Kathryn wrote:
>Alnus glutinosa is the native species here. It would be worth a try though
>I won't attempt it with my own because they are very old trees marking the
>line of an ancient river which moved its course about a thousand years ago
>- also the hawks' favourite look out posts. Also they have sheep under them
>- not good for garden plants. HOWEVER it is very noticeable that many
>native herbs and wild flowers which would normally avoid the bases of trees
>flourish under the alder, presumably because of the nitrogen levels. There
>are huge stands of nettles which normally only flourish on ancient middens!
>Fungi do not seem to do well under them. The mushrooms that we find all
>over the rest of the field are missing under the alders.
Yes, in this area they found that alder acts as a pioneer for the
larger forest trees and changes the soil. Some fungi are
eliminated and this protects the larger trees. In areas with
lots of alder the undergrowth can be thick with salal and ferns.
At other times it will be open with little growth. Very curious.
I'm toying with the idea of mixing corn, potatoes, and alder in
a small test plot. Probably using alder seedlings and not
bothering with coppicing. The tree grows very fast and after
2-3 years it gets too big for most areas, so it would be cut
and a new seedling started.
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Jeff Owens ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Zone 7, http://www.teleport.com/~kowens
Underground house, solar energy, reduced consumption, no TV
