The Clone Bucket, Part 1.

     I may have mentioned my aspirations to be a mad hibiscus maven, someone who is willing to share freely information, preferably about something unusual, like hibiscus. They are members of the mallow/rose family, and make for a tasty addition to both human and rabbit palates.Other than the Chinese hibiscus, many members of the family grow very well here in west Florida, including one of my favorites, the Turk's Cap hibiscus.

     So I have asked Santa this year for a cloning bucket similar to this one from Garden Pool. I love their design, but after researching their plans, I discovered it would be cheaper to buy one prefabricated. Maybe it's because of where I live, my access to the supplies. Santa got exactly what I wanted, and it's a lot more compact than I thought it was going to be, perfect for my already overstuffed galley-style laboratory. It even fits on a windowsill.

     For the first test run, I have filtered water and no hormones/chemicals added, and have made no modifications to the cloning bucket. If this all works as advertised, I may actually acquire some rooting hormones and a finer misting nozzle from the aforementioned big box stores.

     While I was setting up the bucket, I happily noticed the plastic bucket itself was made in the US. Didn't expect that. Hooray for plant technology probably pioneered by pot. The system includes a pump, a riser, a spigot, the black bucket, the black lid with holes, the foam plant holders, and a bunch of sample chemicals I plan on tossing.

Alternative Method for Making Lye, Part 4

     After working hard experimenting with the recipe in Part 3, I have discovered that recipe lacks water, or heat, or some vital process that makes it possible for completion. After some discovery on the internet, I was able to find a recipe for the reaction that seems to work out much better. The recipe comes from an interesting website that promotes the use of knowledge and technology to improve the lives of people worldwide, a noble challenge. They also have some great information about small and large livestock and crafts like candle and soap making.

      This is the mixture of hydrated lime and washing soda, after it has been boiled and is cooked and cooling. This pan is stainless steel, found at a rummage sale for $4, because I wasn't willing to risk one of my other pans to the process. Below is the first pan I tried making lye in, and it is hard to see from the picture, but the teflon is actually bubbled up off of the metal. Who would have thought? Teflon and calfalon are not of my favorite substances on the planet, after all the bad press they've received among the psittacine-phile communities for the deaths of hundreds of indoor pet birds. Apparently when teflon and its derivatives are heated above 200 degrees F, (which is every time you use it, right?) then toxic gases can be released which have been found to harm pet birds and newborns. That being said, don't make lye in a small enclosed room. Duh.
     I have still have to test the pH of the lye water that is produced from this process.