Month: June 2020

Prophylactic self-isolation for Nature-in-garden preparation. Day 110th.

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Update on sweet potato tubers, which have decided to grow further

In the previous two posts, on June 16 and May 4, 2020, the journey of sprouting sweet potato tubers had begun. These days, after 70 days of the initial immersion in water, I planted one richly sprouted tuber into a soil. You would understand what I mean just looking to these pictures:

Two sweet potato, fotosession

I need to say, on June 14, right after the second post about these tubers was published, I changed a jar for one tuber to a bigger one, because, well…if that would continue to grow like crazy (what actually have happened later:)), how I would take it out through a small neck of a jar? So, I thought in advance and made a right decision.

It could probably be the fact, that if I would just stay still and observe that tuber for a while, I would see by myself the process of growth – so fast it started to grow up!

What I made, I started to sprinkle the tubers time to time with a fresh water by using simple pulvelizer.

The longest sprout is 40 cm long

Two sweet potato tuber growing on the windowsill
The beauty of growing sweet potato

I already planted one tuber, gently covering the tuber with some thin layer of soil. The pot is 30-40 cm deep and wide enough for one tuber to grow and develop the new tubers (I hope:)) Two long shouts just disconnected from the tuber when I hold it, so, I stick them to the soil separately.

Long sprout of the sweet potato tuber

The soil is covered with mulch to prevent soil dehydration and burning from the sun (good thing I l’earned from youtube:))

I am a real city-citizen, knowing where are the main malls and squares. Where I should find mulch???

Even in the garden shops I visited there were no grass-based mulch as youtube shows – only pine bark in pieces. Well, the pet shop played its role! There are plenty of grass types for hamsters or other rodents, make your choice! I chose “Alpine grass” for my plants to cover :))

Planted, covered with mulch. Sweet potato is beautiful to grow:)

The second tuber is in a slowed down mode, so, it still on the windowsill.

P. S. When I primarily put the tubers into water, that one tuber was in a jar without any label on it (and probably got more sunshine to start sprouting – we see the astonishing result), while another jar was half-covered with a label (and now that tuber is slowly sprouting). Choose the jars without any labels, remove them, to maximize the free-to-sunlight surface for the plants you grow!

Let’s see how the sweet potato tubers (plants) will feel later!

Photos by Dr. A. Palatronis on www.z-antenna.com

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Prophylactic self-isolation for Sage tincture preparation. Day 107th.

~ alantenna ~ 1 Comment

Overture

“I like growing herbs, but what actually t do with them later? I do not need that much…”

my friend said me…

Here is a great idea for how to use sage plant after (or during) a summer season. Really, what could one make from sage leaves? The answer:

Air freshener! or Armpit deodorant!

100% satisfaction and less chemical additives in your space. Sounds great, isn’t it? Home-made sage air freshener is a great tool to neutralize an air in a toilet! Self-made sage deodorant is a great alternative for commercial products with long ingredient lists!

Know the names!

The name of sage in Latin is Salvia officinalis

Recipe

Sage freshener or Sage deodorant – as you wish. Composition

Ingredients:

Dried sage leaves 50 g
Ethanol 70°500 ml
Ingredients for sage tincture preparation

The ratio of sage dried leaves to ethanol should be 10:100

How to make it?

  1. Cut the stems of sage plant, bound them together and let to dry indoor for few days
  2. Remove dried leaves from the stems
  3. Mill dried sage leaves in a coffee mill or shred manually into small pieces
  4. Transfer milled leaves into a glass bottle or glass jar with a wide neck and add ethanol
  5. Mix gently and let it stay for 7 days in dark cool place like a draw (no refrigerator needed, it should be just a place away from heating)
  6. During these 7 days, mix the mixture gently time to time to ensure better saturation
  7. After 7 days, strain the mixture through gauze cloth
  8. Keep the ready liquid in a clean glass jar or bottle, and use small amounts to fill in a sprayer

Important notes:

  • Sorry guys, not possible to convey odor online! Sage smells amazing!
  • In pharmaceutical science, sage is known as antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. One encyclopedia describes sage to be useful for treating bad smell of armpits (according to folk medicine). Sorry guys, no reference here I just know it because I read about it years ago:)
  • Some sources recommend to burn dry sage leaves to clean the air (1). However, preparing a tincture has its big advantage: the procedure is safe if compared with “burning” method. More so, you make it once and it lasts for month(s).

“Burning sage is one of the oldest and purest methods of cleansing a person, group of people, or space and of getting rid of unwanted spirits. The practice dates back to prehistoric times and it’s been documented as having been used in every corner of the world by our ancestors.”

How to Energetically Clear Your Space With Sage (1)
  • In pharmaceutical science, the ratio of herbal material and ethanol is important. Herein, the ratio 10:100 is a golden standard (however, with some additional conditions which are not mentioned here)
  • In pharmaceutical science, the procedure of saturation of ethanol with herbal material is called maceration extraction. It is conducted at room temperature and assume immersing a plant material in a liquid. A plant material should be cut into pieces to ensure better extraction
  • Thinking on how to dry the leaves? Here is a simple way to do it:
Drying sage leaves

References:

  1. How to Energetically Clear Your Space With Sage by Brook Bobb on https://www.vogue.com/article/sage-how-to-cleanse-energy-home-office-smudging

Photos by Dr. A. Palatronis on www.z-antenna.com

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Prophylactic self-isolation for personal drawings’ appreciation. Day 106th.

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Well, this does not look like art, I am not an artist anyway. I can’t draw. And I shouldn’t do it.

We would never do it with language. No one would say: “Well, this just can’t come out as a poem – I shouldn’t speak”, –

Ralph Ammer on How drawing helps you think

How drawing helps you think by Ralph Ammer on TEDxTUM on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqlTSCvP-Z0

Drawings from the sketchbooks: avocado fruits, view from the coffee house, mountain flowers

Drawings by Dr. A. Palatronis on www.z-antenna.com

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