Grow Maple tree in Bio-degradable Pot!
Plant lovers and gardeners buy many home plants annually, but they often come in plastic pots. People try reusing them, and there are eco-friendly options like biopots made from wood fibers.
Let's create a bio-based pot and, for the more, grow a maple tree! :)))
Step 1. Let's make a Pot:
1) Choose the fibers, good they a long and dry, for example hemp. Here were used long tiny roots.
2) Mix agar in ratio 4 teaspoons to 100 ml, heat until boiling -> it will be a "glue"
3) while agar still is hot, mix it with fibers and form them into form, for example around the cup
4) let it dry in the oven 40 degree or in room temperature around 10 days
Note: for preventing fungus from growing, you can dissolve around 5g citric acid which is used in cooking in 100 ml of water, and add it a little bit while you from the mass in to pot. Citric acid prevents a little possible microbial grow.
Step 2: Let's find a Maple Seeds!
In the beginning of May, first two weeks, go to the park or any forestry area, find maple trees, in Helsinki area it is very easy find them around :)
Look in the grass near maple trees for those brown "helicopters" we used to call them in childhood, because of how they spin and glide down from the tree like tiny propellers.
Some of them will be empty, while others will have a green "tail"—these are the seedlings! Collect a few, because when you try to grow them, only a handful will sprout—experience shows. :)
Step 3. Placing seeds into pot
Put fresh soil into pot and place carefully seedlings in. That brown part suppose to be outside. Add once in a while a little water around. Brown part will fall itself when seedling will start to grow, be patient and Nature will do it part, Maple tree is a real fighter, it will work! :)
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Bonus: Algae Pot :)
Main components: Grinded dry Algae, eggshells, agar
Instructions:
1) Mix agar in a ratio of 4 teaspoons to 100 ml of water and warm it up to almost boiling.
2) Prepare biomass, such as algae or other materials like leaves.
3) Grind previously boiled and dried eggshells into a powder or very small pieces.
4) Combine the biomass and eggshell powder, using the hot agar as a glue to hold everything together.
5) Shape the mixture using a mold of your choice. Dry it in an oven at 50-60°C or at room temperature for 1-2 weeks.
Note: Agar solidifies quickly. To keep it in a liquid form, reheat it as needed. When used as a "glue," it initially remains soft and elastic but will harden over a couple of weeks.
Elizaveta Lingonberg
Warm happy May 2024