Posted on 04/15/2014 6:12:22 PM PDT by RoosterRedux
That's a great old David Attenborough video on how trees move water up to great heights. I have been doing a lot of pruning lately and have become fascinated with the plants and trees I have been working on.
Some respond within a day by producing new growth.
Anyway hope you enjoy this.
Here is a follow on video that explains the subject in greater detail. Sort of blew my mind to the extent I could understand it.
The Most Amazing Thing About Trees
Got his show on BBC America right now.
I have a potted tomato plant that I’ve kept going since last fall (enjoyed fresh tomatoes all winter btw). It’s amazing how much water and nutrients it consumes daily (about 1 - 2 quarts depending upon temps).
Interesting
This makes me wonder if a larger carbon footprint is good for trees and simply produces more water in the atmosphere (hence more snow as of late).
He went up there and tried his best.
I was going to go to a Tiger’s game but saw a sign that said Detroit left so I turned around and came home.
LOL...I have had a few uncles that would have joined him if they had only known he was heading that way.;-)
And to think all that complexity is a result of random mutations....
I’ve wondered how come we haven’t come up with a new material that can effectively mimic plants in raising water up to higher levels. Would make for interesting low maintenance wells.
I like Einstein’s “periodic necktie of the elements”...starting at 1:15. Gotta like his hair too.
It works on the same principle as we have improved our educational system, so why can’t an adult read?
See Parkinson’s Law
There is nothing new. Except of course generational ignorance. Which the previous generation uses for their retirement largess.
See “politician” in that thing made of paper that doesn’t come in a soft and absorbent roll. You can steal won from tha libbry
.
On a serious note, this *is* an issue for those of you who live in drought-prone areas. When I lived in TX, I had a mature live oak in my front yard. I had to be very careful about water usage in the summer because of water restrictions and the like, and I didn’t want my yard to dry up and blow away, but in the process of researching how to preserve it, I learned that a mature live oak will pull 300 gallons of water out of the ground every day. So not only was I fighting the heat and lack of rain, but my tree was also sabotaging my attempts to keep my yard alive.
So it came down to whether the shading effect of the tree prevented more evaporation than the amount of water it took from me.
Did the same thing with a thai pepper that lasted 10 years in a pot indoors and produced probably 20 pounds overall.
You can get a lot of plants to live an extended life indoors - some things you have to pollenate by hand such as the tomato by using a q-tip to transfer pollen from one flower to another.
Wow! I've got a bell pepper plant too, same age as the tomato plant. It's loaded now but I'm trying to wait for the weekend before making bunch of stuffed bell peppers.
I've got about a dozen more tomato plants that I'm putting into a hybrid hydroponic system I've been working on. One of those is now invested. I'm thinking I can put the whole plant into a 5 gallon bucket and cover it with water for a hour or so and kill or drive out the ants. The plant should be okay if I don't leave it too long. I don't want to use a pesticide.
I raised these from seeds this winter and they are all blooming now.
About 3 years ago I cut down a cluster of maple trees next to my house that were too large for me to be comfortable with. Now my once dry basement gets wet when we get a big rain. I think the trees had been keeping the water table down.
Can anyone recommend a “thirsty” tree for a replacement that wont send roots through my foundation? I’m at the 45th parallel so it has to be winter hardy.
Spruce or pines would be your best bet for limited root intrusion, IMO.
BOOKbump
Sycamores and Weeping Willows seem to be the best choice for wet areas. Not sure how bad root intrusion is with either, but I know that when planting Live Oak, as long as it’s more than 15 feet from the house, you’re fine. You’ll probably be ok with that distance for either of those, especially if you site the tree well, so it’s between the water flow and your house (it’ll grow towards the water, rather than looking for it under your foundation).
However, do keep in mind that Willows can get pretty darned big, and Sycamores can get downright huge. Also, Sycamores are vulnerable to a fungus that’s been spreading in the US for a while now; it really tears up the tree’s foliage, leaving it looking tattered and ragged.
I’ve always lived in TX. I have a huge live oak and an even larger oak of a different type in my front yard. The St. Augustine grass has died below them both, from a combination of shade and the water syphoned from the yard. We can’t do anything but hand water from 10am-6pm.
In the back yard, I’ve had a major problem with wild grapevine (coincidence... I live in Grapevine TX). Last year I cut through a branch of it that was 3” diameter, hoping to kill off some that was growing beyond that point. ....There must have been several gallons of clear water that poured out the severed branch from both ends! Something to remember if stranded and needing water!!!!
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