Early Dry Season Casualties

Many of you know that i have a 5th Floor Window plants. I don't call it a garden because it is a very small patch on the ledge of the airconditioning unit. I put some hooks on the concrete wall to hang some of them. This time of the year when we are at the height of the dry season, most of the plants cannot stay long there. Watering every morning and evening cannot suffice for their needs. The heat of the cement wall magnifies the heat of the sun, which is really intense for them, as they are facing the west.

 This Dracaena surculosa is quite hardy to heat, but some leaves got scorched even after a few weeks. It is now adapting the darker condition in the room, with very subdued light from the closed window. If i didn't put it inside, it would be totally dry now. Those green leaves are already a response to the indoor condition.

 The hippeastrum plants suffered too. Those at the left are the species which are very much acclimatized with our dry season. But those at the right had yellowed leaves and now totally bald. I got the bulbs wrap them in newspaper to wait for lower temperatures.

 My Hoya carnosa 'Krimson Queen' leaves yellowed. I was in a hurry to transfer it indoor, opposite the 1 ft X 11 ft window. It gets some filtered light but not enough to photosynthesize. Am so sorry, but at least your leaves will be maintained, no scorching.

It now turned green indoors, no observed growth but still life, just to let the bad conditions outside to pass. Don't worry baby, hopefully in a month there will already be rain, and you can go out again.

 My one and only tomato plant, a survivor during the seedling stage, still suffered much even just in a day heat. Can you see the plastic cover on the pot? I suppose it limits evaporation from the soil, however it still wilted. A morning and evening waterings are not enough to withstand temperatures reaching 36.8C. But it really is a survivor. Can you imagine that it is still living! It even produced 3 flowers now, i just don't know if they can produce fruits!

 This is a rose stem i put on a vase inside the room. It died without the flower opening. This is the case when the plant grew in lower temperatures in the highlands, then transferred as cutflowers to the lowlands.

 Do you think it had a full experience while alive? haha, i bet it did! 

Nature Notes

More Dry Season Scenes

I have posted Mt Gulugod Baboy ('gulugod' is spine, 'baboy' is pig) photos and experiences in the past, and some of you already joined me in that post. I also tried visiting it during the dry season and repeated the climb on the rainy season, to see and feel the differences. Vegetation definitely change, temperature and my senses as well.  It is not a high mountain so many people can conquer the climb and not feel too exhilarated. There are also different ways to reach the top and climbers from far places usually take the long route, that is hiking for 2 hours from the tourist beaches. Most climbers/campers are on their own and sometimes get lost adding one more hour of hiking. We as residents of this town know how to get there the fastest. It only takes 30 min from our side of the mountain. Mt GB is in Mabini, Batangas, Philippines.

These photos just show the differences between the dry and wet seasons.

Top left is the dry season, while top right is rainy season

Top left is the dry season, while top right is rainy season

 Dry season scenes: brown grasses, bald peak, thin cows, lonely bird

Rainy season scenes: foggy paths, green grasses,  lively trees

View of towns and cities from the peak



View of nearby islands: Isla Sombrero and Maricaban Islands

Another tourist area in the Philippines which is very much affected by the two seasons is the Chocolate Hills, in Bohol. These are natural geological structures made through time by the interaction of the physical soil structures and water. These are mostly marine deposited corals, which rise up from the sea, therefore calcareous. These are susceptible to water erosion and through time developed mounds like these. Thousands of these mounds are in this area.

Now, can you guess why they are called Chocolate Hills? That is because during the dry season, the mounds are mostly brown resembling brown chocolates! Giant chocolates, care for one!!!

This relative of the monkey, the tarsier, is mostly found in Bohol. It is nocturnal and eat mostly insects. Some are in captivity for the delight of tourists. They are only the size of our average palms. They are also chocolate colored!

Bohol is reached within an hour by planes from Manila to Tagbilaran, Bohol.

Please visit other Outdoor Wednesday posts, courtesy of Southern Daydreamer

Dry Season Scenes Near the Equator

Dry seasons have common characteristics throughout the earth! The degree of severity might however vary among places, between latitudes, among years or time within the year. I just would like to share with you the conditions of our vegetation at the onset of this year's dry season. I have been telling you about this season we have here, and have posted some consequences to our plants and crops, in previous posts.

If temperate climates have their winter, which almost totally eliminate exposed annuals, and trees also exhibit major conformation with the environmental conditions, the dry season is our counterpart in terms of harshness to living things.

