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A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

biologicperformance.com

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Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#111
post #9

After initial transportation failures, sealed terrariums were used by Robert Fortune to send stolen tea seedlings from China to India,[1] thus helping the British to break the nineteenth Century Chinese monopoly on tea production. [1] https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00H9J1AM2/

Why were sealed terrariums needed?

Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#112

>more than a century has passed and David’s sealed bottle garden is still thriving and robust as can be. With thriving plant life, despite not watering it since 1972. >David planted the terrarium back in 1960 I'm so annoyed by the above. Is this article written in 2060?

> "The Sealed Garden That Was Only Watered Once in 53 Years"

> "In 1960 David Latimer got curious and decided to plant a glass bottle with seed."

> "Posted on March 22, 2017 by Davin"

1960 + 53 = 2013

They have apparently had 4 years to find and catch the "century" error prior to posting, and another 2 years since.

I can't tell if there was any cheating, because the article does not specify how much compost was placed in the bottle initially, or its composition. So I can't estimate whether there's actually enough carbon or water in the bottle to support the visible amount of living plant mass. He should have measured the mass of the whole thing in 1960, and at least once per year thereafter, so he could show that the total mass remained the same.

Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#113
post #106
post #103

Did anyone try introduce an animal in such a closed system, insects for instance. Does it self sustain ?

On a larger scale, wouldn't this be Earth?

On such a significantly larger scale that it would bear only passing resemblance

Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#114
post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Space in space" is cramped only because we put up too small living quarters. But an inflatable balloon only for growing things in it need not be especially rigid or robust. It wouldn't even have to be rigidly fixed to the living quarters, it could float a bit to the side connected only by flexible tubing.

That's not really true thanks to micrometeors. They'd have it ripped to shreds, and if it was connected to the main habitation units, would remove the air from there too.

This isn't a new idea [0].

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigelow_Expandable_Activity_Mo...

Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#115

Are there any canonical guides to building a jar-rarium? Lots of crappy YouTube videos but nothing very thorough and complete.

This guy's youtube channel is a great resource for terrariums https://www.youtube.com/user/SerpaDesign

oh yeah, these are nice videos, just watched a few.

Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are correct, but there is very little incentive to lie. Maybe a helpful family member watered it a few times and never mentioned it. The concept does at least work for a few years as many sources can confirm, and the story is firmly in the plausible range imho. But in typical fashion, the data is scant and maybe contradictory. The point on HN seems to be; the takeaway, arguing grammar/numbers/journalistic standar…

Why would anyone need to water it? Am I missing something? This is sealed like other terrariums, the water recycles, it has nowhere to escape (unless the plug is poorly sealed). Probably the first time it was opened in 1972 to be watered was because the water level wasn't high enough from the beginning.

Because someone who doesn't know better might think it needs to be opened and watered.

Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#118
post #9

After initial transportation failures, sealed terrariums were used by Robert Fortune to send stolen tea seedlings from China to India,[1] thus helping the British to break the nineteenth Century Chinese monopoly on tea production. [1] https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00H9J1AM2/

Why were sealed terrariums needed?

The seeds transported on their own would begin to germinate during the long voyage to India. The terrariums allowed the seeds to start sprouting and growing in a healthier environment than in the ships holds.

Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Movies from 1972 vs 1996? I'll take the ecological classic that is a bit more in line with the OC's post. Silent Running was very much an ecological and social statement about humanity and the Earth. I cried when Lewie was gone, and felt bad for Dewey.

I remember blubbing as a kid when I first watched silent running - for the same reasons.

Was probably in my early twenties when I saw it first, saw it again twenty years later, still had the same impact.

Let's hope it won't be needed.

Re: A Sealed Garden That Was Watered Once in 53 Years (2017)

#120

Seen this before. Simplest answer: don't believe it. That cork in the top looks new. And very, very removable. And if you still want to believe it, without evidence, then I have some property in Florida to sell you.

Agree with the cork part. Looks pretty new and loose.

Tradescantia is not growth from seeds, so I assume also that the first seeds had died or survived for some years and Tradescantia was added later, maybe in 1972.

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