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  • From: Mauch1@aol.com
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Adequate nitrogen for our fruit plants
  • Date: Wed, 07 Aug 2002 14:05:49 -0400

Richard,

Well, my situation is that I have 3 children under the age of 3
so pretty much every moment that I'm not at work my wife wants
help with the kids, my "neigborhood" is a 25 year old development
w/ 2 acre lots where pretty much the neighbors don't talk to each
other (and I'm probably as guilty as the rest). If I did have the
neighbors leaves, I'm not sure where I'd put them (I easily overfill
the 3 bins I constructed). I do use grass clippings as mulch, but
bagging the clippings significantly increases the mowing time. I
wouldn't be sure how to contact the tree trimmers for chips.

I did a soil analysis from Penn State, but they don't do nitrogen
analysis (I think my soil is somewhat low in one of the other P
or K [at the moment I can't remember which one]) and my organic
content (PSU will do this for an extra fee) seems on the high
(good) side (3+%).

I haven't actually fertilized my trees since planting out. I'm
getting 3 ft of growth on Asian pear on dwarfing rootstock, and
similar growth on Prunus. The apples don't grow as much (maybe
a foot/year). I have mostly a young planting.

But I know that at least some believe that part of the failure of
the Ablemarle (Newtown) Pippin business to Europe was because the
soils were exhausted.

I like the idea of the clover/living mulch, but I know that clover
can easily be pushed out of an area. Planted a mixture of hard
fescue (slow, low growing, fine (but hard) grass), and clover (10%)
when I laid out a vineyard a number of years ago. Initially had
some clover, but it was pushed out by the hard fescue.

From other readings, some scientists believe that part of
the "missing" CO2 is being absorbed by plants and increasing
plant growth. (By "missing" the atmosphere does not contain
as much CO2 as it "should" by the amount civilization is
pumping into it.)

Take care,

Chris Mauchline
SE PA, zone 6

>Chris, don't know your situation, but my neighbors bring me >their leaves
>each fall, the tree trimmers dump their chippings where >directed, and we
>spread grass clippings around our fruit trees. There's >considerable
>nitrogen in these sources, which is released over time as >mulch around the
>fruit plants. We're learning how to feed our family of 6 >with minimal
>monetary inputs.
Have been thinking about adequate nitrogen (N) levels for my fruit:
1) The NPR report above did not mention the action of soil microbes in N
fixation, whether free living or associated with legumes and other plants.
This is a major part of the nitrogen cycle, and can be used to our benefit.
Microbes also make N available from the breakdown of dead plant materials.
2) Am interested in Lucky and others planting in clover as a living mulch.
3) Areas of the eastern US have increasing N levels in rainfall, due to auto
exhaust deposition. Some researchers are now measuring the effects of this
excess N on breakdown of the soil organic layer on the forest floor.
4) As in #3, excess N speeds the breakdown of organic matter into CO2, hence
N additions can be overdone, even if the 10-10-10 or bloodmeal was on sale.
One can eyeball the inches of new growth, or submit leaves for foliar
analysis of too much or too little N.
5) Back to my abandoned orchard observations: the system there is balanced
enough to produce regular crops of usable fruit. Am working to get my land
closer to that kind of balance.





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