The message
from "Rupert \(W.Yorkshire\)" contains these words:


"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

Frankly, I don't believe that the toxin effects of either R. ponticum
or J. niger are important - whereas the physical ones of many thicket-
and canopy-forming plants with large leaves most definitely are. You
just have to look for yourself to see the latter! But it is amazing
how few scientists ever do look for themselves, as Rackham points out!


I am totally with you on this one.
At my previous house we used the leafmould in volume from beneath the
Rhododendrons as a seed and potting compost without any bad effects.
It was also noticeable that the areas that had been scraped clear of debris
became host to a majority of the common garden weeds.

I think you may both be confusing the state/ results of soil under a
small local population of rhododendrons such as one might find in a
domestic garden, with the soil left after huge dense very old ones are
cleared from hilsides and woodland . It's very noticable here that when
large areas of mature woodland are cleared of their longterm 20ft tall
solid understorey of rhododendron ponticum, the only seeds that
germinate the following spring, are rhododendron ponticum. The
rhododendron leaf litter will have been swept away by winter gales
leaving visible bare soil. All around are seeding trees, but it will
takeat least two years before their seeds, or grasses or wildflowers,
start to germinate on or colonise the naked bare soil on, light-filled
woodland floor.

Janet.