| How to Germinate Orange Seeds Posted: 16 Apr 2017 05:00 PM PDT Orange trees are a beautiful tree to have growing in your home or backyard. Not only do they produce wonderful smelling leaves, but mature trees also bear fruit. Orange seeds are quite easy to germinate, but a tree grown from an orange seed can take anywhere from seven to 15 years to bear fruit. If you're looking for a tree that will produce fruit faster, you're better off getting a grafted tree from a nursery. But if you're looking for a fun project and want to grow a tree for your home or yard, germinating an orange seed is a fun and easy way to do it. EditGathering and Cleaning the Seeds - Remove the seeds from an orange. Slice an orange in half to reveal the seeds. Use a spoon or knife to pick out the seeds. The tree that grows will likely produce similar fruit, so make sure you choose the seeds of an orange variety you like.
- Some orange varieties, such as navels and clementines, are seedless, and you won't be able to propagate orange trees this way.[1]
- Select and clean the seeds. Look for plump, whole, healthy seeds that don't have any spots, marks, dents, breaks, discoloration, or other blemishes or imperfections. Transfer the seeds to a bowl and fill it with clean water. Use a clean tea cloth to wipe the seeds and remove all traces of flesh and juice.
- Cleaning the seeds is also important for removing fungus and mold spores, and to prevent fruit flies.[2]
- You can clean and germinate all the seeds in the orange, and then pick the biggest and healthiest sprouts to plant.
- Soak the seeds. Fill a small bowl with clean room temperature water. Transfer the seeds to the water and let them soak for 24 hours. Many seeds have a better chance of sprouting if they're soaked first, because soaking softens the seed coating and kickstarts the germination.[3]
- When the seeds have soaked for 24 hours, drain the water and place the seeds on a clean towel.
- Don't soak the seeds for longer than this, as they may become waterlogged and not sprout.
EditSprouting the Seeds - Transfer the seeds to a plastic bag. Fold a paper towel in half, and then in half again. Use a spray bottle with water to moisten the paper towel. Open the second fold of the paper towel and place the orange seeds inside. Fold the towel back over the seeds. Place the paper towel and seeds inside a thin plastic bag. Fold the top of the bag over once.[4]
- It's better to use thin plastic because it will allow more airflow inside the bag.
- Provide the seeds with plenty of moisture and sunlight. Transfer the plastic bag with the paper towel and seeds to a warm windowsill that gets lots of sun during the day. The seeds need warmth and light to sprout, and temperatures that range between 70 and 75 F (21 to 24 C).[5]
- Check the seeds every day for moisture and sprouts. They will take around 10 days to sprout.
- Mist the paper towel again if conditions inside the bag start to dry out.
- Transfer the sprout to a prepared pot. Get a 4-inch (10-cm) planting pot with drainage holes in the bottom. Fill the bottom with a thin layer of pebbles to increase drainage, and fill the pot the rest of the way with potting soil. Make a half-inch (1.3 cm) hole in the center of the soil with your finger. Place the seed into the hole and cover it with soil.
- When you plant the seed, make sure the sprout, or radicle, is pointing downward. This will become the root.[6]
- If you germinated more than one sprout, prepare a separate pot for each one.
- After transplanting the sprout to a pot, continue providing it with lots of direct sunlight every day.
- Fertilize and water the sprouts as they grow. Newly sprouted seedlings will benefit from a mild fertilizer, such as compost tea. Add enough of the compost tea to moisten the soil. Repeat every two weeks. Water the soil thoroughly once a week, or if the soil starts to become dry.
- If the soil dries out too often, the orange tree will not survive.[7]
- As the seedling develops into a tree, it will start getting bigger and grow leaves.
EditTransplanting the Seedling - Prepare a larger pot when leaves appear. After several weeks, when the seedling has developed a few sets of leaves and grown in size, it will need to be transplanted to a larger pot. Pick a pot that's one or two sizes up from the last one. Make sure it has drainage holes in the bottom, and add a layer of stones or pebbles first.
- Fill the pot most of the way with potting soil. Mix in a handful of peat moss and a handful of sand to provide the tree with well-draining and slightly acidic soil.[8] Orange trees like a pH between 6 and 7.0.
- You can also look for citrus-specific potting soils at your garden center.
- Plant the seedling in the larger pot. Make a hole in the center of the soil in the new pot that's about 2 inches (5 cm) deep and 2 inches wide. Use your hand or a spade to dig the seedling out from the original pot, being careful not to damage the roots.[9]
- Place the tree into the hole in the new pot and cover the roots with soil.
- Water the soil right away so that it's moist.
