Comments

Episode-2824- Nick Ferguson on Fodder Trees and Soil Health — 6 Comments

  1. You have me interested in planting white mulberry trees. I’m in South Louisiana and can’t find them anywhere. Nick, do you have some than can be shipped?

  2. I’ll second that The Intelligent Gardener is a very helpful book. After reading it a couple years ago ago, I used Logan Labs to test my garden bed soil, added a few things that seemed out of balance or low, and this past year (possibly a coincidence since it’s only one year so far) I did have the best harvest I have ever had. With record sized harvests from most crops.

  3. Found a Copy of J. Russell Smiths book ” Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture” copyright 1950, at an antique mall in MD. Chapter X talks extensively how the mulberry was used for food for swine and poultry, particularly for swine or “Hawgs” in NC. We raise pasture pigs in south central PA and are looking to find alternative ways to feed our pigs besides the feed mill. Thank you Nick and Jack for this informative podcast. I am negotiating with my husband to dedicate a few acres of our pasture to these trees. Wish me luck!

    • Good luck!
      I’ve been obsessing over fodder trees since listening to this episode (3 times).

      Just ordered 3 different hybrid poplars from a nursery.

  4. Good episode. I know the idea behind the specific trees Nick suggested were that they are optomized “nutritionally” (protein content), are fast growing, and suited well to coppicing…(may have a few other benefits i may be forgetting), but are there other “Second tier trees” he can suggest that are maybe not so agressive in their growth (stay put/ in their isolated location) but still have good/decent fodder benefit? I have spent many years on my land getting certain unwanted species under control…and without toxins like roundup. That includes the Tree of Heaven/Hell (Alianthus?), Oriental bittersweet, Wild clematis, and others who’s names i dont know. I simply do not want to invite new species that if i accidentally ignore or forget about for 3-5 years that they go crazy particularly with their roots. Any suggestions from Nick or Jack?