This is a typical picture of our landscapes, grasses and weeds become brown and die. Only the deep rooted trees remain green and can wait for the next rainy season.

Some weeds hasten maturation to shed their seeds before they die. But this weeds seem to be a bit more drought tolerant. Insects are also seen still alighting on these wild flowers.

The above photo is a good example of the range of trees' responses to drought. Some just curl their leaves to lessen their moisture loss, others totally shed their leaves for adjustment, while others are totally oblivious of the dry conditions. One tree with prominent brown leaves above will totally shed them to maintain life. Horticultural crops like bananas and coconuts near the foreground are drought tolerant and withstand long dry seasons, however their production is totally affected. Their leaves decrease in size and fruiting is minimized.

I have been observing this tree every year, and it seems really deciduous, as this is a regular annual habit of this tree in response to loss of water. They still produce fruits even without leaves, those small round knots are the fruits. Come rainy season and it starts to shoot again. This is also typical of our 'siniguelas' or Spanish plums (Spondias purpurea), which develop flowers and fruits even without leaves. Leaves just sprout when fruits are already maturing. However, i don't have its picture now. The two photos below are from Market Manila (http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/elis-sineguelas).

 

Sineguelas on the top left still immature, while on the top right are mid-ripe and ready to eat.

These grasses are already mature and ready to disperse with the wind.

The same is true with this grass species, the cottony parts are provisions that seed propagules will be carried by the wind to long distances, hence nature is preserved and species is ensured of continuity.

Weeds like this on the left can tolerate the drought because of their small leaves and deep roots. Turnera sp at the right is also drought tolerant due to its deep roots. However, come noon they somehow roll their leaves to resist more water loss.

Clear skies definitely give full hot sun, compel most living things to stay in the shade. Even butterflies are very seldom seen during this season, because their larvae do not have much fresh shoots to eat. I wonder at which part of their life cycle they tend to linger.

But long dry season is not all that depressing. It also gives a lot of promises. Most people go out with their families or with their friends to travel and enjoy the beaches. This morning moon is one of the good things very visible during the dry season.

....and sunrises are mostly clear and beautiful without the clouds hiding the rising sun. And definitely it promises big hopes!

Long Dry Season Mishaps

Call it climate change, abuse of environment, etc, etc, but the dry season this year has been really so terrible. This is the first time Metro Manila registered 38°C and the highlands of the Cordilleras also complained of hot temperatures. It is fuming hot when you happen to go out at 2:00 to 3:00 pm. Temperature plus humidity really makes you icky and feel sick. Office workers like us stay inside the buildings the whole day and minimize any errands to the banks or whatever outside.

Plants in the province, as in our farm, also suffered enormously. We have eight (8) citrus trees which already fruited the last 2 to 3 years. Three of them seem dying, with leaves rolling and then turning yellow. They are the legacy of my late father who was not able to see the fruits of his labor. We so love these trees as they have lots of fruits last December, that we took turns to climb them to pick the fruits. It is a bit difficult but i always do it as a good form of exercise for my limbs. The feet got hurt a bit, but the activity is quite stress relieving.

 Above are the trees in December when they have plenty of fruits versus the bottom right today as they suffer from drought, bottom left are the fruits in December

 The lanzones trees (bottom left), Lansium domesticum, also succumbed. Three trees died with all the leaves completely gone. Other avocados died as well, some have other branches still alive but there are those which died totally. (avocado trees not shown here).

above right shows Cymbidium orchids, which almost died completely. It is attached to a lanzones trunk which also suffered severe drought

It is only the santol (Sandoricum koetjape), we have three trees, which ignored the heat. I even bought fruit fly attractants so the fruits will ripen fully and might be sold later.

However, it looks like that promise will not be realized. Birds suffered famine as well. They immediately cut open the santol fruits as they start to turn yellow. The fruits fell to the ground and eaten by other insects in the food chain.

Even the guyabano or soursoup, Anona muricata, is not spared. Look at the big ants which made their nests on the bundled leaves. Even the unopened flowers are guarded and maybe eaten when it started to open.

The fruit at left is just spared because the ants did not make their nests on this tree. We were able to get a few fruits from this tree.                                                                    Haaaay, we just content ourselves with the leftovers.

                

Let us now rejoice as the rain started to arrive. We already have a few afternoons of rain showers. It might however take sometime for the dehydrated plants to recover, if ever they will still be resuscitated.