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Index of Subjects Hi Burkhard & All, There are many topics and sub-topics; fractile like, so I will hit only some high spots. A primary objective of commercial agriculture is to grow food and fiber at a profit. There is a place for permaculture no doubt in smaller operations where field crew and owner/managers are often the same individuals. And Farmer's Markets are the usual outlets. Produce in these markets is typically more expensive than similar goods at the grocery store. If you have say 50 acres of Strawberries and can't undercut imports; too bad. Turning to exotics--Glossy Buckthorn has several merits I think. It quickly spreads and fills in gaps after partial cutting or localized clear cutting (provided nearby fruiting shrubs are available) and thus captures and preserves nutrients such as Nitrogen which otherwise would be lost to leaching. It feeds birds which account for it being spread around and, when it forms thickets it soon flops over and dies. And if fairly sparse it acts as a nurse crop for real trees. Multiflora Rose is a blessing and a curse. Even the thorned strain is a blessing if you are a bird in late winter/early spring and the thornless strain is an all round blessing. Japanese Knotweed has had a tough time with scare mongers who often don't see it's merits. I know of patches, hemmed in by vigorous unmowed sod, which have not increased in size in 30 years. And some patches which have 'invaded' an eroding earth riverbank and thereby slowed and in some cases halted the erosion. Bees and other insects would praise it if they had a voice. It is the last good feeding station of the year. It mostly grows at the edges of soil pits and other waste places. It get hauled with fill when new houses are built-- 'invades' the new lawn of said house and then gets hauled back to the original borrow pit. Recycled. So called invasives have conserved much soil made vulnerable to erosion by raw earth ditches on slopes. But invasive or not, persistent cleaning of ditches has often exposed raw soil to washing into brooks leading to wipe out of former productive Trout Brooks. And, eating my words, some plants are invasive if left alone. Years ago I read that Vinca was invasive and said not so. It is a great cover for steep banks. But yes, it has taken over a large area of my wild lawn where I aim for maximum diversity. Moths, rust, wood and invasive plants never sleep. I would like to try two plants of that Autumn Olive if anyone nearby has spares. YT, Dave W. Kentville On 5/10/2020 7:05 PM, Burkhard Plache wrote: > Thanks, Dave, for sharing your thoughts. > > Large areas in Nova Scotia are under annual cultivation > (grains, potatoes, rapeseed, ...) with accompanying > cycles of herbicide & pesticide application. > That means those areas are de-facto lost to nature. > > If such cultivated fields were converted to permaculture, > even with a species mix including non-natives, > the outcome would likely be an increase in options > for local species. > > Which exotics are save could be gleaned from history: > Trees like apple, pear, cherry, English walnut, (there are > likely more) have little tendency to take over an area. > Others, like glossy buckthorn, multiflora rose, japanese > knotweed, goutweed, garlic musard, (add more...) > are generally regarded as troublesome. > > Over the last two years, I have also enjoyed Autumn Olive, > both fresh and as jam. I am surprised that it has not been > available at farmers markets. The yield is quite large, the > harvest easy, and it ripens late in the season, after all other > local berries. > For now, it appears to be restricted to disturbed areas: > (along highways, old railway beds, and business parks. > It may have the potential to invade dunes and sand barrens, > both ecologically sensitive. > > Burkhard
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