[Scpg] Chemical nitrogen vs nitrogen fixing plants

[Fitzsimmons, Mark A PWR]

This discussion got me to do some researching on plants I can use to
increase N in my soil (I just recently sheet-mulched the entire yard
except for compost and garden and need to keep the nitrogen up). I have
a bunch of legume seeds I can use for the purpose, however most of the
nitrogen they fix is only available when plowed under. I will plant
clover under my fruit trees to see if it helps. I also found several
local native plants fix nitrogen due to the poor soil in the nearby
mountains: Alder trees and ceanothus for example make associations with
nitrogen fixing organisms in the roots. Ceanothus will make N available
to plants while alive, probably aiding in regrowth after fires, and bees
also like it, so I may plant some of that in my yard next to a fruit
tree and see how the flavor of my honey changes. I suspect, from
observing bees in the forest, that the honey they call "sage" is really
mostly ceanothus nectar. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceanothus

Does anyone know where I can get myrica rubra seeds or seedlings? This
is another high antioxidant fruit that looks intriguing and has
symbiotes that fix nitrogen.

I suspect it may be necessary if growing some of these from seed or from
a nursery to dig up some root nodules from other N-fixing plants to
inoculate the soil of a new plant.

The problem of K and P don't seem so bad to me if one continues to use
phosphate containing soaps and uses grey water to move it into the yard.
Phosphates in soaps are only a problem if the water is going to the
ocean, but the reason it's bad is the same reason it's good in your
garden: plants love it! 

Many soaps also contain potassium, especially industrial cleaners, so
toss your soapy water onto the compost pile. I grey water my kitchen
sink including dishwasher and the grape vine growing next to it is HUGE
and healthy.

Also, these elements are in all biological organisms, so the more you
compost, including fat and bones, the more you are putting back into the
compost heap. I don't agree at all with the popular concept that bones
do not belong in the compost pile. I put all my meat scraps in the
compost. As long as you bury it, there is no problem. I am happy to see
chicken bones from years past, now soft and spongy and falling apart, as
I dig through my garden. Who needs to buy bone meal? Use bones!

Boron is another important TRACE element, especially for woody plants,
and it also is a safe method of killing ants, termites and fungus, but
be careful you don't kill the symbiotic fungi in plant roots, or the
plants themselves!! If you use it and nearby plants' leaves begin dying
at the edges, stop.

>From Wikipedia: 
Boron is an essential plant nutrient, required primarily for maintaining
the integrity of cell walls. Conversely, high soil concentrations of >
1.0 ppm can cause marginal and tip necrosis in leaves as well as poor
overall growth performance. Levels as low as 0.8 ppm can cause these
same symptoms to appear in plants particularly sensitive to boron in the
soil. Nearly all plants, even those somewhat tolerant of boron in the
soil, will show at least some symptoms of boron toxicity when boron in
the soil is greater than 1.8 ppm. When boron in the soil exceeds 2.0
ppm, few plants will perform well. Plants sensitive to boron in the soil
may not survive. When boron levels in plant tissue exceed 200 ppm
symptoms of boron toxicity are likely to appear.

I mostly use borates (US Borax product Tim-Bor)to kill termites and
fungus in wood I am cutting up, but one could use it or borax to keep
down aphids on plants with a spray bottle, though regular
phosphate-containing soap is probably better for the garden. For
example, I tried it on artichokes and I don't think they liked it, but
the roses seemed to tolerate it well.