巻柏食害 Selaginella suffered pest damage

2014.7.13
10日程留守にして帰ってみると，巻柏の様子がおかしい。幾つもの鉢で，新芽がぶっちぎれたようになっている。なんじゃこりゃ〜 

I came back home after about ten day's absence, and found my selaginella looked strange.  In many pots new leaves were cutaway miserably.  WTF??!!

ナメクジ? ナメクジ駆除薬撒いてみた。
そういえばこないだ珍しく多めに肥料をやったな，あれかも?　そうだとすると植え替えかなぁ・・・。
googって見ると，ヨトウムシという説も出ていた。 

"Was this done by slug?", asking myself I poured pesticide for slugs.
"Wait a minute, I gave a little larger amount of fertilizer than usual.  Was it the cause?  If so I have to replant them."  Then, I googled, and found there are articles about armyworms.

夜，蚊が襲ってくるのも構わず懐中電灯で巡回すると。ナメは居ないが，一つの鉢の上にヨトウムシ一匹がドカンと乗っていた。この野郎と，そいつは掴んで踏み潰した。

At night ignoring attacks of mosquitoes, I surveyed the pots with a hand torch.  There were not slug, but on one pot were a armyworm.  "Take this and die!", I stomped on it.

物置を探すと，STゼンターリ顆粒水和剤というのがありヨトウムシ・青虫等に効くと書いてある。普通は葉に付いている虫に使うのでダインという展着剤と混ぜて使うのだが，今回は土中にいるやつだし，葉にベタッと着くのは巻柏にあまりよくなさそうなので，単体で全部の鉢に青虫ヨトウムシ用の殺虫剤をジョボジョボにぶっかけてやった。どうだ，ザマァミロ。

Searching a storage, I found another pesticide that is effective for armyworms.  Usually, this is used for worms on leaves, so mixed with filming agent.  But, in this case the worms are mostly in soil and I thought the sticky agent might be bad for selaginella leaves, and decided to use it by itself.  Mixed with water, I poured a lot.  "Do you like it?  M.F.!!"   

翌朝一匹のヨトウムシが鉢の上で死んでいるのを発見。
Next morning, there found one dead worm.

午後にはもう二匹の死体。しかし，一匹の蛾が飛び去っていった。あいつは蛹になっていて生き残ったのかと勝手に決める。戦いは続く。

In the afternoon two more, but one adult moth flew away that I assumed just emerged from a cocoon.  So, the battle continues.

毎日水やりをするので薬の効果も薄れるだろうと，翌週にも撒いた。薬が無くなってしまったので，新たに買い増しに行った。住友化学のサイトによると撒いた薬は，葉っぱに付いているのに効果大のようだ。他にも二種類効く薬がある。 一つはデナポン5%ベイト。名前の通り，土の上に置くと，土中の虫がおびき寄せられて食べて死ぬらしい。
I applied it next week, thinking as I water every day, the efficacy would diminish.  I used up most of the stocks, so I went to buy more.  According to the site of Mumitomo chemical garden product, the pesticide I used is most effective for the worms on leaves.  There I found two more that are effective to armyworms.  One is a kind of Carbaryl bait.  As the name shows, it attracts worms in the soil and kill them.

それから，定番のオルトラン。これは土中の虫も殺すが，植物が根から吸い込み，その葉を食べた虫も死ぬ，という薬だ。これを切らしていたのも敗因だな。
And, standrad Orthoran.  This kills worms in the soil, and also kills worms that eat the plants since plants absorbs and store in their body.  I should have kept this in my stocks and applied regularly.

　

少しだけ核兵器持っている人の気持がわかったような気がした。
I felt like I can understand the people who keep on owning nuclear weapons.

メダカが消えた 水槽レイアウト変更(その4) Rice fish vanished. Aquarium layout was changed. - four

2014.7.18
約一ヶ月が過ぎて，水が随分澄んできたぞ。
ということで，魚を追加してみた。
一昨日にネオンテトラ10匹とメダカ色々10匹。

After about a month, the water got cleaner and cleaner.
So, I added some fish.
The day before yesterday, I put ten neon tetra and ten rice fish.