- Place the pot in a sunny location. Move the tree to a sunny location that gets plenty of direct light. Near a southern or south-eastern window is great, but a solarium or greenhouse is even better.
- In warm climates, you can move the potted tree outside in spring and summer, but place it somewhere that's protected from strong winds.[10]
- In temperate climates, the tree can be moved outside for the warmer summer months.
- Provide plenty of water. Orange trees love regular watering. During the warm spring and summer months, water the plant deeply once a week. In areas where there's regular rainfall, water when necessary to make sure the soil stays moist.
- During the winter months, allow the top layer of soil to dry out partially before watering.[11]
- Fertilize the growing tree. Orange trees are heavy feeders and need lots of nutrients. Feed the tree with a balanced fertilizer, such as 6-6-6, twice a year. Feed the tree once in early spring and once in early fall. This is especially important during the first few years, before the tree starts bearing fruit.[12]
- There are also citrus specific fertilizers that you may be able to find at a garden center.
- Transplant to larger pots or an outdoor location as the tree grows. When the tree is about a year old, transplant it to a 10- or 12-inch (25- or 30-cm) pot. After that, transplant the tree to a larger pot every March. Alternatively, if you live in an area that stays relatively warm all year round, you can transplant the tree to a sunny location outside.[13]
- Orange trees will typically not survive if they're exposed to temperatures below 25 F (-4 C), so they can't be permanently transplanted outside in cooler areas.
- Fully grown orange trees are large, so if you live in a cooler climate, keep the tree in a solarium or greenhouse if possible.
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
|
| How to Fold an Origami Parrot from a Dollar Posted: 16 Apr 2017 09:00 AM PDT These instructions will guide you in creating a fun dollar origami parrot. Sitting snugly on your finger, this parrot makes for a great gift to kids. Additionally, its monetary value allows for a great tip that sits well on most glasses or bottles at restaurants. - Begin with creases. Fold and unfold the bill in half lengthwise. Whether you choose the face of the bill or not won't matter for this model.(Creases are simply to guide folds in later step.)
- Create an "X". Fold one of the short edges to meet the length of the bill creating a point as shown in the image. Unfold and repeat on closest corner. The two creases should intersect forming a large "X" on one end of the bill.
- Keep one corner folded. Align the triangle to the back along the edge that overlaps with the bill. Make sure you only have the triangle folded back and you avoid any additional paper. Once unfolded you should see a perfect square on one end of the bill.
- Unfold completely. Align the short edge with the middle crease. Repeat this on both sides with adjacent edges to corresponding creases. Choose one of the diagonals and stick with it for your folds.
- Prepare for fourth crease. Fold the "square" back. This is best done by refolding a corner and then realigning it to the overlapping edge of the triangle.
- Create fourth crease by aligning the folded edge to the middle crease you have chosen for the other edges. This completes a diamond shape where the "X" used to be. Unfold.
- Collapse the model. Fold the outside edges to the center. The edges will line up to create a diamond along with a left over flap. This is where the creases really come into play so make sure you have done them right.
- Lay the model flat. Let the flap follow the crease and sit in the middle of the diamond.
- Create another tip. Fold the top two corners of the "flap" in towards the center twice as if making the Classic Airplane.
- Make another "X" crease. Align the edges of the created tip with the center of the model. Repeat for other edge and unfold. This will again create an "X" assisting in the next fold.
- Pinch the tip of the "airplane nozzle". Allow the paper to follow the creases while you bringing the tip upright.
- Align to singular edge. Fold the tip down and tuck half of the diamond behind the model. From the side your model should look like a big mountain with a little one overlapped behind.
- Make a tail. Take the big mountain and fold it over onto the model so that it aligns with the small mountain behind it. The direction of this step will determine if you have feet or not. You have folded wrong if the bigger "mountain" covers the lesser.
- Create the head. Slightly open the top of the model, push the tip forward, and then flatten the model once again. The location of this fold can be adjust for different head sizes.
- Repeat this process similarly by opening the tip again, folding downwards, and then flattening. To round off beak repeat one more time this time tucking into the model.
- Fold down the two flaps on the front and back of the model to create the wings. If the wings are missing go back to step 7 and rework.
- Extend the feet. Flatten the bottom of the model, fold out the smaller flap, and then flatten the model. Very similar fold as step 16 but is more difficult as there are more layers to worry about.
- Finish the Parrot. Repeating the previous step one more time, adjust the desired length of the claws to fit your finger or desired perch.
- Due to the folding it may be difficult to reuse this dollar bill. Using a credit card or the dull side of a knife can straighten it out again for vending machine/purchasing purposes.
