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nafex - [NAFEX] Maybe it's not the soil. Maybe it's allelopathy.

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  • From: "Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>
  • To: "'North American Fruit Explorers'" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Maybe it's not the soil. Maybe it's allelopathy.
  • Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 22:04:19 -0800

I've not dealt with Australian Pines before, but we have two of them. Could
they be broadly allelopathic enough to kill my strawberries, tomatoes,
peppers, potatoes, cucumbers, melons, and even mint and epazote? I haven't
found a list of affected plants. I find the word "native," as in they are
unfriendly to native plants. Nor can I find what might be a safe radius.
Some plants are growing fine right under these tree-weeds, others seem to
have problems far away. Everything does better in the cooler weather; when
I try to make the allelopath theory work I hypothesize that perhaps there is
some seasonality, perhaps more toxic whatever is spread during leaf fall,
which degrades by winter, for instance.

Has anyone had experience with these trees? I haven't yet found any list of
what plants they may affect. Many plants have been clearly unaffected,
growing quite happily, including some prunus.

If this is the problem, I am at a loss. These are large,
expensive-to-remove trees; but I am simply not myself without a decent - I
mean thriving and varied - garden.

>From what I have read so far the mechanisms mentioned are strong blockage of
sunlight, preventing germination, which is not the problem I'm having; and
tannins reducing pH, which I can correct for.

Other possible causes of my soil problems are being investigated - I'll add
this to the list of suspects. Mostly, I just wonder if anyone's had
problems planting near these trees, out of the shade zone.

~ Stephen





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