SAFE HOMES FOR TROPICAL SHADE PLANTS

From: "Ron Iles" roniles at eircom.net> on 2001.05.01 at 22:39:51(6348) In the tropics nowadays plants as well as mere humans are subject to increasing threats to their existences. There seems to be argument for separate "Arks" which can be safe from natural and manmade catastrophes. Conventionall greenhouses are easily damaged by storms, difficult to heat enough when it is very cold. In hot seasons especially in the sub-tropics and in other areas of extreme climate variations, unless vented losing humidity, plants are grilled or roasted. Greenhouses are good for "eurythermal" plants which require relatively high light intensities and which tolerate wide temperature and other environmental variations. Spathiphyllum and other aroids, Marantaceae and so many other genera and species are stenothermal i.e. they prefer and tolerate narrow temperature and other environmental variations. Naturally they are sheltered by the rain forest canopy in constant warmth but never roasting hot. They thrive only in shade not much higher than 25% and commonly less than 10% of sunlight. In these days of high efficiency lighting and space age insulation and heating, it can be argued that ubiquitous tropical shade plants can be grown safer, better, much cheaper but in enclosures without sunlight not in greenhouses. In England cold for seven months of the year I grew 10,000 Spathiphyllum, other aroids and Marantaceae in such enclosures under fluorescent lights which also provided controlled warmth for ten years. Here in Ireland if a World Spathiphyllum Reference is able to be completed within time these principles will be carried much further. The water plants will be grown with submerged roots in rockwool in re-circulating streams. It is interesting to observe the unfavourable paling of leaves of Spathiphyllum grown in presumably shaded greenhouses in May to those even in February. Observations of Peace Lilies and other "good" house plants in equitable homes suggest they thrive in astonishingly deeper shade than those recommended by greenhouse producers of un-naturally forced cultivars". I hope these thoughts shared by a newcomer are not impertinent. Ron

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