Free, Clean Water for Plants in Hot, Dry Regions


In ancient times people collected dew water from lamb fleece. Over night the dew would collect on the fleece and this would be wringed into a container.

 Lanolin, a waxy ester, came out of the fleece and mixed with the dew water. It protects skin with a thin coating so when people washed their face with that dew water they had what people called "a dewy complexion".
Tal Ya Water Collectors

 The same idea can be used for plants...Collect dew water over night and give it to plants. Lets do this in California where they need water badly for the crops that feed the US.

The Tal Ya tray is an aluminum composite  tray that responds to shifts in temperature between night and day. When a change of 12 degrees C  (21 degrees F)  occurs, dew forms on the tray surfaces and this condensation is funneled straight to the plant and its roots. 
tal ya dew collector and tree 

Since water from dew is 'distilled' water this alleviates the problem of salinity in the soil caused by irrigation. The trays also protect crops from frost during late and early season in the north. Go to the Tal Ya  BLOG for more info on this great idea.









Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 12, 2014 at 3:47 PM

    If the necessary temperature swing is indeed 12° Celsius, that would be abt 53° Fahrenheit. That's quite a temperature change for overnight! -- Bethany

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jan JohnsenSeptember 13, 2014 at 8:35 AM

      Hi Bethany! 1 degree Celsius = 1.8 degree Fahrenheit so 12 degrees = 21.6 degrees F. I should insert that into the text to make it clear. Thanks.

      Semi-arid climates can experience a 21 F degree change in day and night temperatures....

      Delete
  2. J CloutierSeptember 12, 2014 at 4:37 PM

    I really liked the history at the beginning of the post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jan JohnsenSeptember 13, 2014 at 8:29 AM

      Thanks, J Cloutier...I have a wealth of interesting historical tidbits in my head...I need a blog just to share those factoids with like-minded people.

      Delete

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