In today’s news, global leaders meet in United Arab Emirates to collaborate on initiative to eradicate polio. Recent cyclonic storms and monsoon floods in Southeast Asia cause billions of US dollars in damage, UK reveals selected projects of InnovateUkraine green energy program, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan grant pardons for national days, courageous cop in New York, USA, saves choking baby, Spanish functional food ingredient producer announces pea protein-based egg replacer for baking, and rescued dog-person in United States brings new purpose to dad with dementia.
I have a handy tip for you. Did you know there are certain tests you can perform to determine your plant’s health? The first is the fingernail test. For this, scratch a small area of the bark using your fingernail. If the scratch exposes green tissue, then the stem is alive. Brown tissue indicates that a portion of the stem is dead. For the “bend-but-don’t-break test,” lightly bend the stem around a finger. If the stem is flexible, it’s alive. If it breaks, it’s dead at that section. For the “good bud/bad bud” test, examine the leaf and flower buds. If you see plump buds starting to swell, this indicates the stem made it through the winter. If the buds appear wilted, droopy and off-color like brown or black, pluck one off and press it between your thumb and finger. If it crumbles, it’s dead. If there is dead growth at the top of the stems, trim the stems back until you’ve reached the first visible green growth. If there isn’t any new growth apparent, keep on trimming the stems back a third of their length until there is green tissue. Please keep in mind that although these tests are useful, they are not foolproof.
And now we’d like to add some more cheer to your day with a joke called “Sleepy Crowd.”
Gracie and her father, Chuck, rushed into the movie theater complex, laughing and chatting as they hurried toward the auditorium’s entrance. Suddenly, a theater attendant stepped in front of them.
“Excuse me— the movie started 15 minutes ago. Please walk in quietly so you don’t disturb anyone.”
“Wow, already? Has everyone fallen asleep that fast?”
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