On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 22:03:58 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:


Air is 75% Nitrogen, but in an inert form that plants cannot use. It
take symbiotic bacteria in legumes and clovers to fix nitrogen into
soluble nitrate form. Or the industrial Haber process...

Your soil may tolerate this sor tof mulch but fertility will suffer.

Regards,
Martin Brown

But eventually the nitrogen used by the bacteria will return to the
soil as they themselves die and decompose. The nitrogen removal isn't
permanent. If one regularly mulches with green shreddings (or
whatever) eventually an equilibrium will be established and the soil
won't suffer, but can only benefit.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net