| On philology, potatoes and construction. |
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Well, this is just my first approach to blog-writing. I want it to be the way to keep in touch with colleagues and friends.
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| From forest to soil, on seeds |
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The year started going to the forest to cut trees that had fallen or were damaged by windy storms. The heating system at home is now more dependent on biomass than electricity.
We had several rainy weeks in a row by the time we use to start potato planting. Early potatoes will come later this year. I planted the last potatoes three weeks ago, using the same old tractor from previous years with a planting machine that requires only one person to plant, the driver.
Each year we use different certified seeds, sometimes coming from far away lands in different countries. Each certified tuber is inspected and processed to make for most often two or three new seeds, the potato being cut in smaller pieces, each one bearing at least two eyes. From these eyes, sprouts will emerge and the plant will grow, taking its energy from the seed. Tubers have a natural protection against microorganisms living in the soil, their peel. However, when we cut a potato to make two or three new seeds, we leave half or most of the surface unprotected, making the seed vulnerable to disease.
Wood ashes, on the other hand, bear no microorganisms at all, as a result of the high temperatures of combustion. So, before planting, seeds are covered with wood ashes that, due to the cut being wet, adhere to its surface, creating a new protective layer that keeps the seed away from open direct contact with the soil. |
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