To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Lead takes root in urban gardens
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 22:54:06 -0800
Last week there was a short article in the Toronto Globe and Mail
wondering why research done at the University of Guelph in 1999
hadn't been put to use yet. The quotes are presumably from the
research report, but the citation wasn't given.
----------------------------------------
excerpts from Stephen Strauss article "Flower Power Missing"
The lemon-scented geranium "will offer significant improvements to
the environment" because of its "uncanny ability to absorb metal and
organic pollutants."
After the geranium sucked up cadmium, lead, copper and other
poisonous metals from the ground, the soil ... was clean enough to
grow food in.
..... further studies have found they are also good at removing salt.
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The lemon-scented geranium is a small-leaved pelargonium which is
tender to frost, and often grown as a houseplant. It could be grown
outside in the summer. I don't know what one would do with it at the
end of summer when it would presumably be full of heavy metals.
--
Diane Whitehead Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
maritime zone 8
cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually)
sandy soil