第1872期:Gardens Can Suffer From Smoky Air, Too

Wildfire season has begun in many places around the world. The dangerous smoke wildfires produce can spread far and wide. It blocks sunlight, poisons the air, and damages health of people and other living things. Some of those living things could be the plants in your garden, says gardening expert Jessica Damiano. She writes gardening stories for the Associated Press. Damiano lives in New York City and recently experienced several days of very smoky air. Wildfires in eastern Canada were the source. Damiano, like other people, limited the time she spent outdoors when the air quality was poor. She also wore a face covering, or mask, when she had to go outside.↳ But the plants in her garden had no such escape. They had to breathe the poisoned air through the extremely small pores in their leaves.

世界许多地方的野火季节已经开始。 野火产生的危险烟雾可能会蔓延得很远。 它阻挡阳光，毒害空气，损害人类和其他生物的健康。园艺专家杰西卡·达米亚诺说，其中一些生物可能是你花园里的植物。 她为美联社撰写园艺故事。达米亚诺住在纽约市，最近几天都经历了烟雾弥漫的空气。 加拿大东部的山火是根源。达米亚诺和其他人一样，在空气质量较差时限制了她在户外度过的时间。 当她必须外出时，她还戴着面罩或口罩。但她花园里的植物却没有这样的机会。 他们必须通过叶子上极小的气孔来呼吸有毒的空气。

Brooke Edmunds is a plant scientist and community horticulturalist with Oregon State University Extension. She said plants subjected to smoke for a short amount of time will usually “bounce back,” or recover quickly. “It depends on how close you are,” she said. “There could also be a localized effect, where one garden is covered in ash, and a half-mile away, there’s nothing because that’s the way the wind was moving things around.”

布鲁克·埃德蒙兹 (Brooke Edmunds) 是俄勒冈州立大学分校的植物科学家和社区园艺学家。 她说，短时间受到烟雾影响的植物通常会“反弹”，或者很快恢复。“这取决于你们的距离有多近，”她说。 “也可能会产生局部效应，一个花园被灰烬覆盖，半英里外什么也没有，因为这就是风移动物体的方式。”

Pollutants and small particulate matter landing on your plants can block sunlight, which is essential for photosynthesis. Reduced photosynthesis results in reduced energy. That means slower growth. Additionally, with longer exposure, organic compounds found in smoke can interfere with a plant’s ability to take in nutrients. Any damage will not be noticeable right away. The best thing home gardeners can do is “keep an eye on plants,” Edmunds advises. She suggests giving your plants some extra love and care for the entire season after exposure. “Most will pull through,” Edmunds added. Wash your plants with a gentle spray from a hose to remove substances left by smoke. Then give them a long, slow drink of water. Also, hold off on fertilizer until the air clears and plants fully recover.

落在植物上的污染物和小颗粒物会阻挡阳光，而阳光对于光合作用至关重要。 光合作用减少导致能量减少。 这意味着增长放缓。此外，随着暴露时间的延长，烟雾中的有机化合物会干扰植物吸收营养的能力。 任何损坏都不会立即显现出来。埃德蒙兹建议，家庭园丁能做的最好的事情就是“密切关注植物”。 她建议在暴露后的整个季节给你的植物一些额外的爱和照顾。“大多数人都会渡过难关，”埃德蒙兹补充道。用软管轻轻喷水清洗植物，去除烟雾留下的物质。 然后给他们长时间、缓慢地喝水。 另外，推迟施肥，直到空气净化并且植物完全恢复。

Edmunds said people should not use leaf blower machines to remove ashes from plants. You do not want to risk breathing in what is blowing around. “Always protect yourself as the gardener,” she said. Ash can change soil chemistry. If you find more than a dusting of ashes in your garden after a wildfire, bring a little of it to an expert for testing. And if you live in an area where wildfires are common, plant smoke-resistant species that will better withstand future exposures. Native plants are usually stronger than those from other areas. Finally, if you find ash on vegetables and other food plants, Edmunds suggests washing them before eating them. Use a solution of one part vinegar and nine parts water. Or, she said, take the skin off the vegetable. The ash is on the surface only. Your food will be safe and tasty!

埃德蒙兹说，人们不应该使用吹叶机清除植物上的灰烬。 您不想冒险吸入周围吹来的东西。“作为园丁，一定要保护自己，”她说。灰烬可以改变土壤化学成分。 如果野火过后您在花园里发现的不仅仅是灰烬，请带一点给专家进行测试。如果您居住在野火经常发生的地区，请种植能够更好地承受未来暴露的抗烟物种。 本地植物通常比其他地区的植物更强壮。最后，如果您在蔬菜和其他食用植物上发现灰烬，埃德蒙兹建议在食用前清洗它们。 使用一份醋和九份水的溶液。 或者，她说，把蔬菜的皮去掉。 灰烬仅存在于表面。 您的食物将安全又美味！