Comments on: Nitrogen Fixing Trees

By: Orhan

Orhan — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:55:29 +0000

Je kan natuurlijk ook een boom laten groeien en nadat die 1 a 2 meter is geworden hem omhakken.

Dan komt allemaal stikstof vrij en je kan je hout gebruiken.

By: Orhan

Orhan — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:50:15 +0000

Het eerste waar ik aan dacht was inderdaad de grauwe en de zwarte els.

De honingboom komt van de vlinderbloemenfamilie en fixeert ook stikstof. Hoewel deze uitheems is, kan deze in Nederland groeien.

Maar dit zijn uiteraard grote bomen.

Wat Simon voorstelde past beter bij je denk ik. De Duindoorn, alleen deze plant heeft een zanderige ondergrond nodig.

“De duindoorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is een tweehuizige struik; er zijn mannelijke en vrouwelijke planten. De plant komt van nature vooral voor in open, kalkrijke duinen.”

Verder kan ik me geen boom bedenken.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 19:06:14 +0000

Don’t miss American Licorice, though it’s a forb. This search database is great: http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/find_use?NITRO=Y&RATING=5

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:26:34 +0000

Hi Tony,

I think you’re right for most varieties of lupin. What made me think of eating them was this Wikipedia article on how one variety is eaten as a beer snack in southern Europe:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupin_beans

For the laburnum there’s no doubt. It’s something to keep in mind before I even plant it.

Thanks for pointing this out.

By: Tony

Tony — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 21:47:39 +0000

I would advise you not to try and eat either the lupin or the laburnum tree. They are both poisonous.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 12:01:47 +0000

Wow, thanks everyone! To be honest I don’t know a lot about plants that aren’t common fruits and veggies, so all these suggestions are really eye openers for me. I’ve never had fruit from the Gumi or nuts from the lupin, and even if they don’t turn out to be the most exciting foods they might be really nice to have in the garden as nitrogen fixing plants. The different alders people have suggested are handy because they are native plants I should be able to find locally.

Someone else in a private email suggested Laburnum and Caragana.

To be honest, I’d like to try all of these, and will keep an eye out for sources of seeds and plants.

Does anyone have any seeds they could send me?

By: Tony

Tony — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 17:50:55 +0000

Hi Patrick
I think that lupin and lupin trees are worth considering. I have used lupin as a green manure in the past.

By: Sue

Sue — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:26:15 +0000

Hi Patrick,

Happy New year!

Just wanted to tell you that we’re now gearing up for round 2 of the Garden Bloggers’ Carnival -a bit different this time, in that I’m asking people to nominate a post from another person’s blog. Full details on my blog today (Jan 3rd). I hope you’ll participate again, like you did last time. And of course, if anyone else reads this, please join in!

Sue

By: Simon Kirby

Simon Kirby — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:31:53 +0000

My first thought was grey alder – is there a green alder? I understand that grey alder is used on slag heaps to stabailize and fertalize the soil. Then of course common alder does the job too, and it’s easy peasy to grow from seed. Alders have an interesting folklore too, especially if you’re into Wagner.

Second thought is sea buckthorn – Hippophae rhamnoides – there’s a good display of them at Westonbirt arboretum – http://www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt – well worth a visit in any event. I’m not sure about it being nitrogen fixing but it’s a good pioneer plant on loose soils.

Simon

By: Patrick

Patrick — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:09:10 +0000

Hi Jay, Thanks!

The link is broken, but the tree can be found by loading the front page:

http://oikostreecrops.com

and searching on ‘Cherry Elaeagnus’.

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:38:10 +0000

How about this? http://oikostreecrops.com/store/product.asp?P_ID=608&strPageHistory=search&strKeywords=Goumi,(Eleagnus,multiflora)&numPageStartPosition=1&strSearchCriteria=any&PT_ID=88 It also is supposed to be good eating for people and animals.