Subject: Re: [permaculture] nitrogen-fixing trees in temperate climes
Date: Sat, 9 Aug 2008 10:46:08 -0700
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!