Skip to main content

Vine maintenane

The temperature outside was 94F degrees, and very muggy, as I cycled home from the GH. But, while riding a bicycle there is a natural, built-in breeze which made me feel cooler. The mugginess was  notable at the GH too, where the rainforest rooms were especially warm and muggy. Surprisingly, the desert rooms felt cooler and drier than the outside air! 

My first task was to repot a climbing clematis vine in room C1, it had become completely root-bound in its small 9-inch pot. I replaced the pot with a 12-inch deep pot to give the expanding roots extra room. We used arid soil mix to provide good drainage. The vine had been growing up one of the I-beams which support the roof of the GH. I couldn’t take down the vine, so I had to repot the plant in situ. To complete the task, B found an eight-foot ladder from the maintenance crew, which I used to train the vine along a stainless steel cable - which had been installed for that purpose. 

Since I had the ladder already, I also tidied up the climbing vines in room C2. In particular I spent almost an hour pruning a climbing palm onto a steel cable on the vine bench.


Just before hopping back onto the bike for the return ride, I had been picking up leaves and pruning back large plants in the display rooms 1 through 4. There wasn’t much to collect, one large bucket worth, but I think the rooms looked just a bit tidier after the clean-up.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Sensitive Plant and Common Weed

Mimosa pudica, also commonly called the sensitive plant  was a popular houseplant when I was growing up in the 1970s. It was popular for its ability to quicky change shape by folding up its leaves to protect them from herbivore predators. At the slightest touch the plant is able to expell water from special cells in the leaves, changing the shape from frond-like to a stick-form. The plant creeps along the ground, never for than a foot or so in height. In tropical parts of the world this plant is considered and invasive weed. Today, as I was treating plants to remove pests I happened to touch the leaves of a Mimosa pudica , one with a pretty puff-like flower. Sure enough, the leaves all folded up to almost nothing. Mimosa pudica , the sensitive plant Other more routine chores during my four-hour shift at the U of M Conservatory included cleaning three plants of Hibiscus clayi, native to Hawaii. These three plants in particular have suffered repeated infestations with a variety of in...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Thames River Walk Through Time: Repurposing Tow Paths

I love it when old technologies are repurposed to solve entirely different problems. A perfect example is the extensive system of canals and tow paths throughout England. Before the Industrial Revolution and the advent of railways, these canals were built to transport goods between cities and towns. Narrow boats pulled by horses or mules along tow paths were a common sight. Today, however, these tow paths have found a new purpose: recreational walking. They offer picturesque routes through the English countryside, allowing people to explore the beauty of the canals and rivers. The commerce that once flowed along these waterways may have shifted to railways, but the paths themselves continue to serve a valuable function. This year, I had the privilege of joining three other hikers on a journey along the River Thames tow path, from the city of Oxford to its source, a distance of about 50 miles. Farther upstream, the river gradually narrowed, eventually transforming into a swollen creek b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Autumn Inside the Greenhouse

I felt the firm grip of fall as I walked the half-mile from the parking lot to the Conservatory Greenhouse at the University of Minnesota, where I volunteer. The temperature outside was in the 30s, and the wind whipped at my face. Yesterday there had been snow flurries.  In stark contrast to the outside world, the greenhouse climate was quite different. Part of the greenhouse is maintained at near-tropical temperatures. But other sections of the greenhouse are kept significantly cooler to support plants that have evolved in seasonal climates. Although indoors, autumn has arrived here too. The sunlight dims, and the nights grow long. Inside these cool greenhouse rooms the plants shed their leaves and virtually cease growth for the winter months, just as they would outdoors.  Part of my assignment for today included the pruning of yellowing and brown leaves. Removing the dead foliage from the plants and the floors helps to reduce the overall risk of mold and other pests affectin...
Post a Comment
Read more