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permaculture - Re: interplanting with dryland legume trees

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Subject: permaculture

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  • From: Mikal Jakubal <mjakubal@asis.com>
  • To: "permaculture" <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: interplanting with dryland legume trees
  • Date: Wed, 05 Jul 2000 21:54:02 -0700


Scott wrote, regarding mesquite:

>I wouldn't worry too much about their taking water as they are a
>very deep rooted plant and your fruit trees are surface feeders and receive
>their moisture nearer the surface.

On a road trip to the U.S. Southwest this past winter I collected seeds
from two species of mesquite just to see how they would do in this climate
(NW California; wet winters, hot summers). Don't remember where I read it,
but my notes say that the plants won't really start growing much until the
tap root reaches water--and that has been known to be a hundred feet down
(as discovered by miners)! So Scott is right. Mesquite (Prosopis spp.) also
creates a fairly light canopy as I remember. That is one of the reasons I
thought it was interesting: it seemed possible to grow things under it. The
pods are edible too.

Mikal




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