The Impact of Air Pollution on Your Landscape | Pioneer Landscape Centers
With the fires raging on in Canada, air pollution has quickly become a big worry that many people are considering for the first time. There are places across the East Coast where the sky is blotted out and the sun appears as a different color. Across our locations in Arizona and Colorado, we have been spared from the worst effects of the Canadian wildfires and the air pollution it has caused.
However, while the impacts of these specific wildfires are not likely to reach us and the clients we serve, the areas we serve can and do experience our own wildfires from time to time, and people should take this as a sign to learn more about air pollution and its effects on people and their property. Air pollution has been an issue for the world for years, but before these Canadian wildfires, it wasn’t something many Americans thought about.
Why is Wildfire Smoke Dangerous?
People have utilized controlled burning for years as a means of agriculture, so you might wonder why the burning of so many forests has polluted the air so much. What many don’t know is that all smoke releases pollutants into the air, but when it's controlled, the amount of pollutants is as well.
There may always be some level of pollutants in the air from all the cars, power plants, and massive cattle farms, but they don’t produce the same amount or the same kind of pollutants as smoke.
With the Canadian wildfires, an unprecedented 9.4 million acres of forests are burning. That’s creating and adding so many pollutants to the air that it has spread across the United States.
What Air Pollutants Are in Wildfire Smoke?
What also sets pollutants from these wildfires apart from the controlled pollutants that are released every day, is how varied and dangerous these are. These are not manmade structures that are burning. These are natural forests with substances and chemicals that are all reacting with each other at an unparalleled rate.
This includes gaseous pollutants like carbon monoxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and water vapor. None of these are particularly safe to be around on their own, but together they cause serious health risks to most life around them, not just people. This is why anyone in the affected areas is being asked to stay indoors as much as possible.
What Does Air Pollution Do to Plants?
Air pollution is a common possibility in an industrialized country, so you should always be on the lookout for signs of air pollution in your plants. Many gardeners in the places affected by the Canadian wildfires might be seeing symptoms spread at a rate beyond what is normal, however. What their plants are experiencing, and what yours can experience if you’re not careful, are things you can look out for, such as:
- Discolored leaves
- Speckled leaves
- Fewer leaves
- Small or shrinking root systems
When air pollution is a problem, your plants will look like they’re burned or bleached. You have to be on the lookout.
How to Treat Air Pollution in Plants
While some of these methods won’t help those with plants knee-deep in air pollution right now, gardeners can make preparations now so they’re always prepared. You are not powerless to treat and fight against air pollutants in your garden. Here are some things that you can do:
- Add plants that absorb pollutants: You might not know this, but some plants look at air pollutants and think, “Mhm, tasty.” They will absorb a lot of the air pollutants that would hurt your other plants, but they do need time to grow on their own, so this isn’t a quick fix. This is a long-term battle against air pollutants.
- Add hedges and shrubs to the borders around your lawn: Air pollutants may be in gas form, but physical barriers will impede their flow of movement and where they travel. If you put shrubs and hedges at the borders of your driveway and the parts of your property facing the street, you can protect your lawn and plants from the air pollutants car exhausts spray out.
- Plant more trees: Nothing is a bigger and more protective organic barrier against pollutants than trees. They absorb a lot of pollutants but are capable of withstanding their toxic fumes better than smaller plants in your garden or even your lawn.
What Should You Do About Air Pollution in Your Landscaping?
Air pollution is a problem that’s only going to get worse and worse as time goes on. What’s happening with the Canadian wildfires may happen again, so why not start some good gardening practices now while we have the chance?
If you’re thinking about planting some trees, flowers, and shrubs that can help with pollutants, talk to the experts at Pioneer Landscape Centers. We can make sure you have all the supplies and tools you need. Contact us for help today.