jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Apr 30, 2013 12:03:57 GMT -5
This is actually the european yellow Iris Psuedocorus.A monster hybrid that was being grown to treat sewage in California.Great for the job,it gets huge at 8 feet,gobbles lots of pollution,reseeds easily,and is evergreen so that it can gobble Californian pollution 365 days a year.Got it 17-18 years ago and sold it every year since. It is close to 7 feet tall as you see it.Forgive the mess,the pond needs trimming and weeding(including the 12 foot gums that came up yesterday:>  The bamboo is shooting.The spike in the lower center did come up yesterday.Bamboo grows to full height in 30 days=1 cycle of moon(some 2 cycles).It's not there any more,i ate it. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2013 13:00:23 GMT -5
This struck me as too funny. Literally LOL!!
How does the iris gobble pollution?? Where does the pollution go??
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Apr 30, 2013 13:23:43 GMT -5
From about 1995 to 2003 a large movement was made to use plants to scavenge pollutions out of water.
A good example was Milan Tennessee-ammunitions plant in the 40's.I think they pumped unstable compounds w/high nitrate into the water table.Pretty much destroyed the ground water.They were pumping the whole bloody water table up 90 feet and letting it fall thru giant charcol filters!Hundreds of wells everywhere-a big mess.They were looking for cheaper alternate water treatment method so they hired TVA,local colleges.One college hired me to build treament ponds and pick the plants i thought would be most efficient,easy to grow,active year round etc.So they could pump the nitrate rich water thru man made wetlands to let the plants gobble it up and create natural habitat bla bla.I've planted other situations-egg shell pollution,dead chicken pollution,copper mine,aluminum mine,cow and chicken crap,things we do not want to mention,petrol and a many catchment ponds for parking lot pollution.Ammoniates,nitrates,phosphates are easy-the plant converts those to organics as fertilizer.Copper and aluminum must be dosed to keep from killing the artificial wetland.
I was wetland man when this activity started back then and was being used as a consultant haha imagine that.I made a lot of $$$.
Google 'constructed wetlands'-you didn't know this Scott?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2013 13:55:53 GMT -5
Nope. It seems turning nitrates and phosphates into plants is a good idea.
But metals? Taken from the ground/water into a plant is fine, but it's still in the plant. Pollution still exists, it is just in a different place!
I was hoping to hear that they then harvested the plant matter, turned it to ash and smelted the metals out.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Apr 30, 2013 15:30:41 GMT -5
No but they do harvest the plants in many arrangements and compost them.The metals become absorbable(cheleated?) to a degree but takes a lot of acres to do metals.Yes,pollution still exists but in this case a more friendly form.But you would have to cover the earth to get copper and aluminum out of the system.Essentially youare right.It is an attempt.
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Post by Pat on Apr 30, 2013 15:43:20 GMT -5
YOU ate a sewer iris???
Taste?
Bryozoans for dessert?
Yikes!!!
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Apr 30, 2013 18:54:45 GMT -5
Harvested for compost - yes
Harvested for consumption - no
The byrozoans may not be to bad....i can send you some:>
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Post by Pat on Apr 30, 2013 19:01:49 GMT -5
I think I misunderstood. You ate the new bamboo shoot.
I like your fossilized bryozoans, but for a pet, I'll stick to my little cat, Annabelle.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Apr 30, 2013 19:06:12 GMT -5
That's funny.I was not clear.Yes yes it was the bamboo shoot,Pat.P.Viridis,it was not too acridic,better cooked.
I am happy that a bryozoans are not appetizing to you.It is a good thing.
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