was used previously, loosen up the outer roots just a bit. If you are switching to a different type of potting medium, remove as much of the old medium as possible from around the roots. Place the root ball centered into the new pot, and hold the plant in place so that the surface of the soil will be about a half an inch to an inch below the rim of the container. Then fill in around the sides of the root ball with growing medium. Gently tamp the medium down, and wait a week before watering. Propagation  Lifesaver cactus can be propagated from seeds or from stem cuttings. Here’s how: From Seed For this project you will need some small nursery pots or a seed-starting tray, cactus and succulent growing medium, and – of course – some seeds. Fill your pots or seed-starting trays with growing medium, leaving a half inch to an inch gap between the surface and the rim of the pot or tray. Sow the seeds on the surface of the medium one to two inches apart, but don’t cover. Spray with a mister so that the growing medium is moist but not soggy. Place the pot or tray under a humidity dome. You can do this by placing a nursery pot inside a sealable plastic bag, or putting several pots or a tray into a clear plastic bin. Find a location in bright, indirect light, and keep them warm, between 77 to 86°F – using a heat mat if necessary. After the seeds germinate – within a week or two – remove the pot or tray from the heat mat, and gradually transition the seedlings to lower humidity and more intense light. Allow the seedlings to keep growing in the same pot or tray for a year or more, until they are too crowded and require transplanting. Our guide to starting succulents from seed has step by step instructions. From Stem Cuttings The best time to propagate lifesaver cactus from stem cuttings is in spring or summer when conditions are warm. When taking cuttings, skip the blades and simply twist branches off at the elbow. If you have a long cutting – six inches or longer – you can cut it in half to make two cuttings, just be sure to remember which end goes up, and use clean, sterilized scissors or garden snips to cut it. Allow the cuttings to callus over in a dry location out of direct sunlight for about a week. Cutting with aerial root. Photo by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin. The removed branches may already have aerial roots, which will help them take root when planted. In addition to cuttings, you’ll also need growing medium and pots. You can use a variety of pot sizes, depending on how many cuttings you have. A three-inch pot is a good size for a group of three cuttings. When the cuttings have callused, fill the containers with potting medium until the soil is about two inches below the rim of the pot. Starting at the center, poke holes into the medium about a half an inch or so apart, and insert the stems about an inch or so deep. Tamp down the soil around the cuttings firmly, to help keep the stems upright. Situate the pot in a location where the cuttings will receive bright, indirect light. Rather than watering the cuttings right away, wait until they show signs of new growth since they don’t have roots yet. If the branches you are planting already have aerial roots, you can go ahead and water right away. The lifesaver cuttings should be well-rooted within a month or so. At this point, start watering as you would an adult specimen and transition the succulent to increased light exposure. Our guide to propagating succulents has more information. Managing Pests and Disease The only type of insect pests you’ll have to worry about with these plants are mealybugs which are fond of feeding on their soft stems. When you first bring your lifesaver cactus home – or before you purchase it, if possible – inspect the stems carefully for fluffy, white residue, a sign of mealybugs. Also lift the plant out of its pot and check the roots for root mealies, a type of pest that hides in the soil, sucking nutrients from the roots. They’ll be visible on the outer edge of the root ball if they’re present. Whether above soil or below, mealybugs suck nutrients from plants, weakening them, and can eventually kill these plants if left untreated. Our guide to managing mealybugs has more information about these pests. If it’s too late and you already have an infested lifesaver plant on your hands, don’t panic! Neem oil is quite effective at eradicating these pests as long as you are thorough and consistent with treatments. Monterey Neem Oil Need some neem oil? Monterey’s Neem Oil Concentrate is available in a variety of sizes via Arbico Organics. Spray down the entire plant with neem oil, including the growing medium, diluted according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the plant out of direct sunlight for a few days following treatment as the oil can cause the plant to scorch. Repeat treatments for six to eight weeks, and the mealies should be gone! The main disease you’re likely to encounter is rot, as a result of overwatering, insufficient drainage, or using a poorly draining or compacted growing medium. Learn more about how to deal with rotting succulents in our guide. Save a Succulent Life Remember to provide lots of direct sunlight, allow the medium to dry out between waterings, and grow in a gritty, well-draining potting medium. Add to that some vigilance for mealybugs, and this stapeliad will produce loads of spiky stems and eye-catching flowers. Do you have any remaining questions about growing these succulents? Or do you have any growing tips of your own you’d care to share with our readers? Leave your questions, comments, and lifesaver cactus photos in the comments section below! Want to keep expanding your succulent knowledge? We have more reading for you right here: Photos by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin© Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photos via Arbico Organics, Walmart, and Wekiva Foliage. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '176410929431717'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link