[NatureNS] Nitrogen mineralization and water

Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:27:44 -0300
From: Henk Kwindt <cbatl@eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
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re. blackberries : I have been wondering the same thing, have never seen 
this many (wild) blackberries on our property and no animal seems interested 
in them. Same counts for (wild) raspberries, again we had lots of them. 
Another thing I have noticed about raspberries : they are very susceptable 
to mould but, during this wet summer, no mould problems.
re. insects in a wet summer : We have grown broad beans for as long I can 
remember and I cannot recall a year that the heads would not be covered with 
black lice, even going back to when we and my dad before that, were growing 
them in Europe . None this year.
I usually observe but don't ask too many questions, may be I should stick to 
that !
Cheers, Henk Kwindt, Cow Bay, NS.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul S. Boyer" <psboyer@eastlink.ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 9:27 AM
Subject: [NatureNS] Nitrogen mineralization and water


> The grass has been growing so fast that one must mow every week (or  just 
> let it go, which is what I favor — but my wife does not!)   Blackberries 
> are fruiting about ten times normal, and apples are  larger than ever.
>
> I think that there are two causes for this.  First, there is plenty of 
> water, and no mid-summer dry period, which is fairly common most years  in 
> the Chebucto Peninsula.  Then there are nutrients which have been 
> accumulating during the dry years, and are now being used for growth  by 
> the grass and brushy plants.
>
> It is not all good for the plants.  Moisture also favours certain 
> insects.  Our lilacs are unusually heavily infested this year with the 
> dreaded leaf-borer, and they look dead.  People are commenting on the 
> abundance of mosquitoes this late in the season.  Small broadleaf  shrubs 
> seem to have more signs of insect damage than has been usual.
>
> We have voles, raccoons, deer, Canada Geese, and quite a few passerine 
> birds around.  Why am I the only one eating the blackberries?  I would 
> have thought that they would have been a very attractive and  accessible 
> food source for wildlife.
>
> On 15 Sep 2008, at 8:30 AM, Eleanor Lindsay wrote:
>
>> In my part of the province  (Seabright, St Margarets Bay)  I and 
>> everyone around me commented frequently this spring and summer about  how 
>> noticeably extra-lush  both cultivated and wild vegetation  around us has 
>> been this year................
>>
>> Eleanor Lindsay
>>
>> Henk Kwindt wrote:
>>> Hi Dave and All,
>>> Our garden has produced abundantly this summer, not only the leafy 
>>> parts but also the carrots , parsnips, tomatoes, beans etc.did very 
>>> well. So I can't conclude that there was more nitrogen released. 
>>> Fertilization was mainly provided by compost, similar to other  years. 
>>> Weatherwise, this summer has been wetter than average.
>>> Cheers, Henk Kwindt, Cow Bay, NS.
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "David & Alison Webster" 
>>> <dwebster@glinx.com
>>> >
>>> To: <NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca>
>>> Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2008 7:45 PM
>>> Subject: [NatureNS] Nitrogen mineralization
>>>
>>>
>>>> Dear All,            Sept 13, 2008
>>>>   I applied only trace amounts of nitrogen fertilizer to the  garden 
>>>> this year, beside the carrot and beet seedlings so they  could outgrow 
>>>> flea-beetle feeding, but everything has the  appearence of high 
>>>> nitrogen so I think there has been an unusually  high release of 
>>>> nitrogen by mineralization this summer.
>>>>
>>>>   I am wondering if anyone else has noticed this or if it has 
>>>> something to do with the state of my garden.
>>>>
>>>> Yt, DW, Kentville
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
> 

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