Palms not liking sulfur dioxide

[Justin]

My garden is definitely worse for wear compared to a few weeks ago, but still mostly okay.  The palms with the most notable damage are Wettinia and Mauritellia, and I can't really fathom what the common thread between those two palms is, or why they'd be more impacted.  As far as dicot trees, Kigelia, ficus, and puakenikeni (Fagraea spp.) are the most damaged.  I hope the Kigelia survives, it is completely defoliated.  And as for other plants, many of the ginger and heliconia species seem most impacted, I'm guessing because of how thin the leaves are, although I could be totally off.

For those of you who have had to deal with sulfur issues before (Philippines, Indonesia, Central America, etc.), how long did it generally take for the plants to bounce back?

 

[neoflora]

Hope your using a mask! If palms are showing damage it can't be good to breathe!

[knell]

yes i am noticing it here as well... strangely enough the nursery stock is fine, but everything in the ground has spots and burns on it somewhere

 

i havent really been back to Pahoa since i was evacuated, i cannot believe the whole of section 2 of Leilani is essentially gone now. hope you are hanging in there

[sonoranfans]

sulfur dioxide will acidify the soil and ground water.  It also can directly burn as it readily forms sulfurous acid on contact with water.  Sulfur dioxide in rainwater or direct absorption by dew leads to acid contact with vegetative matter and roots.  To counter the soil pH issue, you might put garden lime down to save some specimens from the soil acidity of the active volcano environment. Every time it rains, its going to be acid rain until the gas emissions die down.