Plants need water to survive, but how long can they last without it?
David Latimer, a man from Great Britain, has answered that question with a unique experiment that has been running since 1972.
His small, self-sustaining ecosystem has been living without any additional water for over 50 years, writes WP.
The plant inside remains healthy, and the secret behind its survival lies in how the ecosystem was designed.
In 1972, Latimer created a small garden inside a 45-liter glass bottle. He added soil, manure, and a spider plant, along with a small amount of water.
Since then, no water has been added. The bottle has remained closed, operating as a self-sustaining environment.
The water inside the bottle circulates in a closed loop. It evaporates from the soil, rises, and then condenses inside the bottle, preventing it from escaping.
The plant uses nutrients from the soil, which are replenished by dying plant fragments that fall back into the soil.
There are also bacteria that help in the breakdown of organic matter. The only outside input to this tiny ecosystem is solar energy.
Latimer didn’t start the experiment with the goal of setting a record. He was simply curious to see if it could work.
Since the experiment began, the ecosystem has continued in the same conditions without interruption.
The bottle is placed under the stairs in Latimer’s home, just two meters from a window where the plant gets light.
Every so often, the bottle is rotated so that the plant receives even light exposure.
Latimer knows that his plant will likely outlive him. When he passes, he plans to leave the bottle to his children.
If they are unable to care for it, he intends to donate it to the Royal Botanical Society.