一日は皆元気だったが，翌日にはメダカが一匹しか残っていない。
前からいるのと新しいのと一匹づつだ。いつもメダカはこうなる。今回は水合わせに随分注意したのに・・・

On the day, they were fine.  However, next day there was only one rice fish.
There were one that had been there, and one of the news.  This happened before, so this time I took very long time to adjust water.  But,...

今更ながらネットを調べたら，多分だが，思い当たるのは水流。この水槽は，大きいし水草が多いので結構強い水流にしてある。水流が強い水槽は苦手らしい。
皆さん小学校の理科を思い出してもらうと，メダカは水流に逆らって泳ぐ習性がある。どうやら，水流が強いと泳ぎ疲れて死んじゃうらしい。トホホ。
では生き残っている2匹は，競泳選手?それとも怠惰な性格?

At last, I searched the internet, and found one possible cause that is stream.  This tank is big and have a lot of plants, I keep the stream rather strong.  It is said that rice fish cannot take strong current.
We are taught in the elementary school that rice fish has nature of swimming against currents.  If current is strong, it is said, they continue swimming hard until they die.  OMG.
Then the surviving two are race swimmers, or just lazy guys?

それでメゲないのが私の性格。今日は，アルビノグローライトっちゅうのを20匹買ってきた。これはテトラだから大丈夫かな。しかし，小さいから大きいのに食われてしまわないことを祈る。

However, it is my character that do not give up there.  Today, I bought twenty albino growlights.  These would be OK since they are one of tetras.  But, still small, I wish they won't be eaten by the others.

その時気づいたのは，やたらバルーンXXXという魚が増えていること。この水槽にも丸く膨らんだのがいるが，それが色々いた。バルーン・モーリー，バルーン・モンク・ホーシャ，バルーン・スマトラ・・・。何だか遺伝子組み換えの香りがするなぁ。イヤダイヤダ。
I noticed at the fish shop that there are many fish named as balloon something.  There are one species in my tank, but many kinds there.  Like balloon molly, balloon moenkhausia, balloon sumatra, etc.  I am afraid they are artificially gene mixed.  Horrible, horrible.

枝刈り Pruning

2014.7.18
西洋サイカチと自分で思っている木がある。某所で種を拾ってきて撒いたのが二本だけ生き残っているんだ。
I have two trees that I believe are honeylocusts, or Fabaceae Gleditsia.  The reason I say "I believe" is, I grew them from seeds that I picked up at somewhere.

生えていた所ではビルの5階くらいまで伸びていたから，放っておくととんでもないことになる。 時々切っているのだが，この季節は成長が早い。
今朝起きたとき二階の窓から見て気づいた，「二階の屋根より高く伸びてるのは不味いよな・・・」。隣の庭にもぐいっと張り出しているのも失礼だし，剪定することにした。 日除けとしても重宝しているので，あまり下の方でなく，上の方で切りたい。
They were about the height of five floor building there, they grow horribly if left as they are.  I cut from time to time, but they grow fast in this season.
When I wake up, and noticed the hight looking through the window upstairs.  "It is not good to let them grow taller than the roof of the second floor."  They also, hang above the garden of the next door rudely.  I decided to prune on the day.  I must cut them at the high positions since we are using them as sun shade, too.

そういう時に役立つのが，Wolf gartenの高枝処理道具。
In these occasions, the tools from Wolf Garten are useful.

ポールに鋏を挿して，鋏から垂れ下がる長い紐を下から引くと切れる。かなり太い枝も切れる。原始的な仕組みだが，性能は凄い。 全部伸ばすと3mになり，鋏も結構な重さがあるので，支えているだけで結構な筋トレにもなる。 今回はノコギリは使わずに済んだが，もっと太い枝を切るにはこれも役に立つ。 切った後の枝がこれだ。
Pushing the scissors into the extension pole, and pulling the wire have the scissors cut branches.  They can cut fairly thick branches.  Very effective.  The pole extends to three meters, and the scissors are fairly heavy, so only keeping them can be a good muscle training.  This time I did not need to use the saw, but when I had to cut thicker branches, this works good.
These are pruned branches.