- The ideal paper size ratio for this model is 2 to 1.However, as in the case of a dollar bill, a ratio of up to 2.35 to 1 can be used.
- This is a difficult model, take your time, and don't be discouraged by mistakes.
- Be cautious when folding. A too fast or careless fold can destroy your dollar bill.
|
| How to Make a Galaxy Mirror Cake Posted: 16 Apr 2017 01:00 AM PDT Reflecting a galaxy, this stunning galaxy mirror cake will cause your taste buds to leap into space. Sweet and moist with a surface that looks like a galaxy, this cake will add some sparkle to a space-themed party, fun event, or large party. EditIngredients - Two round 6 inch dark chocolate cakes
- 8 ounces white chocolate chips
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup cold water + ¼ cup warm water
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 5 teaspoons powdered gelatin
- Vanilla buttercream frosting
- Gel food coloring (black, white, navy blue, electric blue, purple, and pink)
- Edible glitter or disco dust (optional)
EditPreparing the Cake - Make the cake layers. Slice the round dark chocolate cakes into a half using a cake cutter. You will be left with four cake pieces.
- Assemble the cakes. Place one of the cake layers on a cake turner or cake stand. Frost and stack each cake piece using the vanilla buttercream frosting. Spread out the frosting using a large butter knife.
- Allow the cake to chill for about 20 minutes until it starts to set slightly.
- Spread and cover the whole cake with more frosting. Use an offset spatula to evenly spread it around.
- Chill the frosted cake again for about two hours until firm.
EditMaking the Mirror Glaze - Bloom the gelatin. Pour the cold water with the gelatin and stir well until the mixture has the texture of applesauce. Set it aside for about 5-10 minutes to allow it to bloom.
- In a large saucepan, combine the corn syrup, warm water, and sugar. Whisk well until fully combined.
- Heat up the mixture for about 7-8 minutes on medium low heat. Allow it to boil so the sugar can dissolve.
- Shut off the stove and remove the sugar mixture from the heat.
- Add the bloomed gelatin into the sugar mixture and whisk.
- Pour in the condensed milk into the mixture and whisk once more.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the white chocolate. Allow it to sit for about 2-3 minutes until the hot mixture melts the chocolate, and the chocolate begins to soften.
- Blend the white chocolate mixture with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Pour out and strain the mixture into a medium-sized bowl with a strainer on top. This helps remove any excess air bubbles and will keep the glaze smooth.
- Divide the glaze into five bowls and add the food gel. Add a couple of drops of food gel into each bowl and stir to create the color. Use the black food gel and white food gel to make the colors darker or lighter. Mix well.
EditGlazing and Serving - Prepare the cake. Place a vase or large glass on top of a baking tray where the cake can stand when you apply the glaze. Remove the chilled cake from the fridge and place it on the vase or glass.
- Swirl the electric blue glaze with the navy blue. Gently swirl it around with a spoon but do not mix.
- Slowly pour the swirled glaze all over the cake carefully. The cake will begin to drip down on the sides and will fall onto the baking tray. This is normal to help let the glaze spread.
- Add the extra colors and finishing touches. Swirl the rest of the colors on top of the cake using a spoon. Feel free to add the remaining colors anyway you like so be creative when topping off the galaxy mirror cake.
- Using an offset spatula, carefully and gently spread the colors evenly on top of the cake. This helps blend in the colors together to form a galaxy-themed look.
- Be sure you brush off the glaze carefully. Spreading too hard will cause the frosting to expose.
- Sprinkle the edible glitter or disco dust over the cake, if desired.
- Gently splatter a few dots of white food gel over the cake. This is optional but creates an extra galactic look.
- Allow the cake to sit for about 20 minutes to remove any excess glaze and to allow the glaze to set.
- Serve. Cut a slice of galaxy mirror cake with a cutting knife. Lay the cake on a serving plate. Garnish with extra edible glitter or disco dust, if desired. Enjoy!
- You can also use another type of cake flavor or a different type of frosting such as vanilla or strawberry if desired.
- Ensure the mirror glaze is 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) before adding it onto the cake. If the glaze is hotter than that temperature, the glaze will come out thin, and if it's colder than that the glaze will become thick and won't spread on the cake.
- When mixing the colors for the glaze together, be sure to stir quickly as the glaze sets rather quickly.
EditThings You'll Need - Cake cutter
- Cake stand
- Spoon
- 5 medium-sized bowls
- Stovetop
- Whisk
- Electric mixer
- Large bowl
- Strainer
- Vase or large glass
- Baking tray
- Fridge
- Frosting pipe
- Large butter knife
- Offset spatula
- Cutting knife
- Serving plate
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations
|
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment