presley wrote:
Warren, you're not as informed as you think you are.
http://landresources.montana.edu/LRE...stry_Web.pd f

According to the site above, from University of Montana, the
composition of rainfall is nearly identical to seawater with some
additional molecules picked up in the atmosphere. Furthermore,
rainfall is NEVER simple H20 - because it also picks up many gases
that are present in the atmosphere and transports them.
However, more pertinent to the ongoing argument is the fact that
strong winds (as in hurricane or near-hurricane force winds) which
Scotland is subject to every year,send salt spray MILES inland -
not a few feet, or even a few hundred feet. This can be verified in
any google search. I think that the issue has been clouded by
all this talk about what hits the leaves of the plants. It is clear
that the initial post had to do with what happened at the ROOTS of
the plants in question. It is VERY evident that rhododendrons
cannot have their roots soaked in salt water that sits on them.
Constant movement of water through the root zone will wash the
salts through them or out of them - but it has to be water that is
relatively low in salts, and the plants have to have excellent
drainage. A plant sitting in a low spot with salt water swirling
around its base is a goner - no question. A plant on a hillside
hit with a strong blast of very salty water but subsequently
flushed with plenty of water that moves through and out of the root
zone will probably be fine. Janet is not claiming that Scottish
rhododendrons are living in salt marshes. What she IS claiming is
that they live in rather close proximity to the sea in rather salty
environments in Scotland - albeit in regions of very high rainfall.

A plant sitting in a low spot with distilled water swirling around its
base is a gonner.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5