葉っぱは，別に分けて堆肥にする。
Leaves were separated to be compost.

このメーカを初めて知ったのは，もう何年も前，蓼科のバラクラ・イングリッシュガーデンの売店だった。 片言の日本語でドイツから来た若者が販売していた。 その時はセールの枝切り鋏。太い枝がバシバシ切れるのに感動して買った。 翌年もやはりセールで芝刈りばさみを買った。これも今でも使っている。 値段は少々高いが高性能は作業も楽になり，代え難い。
I met this brand for the first time years before at a shop at Barakuraa English Garden in Tateshina resort.  A young German man with smattering of Japanese were selling their products.  I bought a pruning scissors at sale, since they cut thick branches real smoothly.  Next year, a lawn scissors.  I use them often even now.  The price are a little expensive, but they make my work really easier, and cannot be expendable.

高枝関係は，それまであった高枝鋏が短すぎるということで，買ったのだが，この時は通販だった。
I bought the tools to prune high branches, when I found the one I had owned were too short by net shopping.

本題とは違うが，切った枝を整理している時，左腕にチクっと痛みが走った。持っていた枝を見るとやはりイラムシだ。
辺を色々探して仲間を見つけた。10倍返しだ!!!
Departing from the subject, my left arm felt strong sting when I was processing the pruned branches.  I found a limacodidae on a leaf on a branch that I had.
Searching around, I found many of them.  Ten times revenge!!!

水槽レイアウト変更(その3) Aquarium layout was changed. - three

2014.6.21
一週間たって濁りは少し良くなった。ここで，とどめと水を入れ替えた。
一段と澄んだ。またこれで様子を見ようか。
しかし，土の上の物を少しいじるとまた濁りが出るのでため息。

A week has passed.  The haziness came better.  To finish off, I changed most of  the water, again.  Much better than last week.  I would see how it will be.
However, if I touch something on the soil the smoke of mud rises easily.  Sigh...

水槽レイアウト変更（その2）Aquarium layout was changed. - two

2014.6.17
日曜日 朝になっても水槽の濁りはあまり回復しない。
暫く様子を見てから工事再開の予定であった。その時のために，前面のゴロ石はあるが、珪化木は足りない。取り敢えず、もっと適する石を三貴に探しに行くことにした。 三貴で見回ると、そうだ、薄い敷石があったことに気付いた。探すと昨日の珪化木より良いサイズでしかも薄い敷石を幾つか発見。薄いほうが軽いし、土に差し込むのが大変という問題の軽減策になるだろう。 矢作砂利も迷ったが、一袋の量が多すぎるので、取り敢えず敷石4枚買って帰った。
Next day, Sunday morning, the cloud in the water had not gotten better much.  I was thinking to continue the work after watching the situation for a while.  For the rest of the work I had enough rough stones to display the front row, but not enough plate stones for stopping the soil in the back.  For the time being, I thought and went out to Miki flower center to look for some proper stones.  After strolling there a while, I reminded myself that there sold several types of thin plate stones for paving purposes.  Examining some of them, I found the larger and thinner stones better than the ones I used yesterday.  Thinner stones are lighter and they would be easier to push into the hard soil.  I hesitated for a while whether to buy Yahagi gravels as display stones, but decided not to for the timebeing since the size of the pack was too big, and bought only four thin paving stones.

