crab shells on pomegranate plant
the pomegranate used to hold a special place in the traditional chinese house-holds. most chinese would have a pomegranate shrub growing in a large clay pot outside their house or if they had a small plot of land, it would be growing on the ground near the gate. another name for the pomegranate is chinese apple.
the chinese see the pomegranate as a symbol of fertility - a lot of sons and daughters - and as a promise of faithful offspring to the family. for a baby's one month celebration, some chinese have ang koo kuehs in the shape of a pomegranate.
both the taoist priest and the chinese buddhist monk use a twig from the pomegranate plant for sprinkling blessed water during their rituals.
the chinese offer pomegranates together with mooncakes and dates in moon worship.
some chinese still adhere to this practice of washing their hands or face in a basin of water ,where the pomegranate leaves have been soaked, when they are leaving a wake or a funeral.
i am still trying to figure out the significance of hanging crab shells on the pomegranate shrub. some even tie red ribbons to the branches of the plant.
1 comment:
The crab shell is natural insect repellant. Walmart sell it too.
Quote "Composting shells like crab strengthen plant’s defenses against insect (thus a natural “insecticide”) when added to the soil, by mimicking the presence of chitin creatures like insects. The plant produces small quantities of chitosan, an enzyme that breaks down chitin; it’s like a natural “immunization” for the plants natural defenses in the event an insect or exoskeleton of fungus, or nematode eggs are made of chitin. As chitin, in the form of crab shells or added to the soil through compost, the plant with build up defenses. However, not all fungus or nematode are bad for plants, in fact fungal, bacterial, and nematode diversity are good for soil ecology, as Groundz learned in our most recent compost sample tested at earthfort lab." https://groundzrecycling.wordpress.com/2014/11/21/crab-shells-for-chitin-a-carbohydrate-that-is-a-natural-bug-repellent/
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