Garden in a bottle, anyone?

[Playinghardball]

This miniature ecosystem has been thriving in an almost completely isolated state for more than forty years. It has been watered just once in that time.

The original single spiderwort plant has grown and multiplied, putting out seedlings. As it has access to light, it continues to photosynthesize. The water builds up on the inside of the bottle and then rains back down on the plants in a miniature version of the water cycle.
As leaves die, they fall off and rot at the bottom producing the carbon dioxide and nutrients required for more plants to grow.

Found on the I fucking love science Facebook

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. That is truly remarkable. Love it! n/t

[niyad]

2. k and r--that is really a find

[pengillian101]

3. Wow.

That's pretty cool. Thanks for posting.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

4. great. where am I gonna find a bottle that big?

cause I gotta do that

edit: found an article
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/science/biology/article3667780.ece

[REP]

5. Look for Wardian bottles or Wardian garden supplies

[Brother Buzz]

7. What you need to score is a fine old glass carboy

Plastic ones are easy enough to land, but used glass carboys are still out there. Expect to pay five dollars used. Brand new glass carboys can be had for $25.

[Earth_First]

22. Yep. Readily available in homebrew shops...

Some bottled water delivery companies used to carry them, however I feel that is probably far from the norm nowadays.

[Brother Buzz]

23. Homebrew shops also have the six-and-a-hald gallon acid bottles....

with the screw top. They have no embossing lines and are optically really clean.

[femmocrat]

6. I have a big bottle, but where do I get a spiderwart plant?

I used to have a terrarium back in the 70s when they were popular.

[quaker bill]

8. I believe it is commelina diffusa

a common lawn weed in these parts, but it has pretty blue flowers.

[secondvariety]

16. And it turns pink

if gamma rays are present. I really like spiderwort.

[japple]

14. If you want to pay shipping, I can send you a truckload in the summer. It invades

my flowerbeds, lawn, etc. It is a pretty plant, but gets a bit bossy.

[sad-cafe]

9. That is really cool.

I have no knack for plants. To me, that is really amazing.

[RebelOne]

10. I would definitely love to have it.

I do not have a green thumb and forget to water my plants, so that would be ideal for me.

[Plucketeer]

11. Take the cork out

so the "rainfall" can shift to somewheres else - put a floodlamp about three feet away from it - and watch a fast track demonstration of climate change.

[Scairp]

12. It's a terrarium

Didn't anyone ever make one as a kid? We have two sitting on the end table in our t.v. room and they are over a year old. Geez....

[BumRushDaShow]

17. This one has apparently been going for 40 years undisturbed. n/t

[pinboy3niner]

18. I made one 40 years ago

Using a glass Sparkletts water bottle I picked up at a swap meet. Unfortunately, I don't have it now--I gave it away when I moved across the country.

But I'd like to think that someone kept it going, and that it's still going strong today.

[rickford66]

19. Yup

Built them in grade school back in the early 50's.

[aikoaiko]

13. I've done the same thing multiple times.

With mold and leftover dinner in tupperware.

A complete ecosystem for sure.

[tavernier]

15. snort

But yes, as stated above, terrariums were very popular some years back. Unfortunately, my skill as a gardener guaranteed a quick demise to this little self-contained eco system.

[another_liberal]

20. I'll bet . . .

I'll bet the other side of the bottle looks like crap. He's just showing us the prettiest part.

[Walk away]

21. This would not be a very good project for me....

I cannot leave well enough alone!