permaculture

[Jack Rowe <jackrowe@compuserve.com>]

Here's an incomplete list of Dynamic Accumulators... can't remember some of
these species names off the top of my head... if anyone can add nutrients
and/or plants to this list, please post the additions to the group!

Jack

APPENDIX D: DYNAMIC NUTRIENT ACCUMULATORS       
In theory, at least, all plants are dynamic accumulators, since all plants
will contain more or less of some particular nutrient(s) according to their
own needs. In this area, there is room for some interesting research - for
instance, human and animal nutritional studies have information on
particular nutrients to be found in concentration in different plants.
Further, plants differ in their incorporation of carbon (plant equivalent
of human dietary fiber, sort-of), so that elements other than those
traditionally seen as "nutrients" need also to be considered (carbon, for
example, is needed for balancing nitrogenous materials in composts and
mulches and is central to soil humus production). Healthy accumulator
plants existing in quantity in an area can be considered as indicators for
presence in the soil of their corresponding minerals. In pastures and
composts -- as in Human and animal nutrition -- complete supply of all
needs relies less on "scientific" design for minimum species needed
(multi-vitamin approach), and more on inclusion of a balanced mix of
as-wide-as-possible a variety of different plants (balanced-diet approach).
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa... other Medicagos?): Nitrogen, Iron, Phosphorous.
Borage: Silica and Potassium.
Buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp): Phosphorous.
Carrots (Dauca carota -- sp?): Magnesium and Potassium.
Cattail (Typha): Nitrogen.
Chickweed (Stellaria): Potassium, Phosphorous, Manganese.
Cleavers (Gallium spp.): Sodium, Calcium.
Clovers: Nitrogen, Phosphorous.
Comfrey: Silica, Nitrogen, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Iron.
Dandelion: Sodium, Silica, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Phosphorous,
Iron, Copper.
Dock (Rumex crispus... Sorrel, R. acetosa?): Calcium, Potassium,
Phosphorous.
Horsetail (Equisetum spp.): Silica.
Lamb's Quarters (Chenopodium alba, gigantium... Epazote, C. ambrosioides?):
Nitrogen, Calcium, Potassium, Phosphorous, Manganese.
Marigold (Tagetes spp.): Phosphorous.
Mustard (Juncea spp... Cole plants in general are high in Ca and P):
Calcium (can be used as a cover crop to buffer acid soils if calcuim is
present, or to chelate Ca in same), Nitrogen, Iron.
Oats (Avena sativa): Nitrogen; oats produce more growth in late fall/early
winter than in spring (unlike ryegrass and wheat, which produce more in
spring -- 55-65% of season total in fall for oats, as opposed to 38% for
"Elbon" rye and about the same for wheat). Oats are not as winter-hardy as
"Elbon" rye, nor do they yield as much over the season, but the above
varieties will yield more dry matter during the fall season.
Ryegrass: Nitrogen (ryegrass produces the most "forage" [read "green
matter"] of the conventional winter cover crops).