permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

Paul Wheaton wrote:

> > > How does it do in zone 4/5?  
> >
> > I would venture a guess that it might do OK in protected spots. How cold does 
> > it get
> > there?
>
>
> We had 27 below last winter.  But that was the first time in four years I've 
> seen it get
> below zero.  
>
> I tried to do a little research ....  I suspect that it would be treated as 
> an annual
> here.  It sounds like it is difficult to get started - but once started it's 
> hard to
> stop.  I would think that the winter here would kill it.  But would it do 
> much in one
> year?  Perhaps I should stick to field peas.

Austrian field pea would be a better choice. Too cold for a controlled 
planting of Kudzu.

Kudzu (Pueraria montana)
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff-burg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/Pueraria_montana.html

Current Distribution: Kudzu is estimated to cover  810,000ha (2,000,000 acres)  across southern United States alone. Though normally found 
only south of New York and east of Texas (area in map), populations have been found as far north as Nova Scotia and and northwest as Oregon. 
 It has also invaded Puerto Rico and South Africa.

Reason(s) Why it has Become Established: Besides escaping native insect predators, the climate of the Southeastern US is perfect for kudzu. 
The vines grow as much as one foot per day during summer months, climbing anything from trees to power poles to abandoned buses. In 
addition, kudzu is an extremely hardy plant. It is drought tolerant and frost only harms its above ground portions. The thick storage roots, 
which form from stem nodes touching the ground, can grow as deep as one meter. They also have a high starch content that allows the plant to 
grow early in spring and regrow if the vines are damaged in the summer.  Flowering in late summer and early fall, kudzu produces a large 
amounts of seeds which are dispersed by birds and mammals.

--
L.F.London
lfl@intrex.net
http://market-farming.com
http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech