permaculture

[Kim Swearingen <strawboss@permaearth.org>]

I, too, love the black locust.  Not only does it increase the vigor  
and growth of its neighbors but as an added bonus for me it turns out  
to be my goats' favorite food.  To have something so willing to sucker  
and grow profusely on so little water has been a real blessing.  A  
note about planting it to protect fruit trees from frost; it is one of  
the very last trees to leaf out - much later than my fruit trees.  On  
that count it has been a bust.  I'm in a really tough climate for  
fruit due to late spring frosts (average last frost date is May 15)  
and have so far found the best strategy to be carefully choosing late  
blooming varieties of fruit.  Worth noting is that mulberry leaf out  
late as well, around the same time as my black locust and therefore  
produces a yield every year, as do berries and shrub fruit.  Goats  
also adore mulberry branches!

Kim
Permaculture The Earth
www.permaearth.org