North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Hector Black <hblack@twlakes.net>]

Hi,

    I'm glad to hear that someone else is exploring this area.  We have used both clover and elaeagnus as N fixers in our orchard and the results are quite promising.  We used autumn olive primarily and it worked very well with nut trees.  There were problems with fruit trees because they branch lower and the autumn olive tended to tangle in the lower branches and make harvesting difficult.  Autumn olive is a berry in its own right that needs more research.  We sent samples to the USDA in Beltsville and they were very impressed by the nutritional value of the fruit.  Some had 17 times the licopene of tomatoes and were loaded with anti-oxidants.  I presented a paper at NNGA (Northern nut growers) last summer ('02) which will appear in the next issue of the annual.  Goes into more detail.  USDA is exploring pruning methods so the berries can be harvested mechanically.  My experience and observation is that the N is chiefly found in the nodules that form on the roots of the plant, although the foliage is also high in N.  A friend had the foliage tested for animal feed and found it was way up there with alfalfa.  It is invasive, but regular mowing takes care of seedlings.  It's very fragrant in bloom and a great bee plant also.  Leftover berries in fall feed the birds. 

    A few cautions - don't get clones that are thorny.  Choose the improved cultivars with larger and better fruit.  If you have pasture that is never mowed you might watch to see that they don't spread over there, but I suspect that animals would eat them down if they did.

    Clover has done very well and in our climate (zone 6) we found the Dutch white clover to be the best.  That stays and spreads with mowing, while the others don't appreciate mowing.  PS  Welcome to have a loot at the orchard whenever you're back in the US.

    Hector Black

----- Original Message -----

From: sam bucus

To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org ; permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2003 3:35 AM

Subject: [NAFEX] nitrogen fixing trees intercropped with fruit and nut trees

hello,

i have been reading this server for while, lurking and preparing questions. 

 

i am in the planning and saving money stages of creating a farm in northern wisconsin, , city of port wing, in bayfield county, zone 4 very close to lake superior.  i recently graduated college after studying ecological agriculture and plan to develop a small, diversified ten acre farm geared towards direct maketing in duluth, minnesota through a farmer stand, and hopefully, eventually catch some tourists on their way to bayfield and market straight from the farm.   

 

currently i am teaching english in south korea saving money. 

 

my first questions to this list are concerning nitrogen fixing trees/plants in relation to fruit and nut orchards.  i hope to intercrop plums, apples and pears for the main producers. i want to stagger in some nft's or have a row of nft's and mulch plants for every row of fruit or nut trees.  but my research has shown that too much nitrogen is very bad for fruit and nut production, lowering fruiting, increeasing vegtative growth, nitrogen type things, etc.  also i have read a few reports of people who feel they have experienced a decline in pests and consequent increase in fruiting after reducing regular nitrogen applications. 

 

as a student of permaculture/ecology, etc.  i am drawn to the idea of using nitrogen fixing trees and plants to provide nitrogen instead of applying it some other way.  does anyone have any experience with nft's or other plants in association with apples, plums, pears, hazels and chestnuts, the main species i will eb planting in my orchard?  what species of nitrogen fixers?  i was considering Eleagnus sp. in between rows of fruit trees with a bunch of comfrey or other suitable mulch plant nearby to pick up excessive nitrogen while still being able to supply some to the fruit adn nut trees.  I also considered planting lupines under teh trees and, of course, clover and grass pathways. 

 

any info, advice or leads would be very much appreciated.  I have enjoyed these lists and the useful information that people put out there. 

thanks,

 

andrew felger

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