Friday, July 16, 2010

SAHARAN DUST IN ME GARDEN

FOR  some time I have noticed spots of what looks like dust on many leaves in the garden.  Always, after it rains.

In the beginning the color/texture of it, made me think of volcanic dust from Monserrat, but it is not. It is the Saharan kind.

It would be nice if our nature pundits start investigating and notifying of the effect on flora and fauna, in the garden context.

Your intercontinental, humble servant has noticed unusual amount of slugs/snails as mentioned in previous post.


I decided to do a little research hoping that others, gardeners and readers would
do likewise.  Below is the result.  Not a big deal since I live in land, but not so good for fish life.


The Eastern Atlantic ocean  is characterized by large phytoplancton blooms; the source of iron is the aeolian dust that blows off the coast of Africa from the Sahara desert.

Replete with nitrogen, phosphorous and iron, among other nutrients, the dust essentially acts as a fertilizer to stimulate the production of large blooms.

   In consequence, algae grows wild and fast, as in steroids depleting the available oxygen, killing every other
form of life in the ocean.


If interested,
Natural Iron Fertilization:
Sahara Dust Storms Stimulate Huge
Plankton Blooms
in threehugger.com 

If you enjoy bananas and plantains...A similar problem caused Chiquita and United Fruit to migrate where the USA,
has no power to control the huge amounts of phosphates used to cultivate them. Central and South America.  These fertilizers create the same problem mentioned in fresh water.

BACK IN THE STUDIO

The papaya tree, decided to pass away after the harvest.  17 total. Mostly 3 pounders.  I left two riping in the trunk for the garden birds and other visitors.

There have been some relocations.  The Bouganvillea in the left side of the west garden, creates deep shade in what used
to be a little hell.

Eucharia, Alocasia cucculata, Rhoeo spathacea, dwarf Sanseveria and Plectranthus amboinicus are now residing in the area.

Let the record show that, when designing a garden for mostly sunny conditions, in two years the situation will change completely with increasing  amounts of shade.  You will have to remove/add some vegetation accordingly.
That is that. Apaga i vamonos...

1 comment:

  1. Real y contunden_temente lo màs hermoso de todo su florido blog es esa cosa que està ut suprisima,
    De un intenso color fuccia, donde las mañanas sobre o debajo de ella, son intensas con mate en mano planteando asuntos pre-socràticos...ja!!!
    Si los sures,los nortes y los oestes condicen en nombres al azar que solo son caprichos de ciencias LEnguìsticas dirìa que es una SANTA RITA.Y terminado el tema,,,està bautizada
    Placer saber sigue respirando, que es demasiado en este mundo que dejarà tal vez inspirar y expirar libremente a su siempre florecido y renovado placer.
    Adeuses maco -
    el sur?
    ehhhhh? aires de tonterìas INCONFUNDIBLES

    ReplyDelete

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