Native botanicals

[mort]

I'll start by saying I'm cheap, if I can make it or collect it I'm happy and I've been thinking about botanical decorations. I love the selection of little seed pods and leaves on tannin aquatics but was looking for possible replacements from our shores.
I already use alder cones for the benefits of catappa leaves, oak and beach leaves for leaf litter and various woods but was wondering if anyone uses other things to add interest.

Appreciate any ideas you guys might have.

 

[tam]

This is an idea rather than something I've tried, but maybe hazel nut husks? Unlike a lots of nuts, no toxic warnings, they decompose slowly looks like they are used in as top dressing in garden, but with the note they are low in nutrients. Also looks like there are some scientific papers exploring their use for absorbing heavy metals.

Is grape safe? The curly tendrils are interesting shapes - not sure how long they would last. That reminds me, need to prune mine!

 

[zozo]

Acorn caps, also collected them and used them in the tank.. 🙂 I think even pine cones are ok, even pine needles can be used tho these are not realy decorative but definitively add the wanted humic substances. Look up @Nelson biotop tank, i remember he has some good looking alternatives in there. Also Banana leaves if i'm correct. For the other dried tree fruits he has in there i don't know the name. But also seen these dried tree fruits as terrarium decoration.

And sometimes even in the garden centre at the DIY dry flower arrangements accessoires.. But here you need to ask if they are untreated, usualy they are, but you never know.. If you find them used i wouldn't dare, some dry flower arrangement makers use hairspray to conserve their creations.

This is from Neils tank.. 🙂 Seems he threw in complete Acorns
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/nelsons-low-tech-asian-blackwater.46145/page-2#post-475988


What the big nuts are i don't know, the rolled up sticks are Banana plant leaves i guess.

 

[G H Nelson]

I don't think Pine Cones are usable!
There was a thread on here a few weeks ago https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/pine-cone.51747/#post-509071
Darrel
Quote "It probably still had a lot of resins and oils in it. <"Turpentine"> was originally obtained from Pine trees."
hoggie

 

[zozo]

I don't think Pine Cones are usable!

I'm not sure, but quoting Prof. Dr. Christian Steinberg and author of this book.
He said in an interview about this subject in relation to aqauriums that they tested about all they got their hands on that can be found in the forest. And that even the Pine Needles they tested did a wonderfull job.. 🙂 So i thought than why not the Cones.

But ok, i'll take your word for it.. Alternatives enough, beter safe then sorry.. Skip the Cones. 🙂

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
You could try <"Beech"> (Fagus sylvatica) fruit, you should find plenty of old cases under any Beech tree (it has to be a tree to fruit), they are pretty persistent and woody.

cheers Darrel

 

[zozo]

Hi all,
You could try <"Beech"> (Fagus sylvatica) fruit, you should find plenty of old cases under any Beech tree (it has to be a tree to fruit), they are pretty persistent and woody.

cheers Darrel

The nuts are edible too.. 🙂 And taste great when roasted over a fire.. We used to have a huge Beech tree in our local forest, it was the largest and oldest tree in there i guess.. It shedded massive amounts of nuts every year. As a kid i always went there to collect a bag of nuts. Unfortunately over 20 ago the tree blew over in a storm. 🙁 But never forgot the delicious nuts. Never again found a beech that big shedding so many nuts worth while gathering.

 

[Nelson]

Acorn caps, also collected them and used them in the tank.. 🙂 .

I've not tried acorns.I have these in there,
https://tanninaquatics.com/collections/aquatic-botanicals/products/dried-pincher-pods-package-of-10
They close up when wet.

the rolled up sticks are Banana plant leaves i guess.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pollywog...638050?hash=item280a8bfc22:g:UMcAAOSwU9xUT5c3

What the big nuts are i don't know,

https://tanninaquatics.com/collecti...roducts/dried-heart-pods-samrong-package-of-3

Hi all,
You could try <"Beech"> (Fagus sylvatica) fruit

That's all I could think off.

Though I've also used Magnolia seed pods.They pack a tannin punch.Guessing you can get them in the UK.
https://tanninaquatics.com/products/dried-magnolia-seed-pods-package-of-2

 

[zozo]

I've not tried acorns.I have these in there,

In this pic i realy thought i saw a Acorn with cap and all. Left side next to the alder cone.


Difinitively an Acorn lookalike. How misleading... 😳 I also had the Banana wrong.. But then i red somewhere else they can be used.

 

[Nelson]

 

[zozo]

View attachment 112980

😱 outrageous

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Never again found a beech that big shedding so many nuts worth while gathering.

They don't produce viable fruit here every year, I assume the summers aren't always warm enough.

Though I've also used Magnolia seed pods.They pack a tannin punch.Guessing you can get them in the UK

Same applies to these you don't always get fruit.

cheers Darrel

 

[mort]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I saw some seed pods from a cytisus broom this morning. Anyone know if they are a bad idea or how I might test them? I can only think of soaking them and seeing if any oily substances form on the water.

 

[mort]

Hi all, They don't produce viable fruit here every year, I assume the summers aren't always warm enough. Same applies to these you don't always get fruit.

cheers Darrel

We have a stand of a dozen or so (20-30m +) beech and they didn't have any fruit this year that I saw.

 

[zozo]

They don't produce viable fruit here every year, I assume the summers aren't always warm enough.

That's indeed so, i found a special bulitin from Nature today 2016.. That year was since 1990 the first time again that the Beech in Western Europe fruited 4 consecutive years.. This year the foresters estimated in one particular monitored forest region a mast production of 4 milion kilo's Acorns but very little Beech nuts.

That tree i mentioned above was so massive and old, i guess even if it only fruited very little it produced a wheelbarrow full of nuts. That was for me the only beech of that size i've ever seen in my life. It was realy heartbreaking to see it laying flat one day. It must have been centuries old. I know that forest is, it likely was always there.

 

[sparkyweasel]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I saw some seed pods from a cytisus broom this morning. Anyone know if they are a bad idea or how I might test them? I can only think of soaking them and seeing if any oily substances form on the water.

You can put some daphnia or cyclops in the water and see if they survive.