We’ve always enjoyed having a few indoor plants around the Hackaday dungeon because they just make the days more cheerful. Apparently there’s a big craze for them right now, which has led to price increases of things like propagation stations — places where cuttings from mature plants go to grow a root system before getting planted in dirt. Many plants will root readily in water, and it’s better for them to start out this way because soil can come with a bunch of problems.
This goes really well with the older craze of Edison-style light bulbs. We’re glad we never bothered with those because [JGJMatt] says they don’t last long at all. The bulbs themselves are really nice looking, so [JGJMatt] decided to turn a few of them into hanging water propagation stations. After cleaning out the bulb and embiggening the opening, [JGJMatt] formed a holder by applying a torch to brass rod. This dulls the brass, so they shined it up with steel wool and some automotive polishing compound. Then it’s time for some simple macrame to hang it with, because it will soon be full of water.
Does the handle sound familiar? It ought to — [JGJMatt]’s elegant builds have graced these pages a few times before.
It´s awesome, what an amazing idea, I´m jealous. The pinnacle of home hacking, it must be so exciting to write about such wonderful hacks. Lucky roots, they were adapted to live in complete darkness, yet they can benefit of a wonderful sun exposition, that must give their apical meristems a bliss! Then when it will be time for potting, they´ll have to squeeze out of this tight – but embigggened – light bulb neck like new born babies. Very clever.
Lucky light bulb too, accessing the status of “propagation station” is not something a simple yogurt pot can pretend to.
After the “pandemic work from home contest” I´m impatient to see the “home decoration” contest. Because for sure there is more than one way to twist a metal wire around a bulb. Oh and the macramé, the macramééé! . So much thrilling possibilities.
u ok?
I’m detecting above-that-noise-floor levels of sarcasm and salt…
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I wonder if HaD has started shadowbanning people yet. It’s when you hide the person’s posts from everyone else, so it looks like they’re getting through but nobody else can read it. Reddit does that.
My thoughts, exactly!
Someone’s been in Covid lockdown a leeeeetle toooo looong…
It is a neat hack and beats the standard “propogating plants in test tubes on the windowsill” routine. Nice job!
+1 for the home decoration contest
That’s pretty cool, reminds me of circuit sculpture with the wire around the globe
The incandescent Edison-style bulbs like that indeed don’t last long, and dump a bunch of carbon on the globe so they get dim fast. (I think they’re technically called something like A25 shape?) But at least “name brand” led versions seem to last pretty well, I’ve got a few years on a set here (ge maybe? Discontinued sadly before I could get a full set, but it was a 90’s style bathroom fixture with way too many bulb sockets anyway, so plenty bright even with a few old dead bulbs left in) with no issues, even with dimming. I have less time on a set of Feit non-dimmable LED ones in a similar fixture, but they have been flawless so far.
It looks much nicer than my trays of mouthwash cups.
This “hack” has been around for years. It’s been 20+ years ago since I and a group of friends propagated plants this way.