Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Bobby G <bobbyg53211@yahoo.com>]

--- On Wed, 7/16/08, livingontheland-request@lists.ibiblio.org 
<livingontheland-request@lists.ibiblio.org> wrote:


> From: Liz <liz@allslash.org>
> Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Organic agriculture is not
> enough; we
>       must replace annual  with perennial crops.
> To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

Liz wrote:
> I'm really intrigued by this. I thought grains were
> grasses, which 
> propagate in the wild by reseeding themselves--annuals, in
> other 
> words. That would imply that there is no such thing, by
> definition, 
> as a perennial grain. Am I way off base on this?
> 
> Liz in SW VA


Liz, i would say that some of our grasses are already perennials in that one 
form of propagation--the rhizomes--outproduces the other, seeds.

Case in point would be the invasive Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) 
which plagues these midwestern states like Wisconsin.  Once a stand of 
Phalaris is established, it spreads by rhizomes.  Just in case someone digs 
up the rhizomes to get rid of it, then it sends its seeds on the wind to 
re-establish that stand.

One of the most well-adapted plants you'll ever meet, that canary grass.  
It's already 5 feet tall by early June, shading out and choking out 
everything else in its stand.

Too bad the seed doesn't appear to be useful to humans, or there would be an 
ideal perennial food crop.  I will say though pigs love the stuff, and will 
dig up the rootballs and everything, thereby weeding out your canary grass 
eventually.

Bobby G
Central Wisc. USA