[permaculture] Re, black locust as goat forage

John Fritz johnfritz77 at yahoo.com
Mon Aug 11 19:06:46 EDT 2008


I am guessing that the use of one tree to protect another from frost derives from the absorbing of the freezing vapor by the former.   Is that about correct?
   
  John Fritz, NW Arkansas.
   
   
  
 
  
Message: 1
Date: Sat, 9 Aug 2008 10:46:08 -0700
From: Kim Swearingen 
Subject: Re: [permaculture] nitrogen-fixing trees in temperate climes
To: permaculture at lists.ibiblio.org
Message-ID: <73CBA9B8-E92E-4FDA-A599-C2A2A028FD3F at permaearth.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes

I, too, love the black locust. Not only does it increase the vigor 
and growth of its neighbors but as an added bonus for me it turns out 
to be my goats' favorite food. To have something so willing to sucker 
and grow profusely on so little water has been a real blessing. A 
note about planting it to protect fruit trees from frost; it is one of 
the very last trees to leaf out - much later than my fruit trees. On 
that count it has been a bust. I'm in a really tough climate for 
fruit due to late spring frosts (average last frost date is May 15) 
and have so far found the best strategy to be carefully choosing late 
blooming varieties of fruit. Worth noting is that mulberry leaf out 
late as well, around the same time as my black locust and therefore 
produces a yield every year, as do berries and shrub fruit. Goats 
also adore mulberry branches!

Kim
Permaculture The Earth
www.permaearth.org


       


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