材料が揃うと、やってみたくなるのが人情。 水が綺麗になってからまた汚すのも癪と思え始めた。しかし、昨日の反省もしないといけない。土掬いの大変さ改善するは、アルミ土掬いを使う事にした。プラよりずっと薄く鋭いので、土に食い込むし、根位は切れる。 少々気が逸り、水抜きもしないで、バケツを用意して、工事にかかった。横方向の石を差し込む。昨日よりは入るが思ったほど楽ではない。クソっという感じで土を掬う。水が抜いて無いので全部ドロドロ。何も見えなくなった時点でまた反省。 ポンプを止めて、土を搔い出した所に魚を誘導しながら水を抜く。できるだけ抜いて、残りの土を掘り出す。 バケツが一杯になると、セラミックだけ再利用のために洗いゴミ袋に移し、また再開。
一応，全面全ての土を取り除き，薄石を立てた。水を少しづつ元の量まで戻したが浄化槽まで濁ってしまったので，水槽の濁りはあまりよろしくない。
After readying all materials needed, it is human nature to feel like starting the work.  Moreover it would be annoying to dirty the water after it would get cleaned.  However, I needed to review the yesterday's flaw.  I would use metal scooper to improve scooping hardened mud.  It is much sharper, and would be easier to bite into the mud and cut roots of the plants.  Not being able to hold my horses, I started as soon as I prepared a bucket.  First I pushed paving stones into the soil laterally.  It is better than yesterday, but not so easy.  Swearing, I dug mud.  Since I omitted draining water, the water got muddy soon.  When it came I could not see anything inside, I reconsidered, stopped the water pump, and drained water while guiding fish into the deep area created yesterday.  Draining water as much as possible, I restarted digging.  When the bucket got full, I separated ceramic stones from mud for future use, and started digging again.  At long last I succeeded to remove the soil and place stones as I planned.  After I filled water as it was, but since I dirtied the water purifying tank, water is very cloudy as the pictures below.

続く
To be continued.

あんた，住所書いてくれとるかね? Have you written your address? - 巻柏展 Selaginella exhibition

2014.6.28
昨晩会社同期入社の会から酔って帰って寝ようとすると，妻が「カレンダーにイワヒバと書いてあるよ〜」と教えてくれた。ああそうだ，半年に一度の日本巻柏連合会愛知支部の巻柏展示即売会だった。
When I came back from a party among the colleagues that jointed the company same year and about to go to bed, my wife said, "It looks like you wrote 'selaginella' on a calendar."  Oh, yes, the next day it would be a selaginella exhibition and sales event by the Japan Selaginella society Aichi branch once every half year.
昨日はキリンシティだったので，飲み放題のビールを卑しく散々呑んだ。その割りには，朝はそれなりにスッキリ目覚めた。最近習慣のヘパリーゼも飲んでないのに，飲む前のピスタチオ爆食いと途中の水入りのどちらかが効いたかな。
兎に角，朝食済ませて，渋滞の道路に嵌りながら庄内緑地公園グリーンプラザに辿り着いた。
The party yesterday were held at one of the "Kirin city", and we drank a lot of beer of "drink as much as you can".  However, I wake up well refreshed next morning, even though I did not drink "Hepalise".  I wondered it was because I ate pistachio a lot, or drank several glasses of water during party.
Anyway, finishing breakfast, I arrived at Green Plaza of Shonai green park after suffering several traffic jams.
先ずは先輩たちの丹精込めて育てた大物を拝見する。
At first, I had honor of appreciating the big ones by senior members.
金龍。
Gold Dragon.

金龍　Gold Dragon

比較のために自分の鉢の写真を並べて見るが，同じ種類とは思えない。特に今年は去年の葉が枯れていってしまい，チクチクのウニみたいになってしまっている。（泣）
For comparison, I attached pictures of my pots of same species, but no way they look like the same species.  Especially this year, the leaves from last year were dead, and they look like stubble or sea urchins.  :-(  

玉宝。
Jewell Treasure.

玉宝 Jewell Treasure

我が家の子株。左の写真はまあまあに見えるが，実は右の写真のように枯れた所があるのよ。何でこうなるのかな?
Small pots of mine.  The left picture looks OK, but actually like a picture on the right part of the leaves are dead.  Why?

これは持っていない種類。子株を買おうかとも思ったが，新種なので値段が高い。また今度ね。
This is a species that I do not own.  I thought to buy a small ones, but since it is new species and the price is high.  I will think about that next time.

これも新種の近江大黄。これは黄色があまりに綺麗なので高かったけど，ちいちゃいのを買っちゃいました。
This is also new one.  I could not stop buying a small one since this yellow color is too fabulous even though the price is rather high.

次は守門龍。自分の右側も子株としては一応それらしいかな?
Next one is Gate Keeper Dragon.  Mine on the right looks OK as a small one, isn't it?

守門龍
Gate Keeper Dragon.

