permaculture

[Toby Hemenway <hemenway@jeffnet.org>]

I got this email from a couple in Oz who read the alt.permaculture
newsgroup. If anyone--hey you desert dwellers--can help them, you should
respond directly to them as I don't think they read this list. But please
post an answer here, too, since I'm curious. I assume that wood has less
nitrogen than leaves, but mesquite has such high-protein pods and
alkaloid-containing sap that I'd guess the whole thing is high in nitrogen.

Toby

>Reply-To: "NOEL and DI at the drive in" <drivein@kisser.net.au>
>From: "NOEL and DI at the drive in" <drivein@kisser.net.au>
>To: <hemenway@jeffnet.org>
>Cc: "Toby" <hemenway@jeffnet.org>
>Subject: N-fixing references
>Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 17:55:27 +0800

>
>    Hi Toby , I have read your article on n-fixing with much interest . We
>are  in the process of setting up a commercial mulching operation our
>fodder is  Mesquite [Prosopis] 50000H of of it .I need to know if the N
>properties will carry through  to the mulch . I intend to concentrate on
>medium to small trees 40 to 80 mm with  as much foliage as possible i.e.
>,Average ; three meter branch 60mm in diameter  with normal amount of
>foliage .I believe our Mesquite is the' Gillafolia 'or  something like
>that , reasonably  straight trunks with little or no spikes .  I am having
>trouble finding any specific information regarding the Mesquite as a
>mulch  ,I would imagine it would react in a similar way to Lucerne in
>releasing N  in to the soil . I hope to be able to market our product as a
>high N mulch with all the other benefits of a normal mulch as well . I
>would  appreciate if you would have any hints on where I might be able to
>find some  information .We live 1600km from the nearest capital city so I
>am fairly limited  in my avenues of research . I have searched the net 
>with out much luck  .Looking forward to your response .    Kind Regards
>Noel  Wright   ,  Karratha , North Western  Australia   .             
>