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planting of these nitrogen f --000000000000f1343b05a5380c8d Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Dave Sounds like you have thought this through well. My .02 IMO your overriding concern should be "Primum non nocere" - to do no harm. When selecting species\cultivars etc for propogation your first question should be 'Can we intruduce it without harm to existing ecosystem?' And only proceed if you can answer affirmatively and with confidence. Its possible, when evaluating a potential species, that it may have been attempted before, either locally or in similar circumstances. That outcome would be of value in your evaluation. Your ethical and environmental concern is commendable. Regards, Jamie On Thu., May 7, 2020, 12:19 David Simpson, <david.sonsimp@gmail.com> wrote: > The Background: > > *Nitrogen is a critical limiting element for plant growth and production. > It is a major component of chlorophyll, the most important pigment needed > for photosynthesis, as well as amino acids, the key building blocks of > proteins. It is also found in other important biomolecules, such as ATP a= nd > nucleic acids. Even though it is one of the most abundant elements > (predominately in the form of nitrogen gas (N2) in the Earth=E2=80=99s at= mosphere), > plants can only utilize reduced forms of this element. Plants acquire the= se > forms of =E2=80=9Ccombined=E2=80=9D nitrogen by: 1) the addition of ammon= ia and/or nitrate > fertilizer (from the Haber-Bosch process) or manure to soil, 2) the relea= se > of these compounds during organic matter decomposition, 3) the conversion > of atmospheric nitrogen into the compounds by natural processes, such as > lightning, and 4) biological nitrogen fixation (Vance 2001). <* > https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/biological-nitrogen-fix= ation-23570419/ > > > > Cover-cropping with legumes to fix nitrogen is an old trick in > agriculture. Beyond peas etc, there are perennial shrubs that also harbou= r > N-fixing bacteria. Some of these shrubs also provide an excellent source = of > nutrition for humans. The ag/gardening method known as permaculture > advocates the planting of these nitrogen fixers as a way to promote soil > health via nitrogen fixation, while also providing a yield for humans. (T= he > same can be said with black/honey locust, which provide a direct yield of > timber rather than food). Planted into a disturbed area, soil fertility c= an > be improved. Co-planted with over-story orchard trees, these shrubs are > toted to improve soil, improve orchard yield, offer a secondary crop, and > add biodiversity. Et cetera. > > Autumn olive (Eleagnus umbellata) is one of these shrubs. A Google search > will reveal this plant is simultaneously revered and detested, depending = on > the camp of the author. The camp of those that revere it do so for the > ag-related reasons given above. The other camp maintains it does more har= m > than good due to its invasiveness. Autumn olive is productive (there is a > field nearby we harvest from and I put frozen berries on evening cereal > snack, they are quite delicious and easy pickin'), and it is also an > invasive in some areas. It is prohibited in Alberta, for example, but not > in Nova Scotia <https://novascotia.ca/just/regulations/regs/WControl.htm> > > The idea of "invasive" seems to be coming under increased scrutiny, at > least in some forums I frequent. At the same time, the problems accredite= d > to introduced species have never been more pronounced. At uni, in the > environmental science program, we poopooed on introduced species as a > mantra. Now, as an owner-operator of a new small nursery focused on edibl= e, > native and useful perennials, I am forced to reconsider these problematic > definitions. When deciding what to propagate, we ask such questions as 1) > can a native species do this job? 2) is there a harm in planting this > species? 3) do the benefits of this species outweigh the harms? It is a > challenging standard to maintain. > > How do you define native? Native to your backyard? Your county? Province, > bioregion, continent? How do you determine invasiveness? Can a plant be > invasive *and* native? If it is already present in your landscape (as > with autumn olive and black locust here), is there any harm in propagatin= g > it? How do we balance harm and yield? > > Some permaculturalists completely shun the idea of invasives, and plant > without consideration. This of course is ridiculous; but equally ridiculo= us > is the shunning of non-native species. We can all agree that humans canno= t > be sustained on native species alone, and so concessions must be made. > Planting anything non-native (however you define it) will occupy a space > where a native plant could live, which is not ecologically optimal (that > is, until you bring the harm done by outsourcing foodstuffs). > > This morning's example: Wolf willow (Eleagnus commutata - not a willow) > is, like autumn olive, a nitrogen fixer. It is not as widely vilified, bu= t > it may have the same potential to fill out a space and expand, given > its growth habit. However, unlike autumn olive, this plant is native to > North America - the Prairies west to Alaska, with an apparently isolated > population in Quebec. But it is *not native *to Windsor, nor Nova Scotia, > nor even the Maritimes. So, to sell or not to sell? > > Ultimately, since these plants are not controlled in this jurisdiction, I > know the decision whether to propagate lies with me and my partner. But I > respect this community and want to be on the right side of science whenev= er > possible and to do right by the natural world, and admit that I don't kno= w > everything there is to know about this stuff. There are certainly people = in > this forum that know more than me about invasives, botany, agriculture, a= nd > importantly, their intersection. This email is almost just me venting my > frustration about having to make these decisions, which I do not take > lightly. All opinions will be considered and I thank you muchly in advanc= e > if you take the time to write. If you wish to reach out privately, feel > free to do so. > > Sincerely, > > *Dave in Curry's Corner* > > David Simpson > (902) 580 8007 > david.sonsimp@gmail.com > --000000000000f1343b05a5380c8d Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"auto"><div>Hi Dave<div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto"= >Sounds like you have thought this through well.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br= &g