ということで，この二鉢をご購入。左は黄金之華，右は近江大黄。我が家にはない黄金組だ。

After all, these two were what I bought.  The right is Golden flower, and the right is Ohmi Great Yellow.  Those yellow group were not in my collection.

ここで，タイトルの話だが，会場であれこれ話をしていたら，係のおじさんから「あんた，住所書いてくれとるかね?」と訊かれた。彼の意味した所は，展示会の案内等を送ってくれるリストに住所を書いたことがあるかということ。私がここに来るたびに誰かにこれを訊かれるので，直ぐ判る。私はダイレクトメールのメンバーのみならず，愛知支部の正式会員だ。しかし，私の参加するのはこの半年ごとの展示会だけなので，誰も私の名前も顔も覚えていない。熱心な会員は毎月自分たちのコレクションをオークションしたりする会合に集まっているらしい。「書いたよ。私しゃ会員だよ，一度っきゃ金払ってないけど。」と私。「ありゃ，会員さん(『きゃーいんさん』という発音)かね。こりゃあ失礼しました。でも会費は払ってもらわないかんわ。はい2,500円」とおじさん。会費を払うと，下の写真のような全国巻柏連合会発行の銘鑑と会報をくれた。この銘鑑は一見格好良いのだが，デカイのでしまうのに困るというのが本心だが，まあ一応ありがたく貰っておく。会報の中に自分の名前も載っているので少々嬉しくなる。
Now, talking about the title of this article, when I talked with gentlemen taking care of the event, one of the guy asked, "Have you written your address?"  What he meant was if I registered on their direct mail list to distribute notification of the exhibit and things.  I knew this since every time I came one of them would ask this same question.  I am not only a DM member, but a registered member of the Aichi branch.  But, since all I appeared were these half-yearly exhibitions and nothing more, they could not memorize my name or face.  Many enthusiastic members get together monthly for an auction of their collections.   "Yes, I have.  Actually I am a member of Aichi branch, but I have paid only once," I answered.  "Ah, sorry.  You are a member.  But, you have to pay member fee every year that is 2,500 yen, thank you," he said.  They gave me a copy of Selaginella Directory and an annual report.  The directory is issued every year listing the years prized species and newly registered species.  It looks nice but it is large and frankly speaking I have trouble to store.  Anyway, I thanked.  Inside the annual report my name was listed and that made me delighted.

会場で，銘品集も売っていたが数年前の物を持っているので，今年はパスした。持ってない人にはお勧めだよ。
This book was sold at the site. Since I have a copy of a few years ago, I passed this year. If you don't have one, I would recommend to read.

ついでに，最近あまりUPしていなかったので，我が家の巻柏の全景など。
Taking this opportunity, I upload pictures of my selaginella collections that I haven't recently.
これは半日陰の組。
These are placed in half shady area.

こちらがメインの組。今日買ってきた黄金組が目立っている。よしよし。
These are of a main group.  The golden ones that were bought today are appealing.  Good!

水槽レイアウト変更（その1）Aquarium layout was changed - one

2014.6.17
少し前にpinterestであった水槽レイアウトに惹かれた。 手前側少しが殆ど砂無し。玉石で後景との間が段差になり、手前には小石と砂が少々。後景にはグランドカバー状にモスかグロッソのような植物が植わり、手前に少し垂れている。 どこかコンテストの優秀作品らしい。自然の川にありそうな光景だ。

A few weeks ago, one picture of aquarium in PINTEREST attracted me.  There is little sand and few small stones at front side.  Round stones are piled to border much more soil in the back side and front side.  The back sand is covered with moss or maybe some low height plants, and they are hanging on the border stones.  This seems to be a prized layout at one contest.  It looks like the scean you can find in a natural river.

参考にした水槽の写真
The picture of aquarium I used as a model

真似しようと思った。
I decided to mimic.

