I wrote about trees the other day, and must add something. I found two more young editions of the Maple, in the bern. Further along than the ones “I” have sprouted. I also have two other plants, in a similar stage of development, which I cannot place as to what they are, but they don’t appear to be weeds, so far, and I’ll give them time to prove who they are before culling them, if need be.
I have two, actually now three, little October Glory Maple tree seeds germinating. I, on a whim, sometime in the last couple of weeks, put some that I’d found on the ground, where the tree lives in the front yard bern, into a little dish and filled it with water.
My methodology was based only on knowing that some seeds need to “soak first” in order to germinate, and that every other kind of seed needs time to germinate after it’s planted. The thing in unison about these two facts is: water. So, if I got the seeds soaking, eventually something would begin to sprout, right? Most likely. So I had five seeds in that dish.
Several days later, after changing out the water quite a few times, I notices a change on one seed. Indeed, it was beginning to sprout! So the other day, there were two in that state, time to do more.
I planted them into some soil/compost mix in a planter on the front porch. Every day, at some point, I go into that and find the seeds to check on their progress. They are growing. In fact, the first seed to sprout has cast off the seed covering entirely, and looks like a leaf pair with a tail. It’s green and pretty, and hopefully will be a tree someday. Seed number 2, which was a few days behind the first one in beginning to sprout, has come to have a long tail and the seed covering is splitting wide open, and should soon fall by the wayside.
I had trouble finding any more of the seeds, the ones that weren’t doing anything when I “planted” them. Then suddenly, there was a newly sprouting seed. It’s exciting!
I looked for more seeds under that tree last night, and found one. I have it soaking right now. I also looked under the Japanese Maple, and didn’t find anything. I’ve seen them there this Spring, but they are all gone, probably birds. There are still some growing the the tree though, and hopefully I’ll get at least one to try and germinate.
I’m really interested in how this will all turn out. I used to love propagating plants, when I was younger. Tropical and Sub-Tropical plants do well at that. So now, I’m trying it again, in a different manner, in a totally different place. I should do it “right”, correct? Well, anything that I have on-hand, with instinctive methods, if they work, they work. If they don’t work, they don’t work. That’s how I’m approaching this.
I would love to take parts of my trees, and plant them somewhere else someday. This is one step in that direction. Seeds. Sprout. Grow. Plant and grow huge! That’s what I’m aiming for, at least.
New photos of the hens. We have four new hens.
Click photo to go to the category page for the Henny-pennies.
I add the pictures today, May 12, 2003. They were taken [today] with our cheap digital camera, so aren’t particularly wonderful, but they are utilitarian enough to be useful to look at.
Our new hens are Wyandottes, very pretty. Take a peak.
It’s been muggy and hot lately. Yesterday afternoon it actually got a bit cooler, and the humidity wasn’t as bad. Today, it so much better, and breezy and sunny and blue skies with a few clouds. It’s a nice Spring day.
Humidity and me don’t get along. Stuffy nose, frizzy hair, melted energy … add higher heat, all those symptoms just increase. I thank God for the invention of de-humidifyers and air conditioners! Humidity in moderation is great. Just as all things go in this world.
There were four eggs in the Bluebird nest the last time I was able to look at it without the Mama bird in it.
She, Mrs. Bluebird, began her sitting season a few days ago. So it’s four or five eggs in the clutch. I went that day to take a picture of the eggs, and when I opened the box, the bluebird hen was in there sitting, so I got a few photos of her, don’t know how well they’ll turn out, it was dark in there.
I saw activity this morning around the box, so I took the chance that it was she who might have left the box. But no, when I got there for a peak, she’s in there. It’ll take some major watching of the box to get a look at those eggs again anytime soon.
Well, I’ll be keeping an eye out on them in any case, as other birds fooling with them is not good, and if I can defend the nest, I sure will. I can’t always be around to help, so it is ultimately, which it is anyway, up to God to preserve the nest and bring those chicks to hatch and fledge.