Hi all, I just moved to Western Australia from Europe, I've planted some beans only to find that the soil here most likely doesn't have the corresponding bacteria for nitrogen fixing! Anyone know some nitrogen fixing plants native to this part of the world I could plant? If you know where I could get some inoculated seeds that'd be great, thanks!
WA is hard as I can't help you there as every place I know of can't import to WA. You are still looking for Fabaceae (and Casuarina/Allocasuarina). I'm sure there will be agricultural seed suppliers that will sell exotic seed with the right rhizobia, just the same as this side of Aus. Acacia will be your most likely native fixer, learn how to ID them. Collect seed and in most cases scarify the seed with just under boiling water and let soak for an hour to half a day (overnight) and then sow. A quick google got one supplier that has some nice looking Tagsaste cultivars. Just google away, even a site like Gumtree or Ebay may help. https://www.kimseed.com.au/Seeds/WEEPING TAGASASTE SEEDLINGS Brochure.pdf
Can you get rhizoba and innoculate yourself? https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/resources/soils/australian-inoculants-research-group
Check out the "Green Harvest" website. A Permaculture friendly company based in Queensland, they supply tagasaste seeds with the appropriate innoculum....deep taproot, drought tolerant, fodder and seed production for poultry, bee forage, fire retardant, timber for firewood...and a Bill Mollison favourite...
Thedave I know you are asking for seed which I cant help you with but my product Biota booster has nitrogen fixing bacteria and offers substantial additional benefits.
Thanks, some really helpful information there! Feel like I'm starting all over again learning about WA's soil and plants (coming from damp south coast of Ireland!)
Kennedia nigricans - black coral pea is a very vigorous ornamental vine endemic to the south-west of Western Australia which can fix nitrogen. Considered a 'pioneer' species its black petaled flowers are unusual and quite pretty. https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s64743.htm
How would one know if the soil in one's area had the right microbia for the nitrogen-fixing plants in one's area? Or plants that one wanted to use? Dig up roots and look for nodules?
i don't think all nitrogen fixing plants have nodules, but it would be a good sign for those that are supposed to if they do. : )
IMO If there are nodules and they are pink they are fixing nitrogen.There are also microbes that fix nitrogen without legumes. You know N fixing microbes are there if your plants are growing well without adding Nitrogen.if not you will require inputs the most efficient of which is Biota booster.
There are also rhizobia that will colonise root nodules but not fix as much nitrogen. That's why it's wise to inoculate with the right bacteria at planting time.
Thanks, great suggestion, some further research and I picked some up at a local nursery. It wasn't inoculated so unsure whether it would naturally have nitrogen-fixing bacteria? I've also added worm juice to the soil which a quick search tells me is rich in nitrogen-fixing bacteria, I don't know how true this and if it is true is it the right bacteria for Kennedia nigricans?
Tagasaste is used extensively in WA agriculture as a forage/fodder crop, lots of availability of seed and innoculent. I don't know what soil you are on? Tag isn't keen on clay! Otherwise as others have said ID local acacia sp. and casuarina (whether casuarina actually 'fixes' nitrogen is a little controversial) It is likely associated with frankia and some soil testing has demonstrated nitrogen levels in excess of surrounding soil. It is unlikely that acacia, or any legume for that matter add a great deal of nitrogen until they are cut back however, so just having them in the ground may not add a great deal, there are other very good reasons to plant them though! There's a guy I see around the traps on Facebook and various permie events called Byron Joel who seems to be based in WA and spends a lot of time researching indigenous and exotics in that environment......maybe try and find his content online?
Many Australian legumes are non nodulating, they fix a certain amount of nitrogen but do not make it available to nearby plants. Many are also highly allelopathic. I use casuarina needles as a weed killer in areas that are difficult to slash. I know I am going to get frowned upon for saying this but outside of very wet areas or subtropical/tropical areas I can not think of any native legume that I would use for the purpose of nitrogen sequestration (I do grow them for many other reasons) and find non natives such as tagasaste to be better suited to this purpose. I agree that tagasaste is fantastic. It sequesters a lot of nitrogen and makes it readily available to other plants. Many animals eat it, it attracts/feeds bees and other beneficial insects, it acts as a refuge for smaller birds such as wrens, on my property it houses many different species of spiders. It does not do well on clay if it is dry, being in WA I assume you are on sand and it is meant to do rather well there. Good luck with it, from what everyone says WA is tricky to understand but when you do it is very prosperous!
Green harvest as mentioned is well worth checking out though being Queensland based you have to pay a quarantine fee and are limited in some aspects (soy beans for instance) what you can't import. A good local seed place is yilgarn seeds based at drylands permaculture in Geraldton. They mainly sell veggies but do have a few legume plants they sell. Australian seeds- which I believe is located in southern wa- also has a good selection of seeds. They also have a wider range of your more ornamental/non edible food if you are after acacia seeds and the like.