Old Aquarium, New Greenhouse

Photo 1: Lettuce and Nasturiums growing in my re-purposed aquarium

A small crack developed near the top of my acrylic aquarium rendering it useless as an aquarium (See Photo 2).  Instead of throwing it away, I decided to re-purpose it as a greenhouse.   
First, I removed the filtration system.  Then I used pea gravel to create a one-inch drainage layer (See Photo 3).  I normally use hydroton clay balls because it weighs next to nothing, but I had some excess pea gravel from another project.  Next I placed screen mesh on top of the pebbles to prevent soil from settling into the drainage layer (See Photo 3).  Lastly, I added organic gardening soil and planted some seeds.  I am currently growing nasturtiums and lettuce for my pet tortoise (See Photo 1 & 4). 

My fish tank is already equipped with a fluorescent bulb light fixture, which gives me the option to grow plants even in the dimmest corner of my home.  I currently have mine placed in front of a window so I am not using the light at this time.  If you do need to use the light, I recommend purchasing an automatic timer so you can easily provide twelve (12) hours of light per day without the hassle of remembering to turn the light on and off.   

Photo 2: Old aquarium

Photo 3: Screen mesh placed on top of layer of pea gravel

Photo 4: Seeds germinated three days later.

Harvesting Cilantro Seeds

I just harvested coriander from my cilantro plant. I was pleasantly surprised by the abundant supply of coriander my small cilantro plant produced. "Cilantro" is an annual herb. The tender aromatic leaves are often used in the last stages of Mexican and Asian cooking. "Coriander" is the cilantro seed and it is also used in cooking. For example, I use ground coriander to flavor my meats and stews. I plan on using the bulk of my cilantro seeds for culinary purposes, but I will save a few to grow some more cilantro.

How to Harvest Coriander:
Harvesting coriander is simple and effortless. Your cilantro plant will eventually produce tiny white flowers with lavender accents (See Figure B below).

Once these flowers are pollinated, they will produce seeds (i.e., coriander) in its place (See Figure C below). Small flowers normally do not need help pollinating. However, if you are growing cilantro indoors, you will want to gently shake the cilantro plant or place it in a windy area to assist pollination. This will help the plant produce higher yields of coriander.

It took two to three weeks for my cilantro seeds to fully mature. You will want to pick the cilantro seeds when they are ripe. Cilantro seeds are ripe when the seeds are just starting to turn brown (See Figure C). Snip off the stems of plant, and place it in a paper bag. Allow the seeds to dry in a cool, dark place. After the seeds have dried out, collect the seeds and store them in a glass jar or other airtight container until you are ready to use them.




Figure A
Young Cilantro Plant



Figure B
Blooming Cilantro Flowers



Figure C
The round balls are cilantro seeds a.k.a. coriander

Blooming Chamomile Buds

Just thought I'd share a few photos of my blooming chamomile buds. At first I thought my chamomile was blooming without any petals, but a day or two later the petals grew out from the buds to form perfect little chamomile flowers.

Photo of Chamomile Buds

Photo of Chamomile Petals Growing

Photo of Chamomile Flower in Full Bloom

Photo of Chamomile Flower Going to Seed

German Chamomile

German Chamomile Seedlings as of 02-24-2008

Common Name: German Chamomile

Latin Name: matricaria recutita

I started some German Chamomile seeds indoors in Dixie cups in January. I planted about 5 seedlings in a 6” standard flower pot. All but one of them are growing at a steady, decent rate. I’m going to pull the center plant out and give it away to one of my friends. The plants are about 4-inches tall now, but should grow up to 2-feet tall.

As soon as the chamomile plant matures, I’m going to harvest the flowers and make my own tea. I’ve heard that chamomile tea can calm the nerves, help you put you to sleep, and ease stomach pains, but I was surprised to learn that drinking hot chamomile tea can also help stop allergies.

If you’d like to make your own chamomile tea, make sure you choose German Chamomile (an annual plant) and not Roman Chamomile (a perennial plant) because Roman Chamomile can produce allergic skin reactions in a few rare instances. Pick the chamomile flowers when they are in full bloom. Gently rinse the flowers (without bruising them), and then allow them to dry in a cool, dark place. Store the dried flowers in an air tight container, in a cool, dark place until you are ready to use them. When you are ready to drink some tea, boil a cup of water. Place about 1 teaspoon of crushed chamomile flowers in a tea ball strainer and steep it in the water for 5 to 10 minutes before drinking your tea.

Chamomile has antianxiety, antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antispasmodic properties. It also contains natural blood thinners. The chemicals in chamomile is similar to a prescription drug warfarin (Coumadin). So if you are taking warfarin you should avoid drinking chamomile tea.  If you are presently taking any medication, you should consult your doctor to rule out any potentially dangerous reactions to using the herb in question. 

Source: Balch, Phyliss. Prescription for Herbal Healing, New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 2002.