Field of Science

Showing posts with label microterrarium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label microterrarium. Show all posts

Pitcher Plant Predator Micro Terrarium

Who wouldn't want one of these?  Hey, kids let's grow a pitcher plant predator!  TPP discovered an entire display of "micro -terraria", basically a plastic egg with a jiffy 5 (? smaller than a jiffy 7) inside and a tiny packet of seeds (2 and a third doubtful one).  Well, for under $3 why not try this out for fun?  Now the materials here are all of 30 cents worth, so clearly a lot of the cost is in the marketing, a handsome, dramatic display in one of those dreadful hobby shops (TPP had a print to frame.) where kids must be regularly placated to deal with the boredom.  The instructions say that this is indeed a Sarracenia, a pitcher plant, probably a hybrid.  After hydrating the jiffy 5, planting the seeds, and assembling the micro-terrarium, all of 10 mins of intense fun, the whole thing was placed in a fridge for a 6 week period of vernalization, a cold treatment to promote germination.  Yeah, the kids will certainly get a thrill out of this item; imagine their excitement as they check out their micro-terrarium week after week and see that nothing whatever is happening.  Heck, TPP has lost interest and it's only been 4 weeks, and you think what the heck is that red egg thingy?  Even forgot taking the picture of the packaging.   Wonder how long a pitcher plant seedling will take to out grow its micro-terrarium?  Sure hope my plant has a nice big red tongue like that so it can be watched eating bugs alive!  Okay, kids, TPP hates to burst your balloon, but this trap doesn't move, but watching a fly drown is mighty exciting stuff, just like the rest of the botany.  You do have to wonder how much interest this type of hype promotes?  Ah, professional curiosity is a weakness.