Wisterias on strike

My almost one year old wisterias have decided to go on a strike for the winter. I collected wisteria (probably these are from Wisteria sinensis) seeds by some old house in Celje, when my mates and I were going to grab a lunch. 
It was in the middle of winter time, so there were just bare branches with pods there. I took few just to try, if anything happens. 
I got eight seeds out of it, and six of them germinated quite quickly. They grew nicely throughout all summer, and became quite strong. In autumn, as every deciduous plant, they went to hibernation, and till late of the November, I left them out, but it got to cold, so I had to take them inside. 
I had put them next to  the gingkos, and today, when I went to check them out - if they needed to be watered (through the winter roots still grow, even if the plants are in hibernation, therefore plants that you grow in pods have to be watered a little, otherwise roots will go dry and the plant will die)-, and I noticed, that it was probably warm enough for the little wisterias to emerge. 
Now, I just put them under the light, next to my mosos, and I'm just letting them grow.

So, read you next time!

Uroš

Red stranger – The velvet mite

Yesterday, when I went to take a look at my orchids in living room, if they needed watering, I saw something red crawling around on the window. At first I thought it’s a tick (Ixodoidea), but it was too big and it was red. Then I thought, that it was the red spider mite (Tetranychus urticae), but again it was too big. 

And my next first thought was ‘Where the hell did this thing come from?’.

So, I went online and straight to the Bamboo Forum and posted the picture there. Soon Alan Lorence, whose blog I also read, pointed out the name and I did some research.  

This is the red velvet mite (most likely Trombidium holosericeum). I have learned that this is one of the largest mites in northern temperature zones. Its body is covered with tiny red hairs that give that effect of velvety. It is about 5mm big. Usually it's found in soil or mulch, meaning I probably brought it with the moss, that I used for the traditional nativity scene, we put up every Christmas.

They feed on vegetable matter, but in the larval stage (they have only six legs then), they suck on the blood of animals and sometimes humans.

Anyway, these animals are very important for the environment and forest ground ecosystem, because they play a role in decomposing process.

It’s just to bad, that my mom found it, before I got to know what it is.


So, read you next time!


Uroš

There was winter on Nanos

This year I spend New Year on Nanos. We were staying in cabin which was almost in the middle of nowhere. The first night that we came there, start to snow. So I had do take some photos. 

When we were going up, there was still no sign of winter. 

Next morning everything was white.

Because of snow birds came out of the forest and this Song Thrush (Trudus philomelos), was claiming the territory with his singing for him self. 

It was my first time ever to see Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) in wild. 

Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)

 I will defenetly go back in spring or summer time.

So, read you next time!

Uroš