An argument for not dusting the house – ever. It might actually make your plants healthier.

New research published in New Phytologist shows that plants can acquire nutrients not only from the soil but also from atmospheric dust that settles and dissolves on their leaves, releasing elements such as phosphorus and iron. This goes against what many plant owners assume: that dusty leaves impair respiration and growth.

In a Mediterranean field study simulating dust events—common during dust storms—dust application increased plant macronutrient and micronutrient concentrations through the plants’ mildly acidic leaves.

By integrating field observations with dust-deposition estimates and soil nutrient data from different regions, investigators found that during dust events, daily nutrient inputs via foliar uptake can match or even exceed soil-derived inputs.

“This suggests a shift from the traditionally soil-centric view of nutrient acquisition toward a vegetation-mediated pathway, where the plant canopy acts as an active interface for capturing and processing atmospheric particles,” said Dr. Anton Lokshin, a postdoctoral researcher at BGU where the research took place. “In nutrient-limited ecosystems, this leaf-based nutrient pathway may represent an important and currently overlooked contribution to plant nutrition and ecosystem functioning.”

The study was conducted by Anton Lokshin in the laboratory of Dr. Avner Gross, in collaboration with Dr. Daniel Palchan (Ariel University), Prof. Marcelo Sternberg (Tel Aviv University), Tom Goren (Bar Ilan University), and Andre (Mahdi) Nakhavali (IIASA).

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People in the Middle East have understood that privacy and protection from the intense heat outside go hand in hand. The mashrabiya is an ancient Arab invention to passively cool buildings and keep strangers from looking in. But not all of us can invest in architecture additions. Or frosted glass. And when there is a heat way or instant privacy needed, no need to go far. You can use a Scandinavian trick that puts a few coats of yoghurt on your windows to create a fritted or frosted glass appearance.

The yoghurt is easy to apply with a small roller brush, it doesn’t smell, it doesn’t attract insects, it doesn’t degrade and it can be washed off simply with a cloth and water once the heatwave (or your privacy issues) are over. It’s a also a cheap and easy solution if you are renting or are allergic to dust from heat blocking curtains.

This is one of many cooling DIY solutions. You can also plant moss if you want to grow some more passive insulation on the side of your home. 

How to make yoghurt-coated frosted glass:

1. Buy sugar free Greek yoghurt – the higher the fat content the better. Oak yoghurt works. If you use a lower fat content, the effect will be more opaque.
2. Map out section of window that you want to frost. You can take out straight lines, heart shapes, or buy stickers or stencils to map out your design.

1. Roll on 2 or 3 coats of yoghurt on the inside of your window. (You can also use the exterior side if you live in an area that doesn’t get extensive rain.) It is possible to dab on the yoghurt with a sponge.
2. When dry and you have achieved your desired effect, pull away your tape and stencils and voila!
3. When dry you can scratch out designs as well using a hard piece of plastic like an old credit card.

If you want a more permanent solution, you can use acrylic paint to “frost” the glass but this is harder to remove. The previous owners of the house I bought self-frosted the bathroom windows in my bathroom this way and it is impossible to remove the bad paint job, Go for the yoghurt.

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Wearable Planter is an art and design studio based in Atlanta, Georgia where owner Colleen Jordan creates tiny vases that blur the line between housewares and accessories. The geometric 3D-printed vessels (a/k/a “jewelry for green thumbs”) are water-resistant. Plant one with a bonsai-sized succulent or lilliputian flower arrangement and celebrate spring with a live plant in your pocket!

Jordan explains on her website, “We believe that the world would be a happier place if people appreciated nature a little more, and were willing to carry a plant close to their heart from time to time.” You said it, sister.

The colorful containers prompt smiles. They are made from nylon fiber and dyed in Easter-egg colors, then sealed with acrylic varnish. The planters are available as pendants, rings, brooches and clip-on vases – perfect for tagging your bike handles or baby stroller.

Most feature a flat bottom so they can sit on a tabletop when not being worn.  Prices hover around $30, but there are other items besides the 3D-printed vases – such as seed-bomb kits – that don’t break a ten-dollar bill. The business started in 2011 and has a continually evolving product line.

Three-dimensional printing allows Jordan to create more complex forms than older manufacturing techniques had allowed. The process minimizes waste, centralizes design and production, and reduces inventory as items are made on demand – all of which reduces the start-up’s environmental impact.

The post Cultivate your own “pocket park” with a 3D planted garden appeared first on Green Prophet.

Shade and moving air are the greenest means of fighting heat, making sunshade devices and fans the superheros of natural cooling. Fans have been around since prehistoric times in the form of primitive flat panels flapped slowly by human power to push waves of air across people and spaces. The electric model didn’t come online until the late 19th century, table top units featuring metal blades (usually encased in a protective cage) set atop a pedestal base. Plug it in, and enjoy the cooling (and portable) comfort of artificial wind.

Comparisons between fans and AC are an apples versus oranges discussion as each has a different function.  An AC cools a room by lowering the temperature and wicking off humidity.  A fan simply moves the air, which doesn’t change room temp but can cool bodies within it (as long as the ambient temperature is less than 90° F and humidity lower than 35%, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association).

I just came off a 30 minute treadmill trot and am sitting near an open window typing this. The strong Amman breeze – while warm – is definitely cooling me off – for free.

Here in Amman (and in most Mid East cities) AC’s allure is threefold.  It cools room temps, muffles outside sounds of traffic, construction and exuberant mullahs, and  – since windows are closed – keeps mosquitoes at bay. How can a simple electric fan compete?

By becoming performance art!  I stumbled upon a craft blog that showed how to turn a low-energy-consuming and affordable tabletop fan into a piece of movable art.  An easy DIY project that’s also kid-friendly – (link here for the how-to).

Slap on some paint in loosely applied stripes, and when your fan is in motion a kaleidoscope rainbow will appear. Or spend a few minutes online, where you can see different painting techniques with a variety of results.

How to paint your fan video below:

[youtube]http://youtu.be/C08_vLabWu0[/youtube]

So easy.  So green. And so cool.

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