今、全面の土と水槽の間が藍藻の繁殖地になっている問題の対策にもなる。 数年前まで水槽中に繁茂していた藍藻の生き残りだ。藍藻はオキシドールで面白いように退治できたが，土中の物は完全に退治できない。増えるとオキシドールを注射するの繰り返し。水槽前面は光が当たるので藍藻の好みの環境になるのだろう。全面から土を除けば少なくとも目につくことはなくなる。
しかし、後ろの土砂を上手く堰き止めるのにはどうするか？今の水槽の底土をどう取り除くか等課題は色々あった。
Now, my tank has a problem; inside surface of the tank under the soil, there is a lot of cyanobacteria living that is the remains of when all tanks were covered with it a few years ago.  Cyanobacteria can be easily abolished by directly pouring hydrogen peroxide solution sold at a pharmacy.  However, the one in the soil is hard to kill completely.  It has been the repetition of "when they grow, I inject."   The layout solves the problem.  I guess the reason they grow there is that light from outside illuminate the front side of the tank.  If I remove soil from the front side they cannot stay there any more.
Still, there were unsolved issues like how to stop the soils falling from the back side, and how to remove soils without much mess, etc.

うちの水槽の底土は、ADAのソイル等を10年以上前に敷いた上にセラミックの砂利が乗っている。厚さは15cm位ある。出来るだけ泥水にしないで、しかも手抜きで行きたい。 うちのはクリプト水槽だから、それに合う雰囲気も必要。 今手持ちの石の関係もあり、上流のゴツゴツ石を使うことにした。過去の旅行等の収穫でストックは充分。 
しかし、土留めの方法、工法はどうするか？うちの底土は半端なことではどんどん崩れそうだ。水の中で生き物も暴れるし、キチンと留めないといけない。 はじめ、透明プラ板を差し込んで前から石で押える計画が浮かんだ。薄板なら土にぐっと差し込んで前の土を除きながら石で押えられそうだ。複数枚に分けてやれば作業も楽そう。
でもなあ、なるべく人工物は使いたくない。 では、薄板の石で押える。これならいいか。先日買ったばかりの珪化木の薄板もある。
The soil of my tank is ADA soil laid more than ten years ago covered with newer ceramic stones on top.  The thickness is about fifteen cm.  I would have liked to remove the soil without creating mud water as little as possible and easy.  My tank is mostly crowded with cryptocoryne, so it needs a design that fits to the plants.  Thinking about stones that I already had had, I decided to use rough cornered stones that you can find at upper stream.  Since I had been collecting those, I had enough store.
But, how should I stop soil from corrupting?  The soil there must be well covered to prevent the fall, since creatures inside would disturb the surface frequently.  First, I thought of using transparent plastic plates.  Using thin plates makes it easy to push them into the soil before removing soil in front.  If I use several split plates, the work would be not so hard.  But, I kind of do not prefer to use artificial stuffs.  Then, use thin stones.   That would make it.  I had several thin silicified wood plates that I bought about a month ago.

6.14土曜日　部分的に試した。水を減らして浄化槽を切り離し、石を差し込んで右1/4位の土を除く。土はホースで水と一緒に吸い出せば水もあまり汚れないという虫のいい計画だったが、セラミックの砂利がホースに詰まる、土は長年の圧力で塊になっていて出て来ない、と失敗。仕方なく原始的に土掬いで掻い出す。土は硬いは、クリプトの根が絡まるはで、もう水はドロドロ。部分試行でも土はバケツ一杯、しかし何とか目的を達して、この日は水を満たして完了。水は白く濁っている。
June 14, Saturday.  I conducted a partial trial work.  Reducing water as much as not killing fish inside, separating the water flow between water-purifying tank, I started to remove the soil in a quarter portion of the front of the tank.  The plan had been a easy and clean one to drain the soil with water through a water hose used as a siphon.  Soon it revealed, however, as a big failure; the soil was too much hardened through the pressure in more than ten years, the ceramic stones choked the hose, and only thing came out was water.  Without any other choice, I started to scoop out the soil by a plastic soil scooper.  The work was harder than I anticipated since soil was harder than I thought, the roots of cryptocoryne obstructed the scooper, and the water became just mud.  A water bucket was filled with the soil only this partial trial, but anyway I fulfilled the initial objective, and concluded the day's work by filling up the tank with water again.  The water was white and cloudy.  

続く
To be continued.