Lucerne and Organic Nitrogen
Nitrogenous fixation and plant compatibility: Part 2
For mineral utilization AND organic nitrogen fixation, one just cannot go past lucerne. This legume has extraordinarily deep roots and brings up a lot of trace elements. I mainly use lucerne in the walkways, as a good way to utilize what is basically fallow soil. I cut it from an early stage, just as flowers form, and continue to do so from then on.
Being penultimate to flowering, then being denied the chance, forces the plant to become biennial. This then affords an in-situ supply of nitrogenous mulch for the beds.
Lucerne, being attractive to aphis, acts as a food source for ladybirds, also as a shelter belt for other beneficial insects.
I have tried using clover as a living mulch, nitrogen fixer, but found it to be far too invasive, to the point of rapaciousness as it practically took over the garden.
The old adage “One year’s seeding, seven years weeding” holds well for the variety of clover I chose (Subterranean clover). This stuff actually buried its own seed! I kid you not – I have actually witnessed the process.
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