The One-Straw Revolution - Multiworld India

someone without trees nearby, it is better to grow the wood right in theorchard than to haul it from a distance.In my orchard there are pines and cedar trees, a few pear trees,persimmons, loquats, Japanese cherries, and many other native varietiesgrowing among the citrus trees. One of the most interesting trees, thoughnot a native, is the Morishima acacia. This is the same tree I mentionedearlier in connection with lady bugs and natural predator protection. Thewood is hard, the flowers attract bees, and the leaves are good for fodder.It helps to prevent insect damage in the orchard, acts as a windbreak, andthe rhizobium bacteria living within the roots fertilize the soil.This tree was introduced to Japan from Australia some years ago andgrows faster than any tree I have ever seen. It sends out a deep root injust a few months and in six or seven years it stands as tall as a telephonepole. In addition, this tree is a nitrogen fixer, so if 6 to 10 trees areplanted to the quarter acre, soil improvement can be carried out in thedeep soil strata and there is no need to break your back hauling logsdown the mountain.As for the surface layer of the soil, I sowed a mixture of white cloverand alfalfa on the barren ground. It was several years before they couldtake hold, but finally they came up and covered the orchard hillsides. Ialso planted Japanese, radish (daikon). The roots of this hearty vegetablepenetrate deeply into the soil, adding organic matter and openingchannels for air and water circulation. It reseeds itself easily and afterone sowing you can almost forget about it.As the soil became richer, the weeds started to make a comeback.After seven or eight years, the clover almost disappeared among theweeds, so I tossed out a little more clover seed in late summer after63