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Windbreak for bacterial dominated soil

 
pollinator
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Hi,
most windbreaks are shrubs/trees which prefer fungal dominated soil and tip the soils biology to their favour in the long run.
I have access to a small patch of soil which is hit heavily by wind, so i want to plant a windbreak.
However i want to use the patch for veggies so it should stay bacterial soil, which conflicts with shrubs/trees as far as i know.

Zone is 9, so it does not get too cold during the winter in general, however those northern winds
that i want to break are rather cold.

Any suggestions as what to plant?
 
gardener
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This is something I’ve questioned for years. All of my gardens are fruit tree guilds. I’ve piled a good amount of wood chips and biomass all around the trees. Finding plants that would tolerate those conditions took a lot of trial and error. St John’s Wort, strawberries, lavender and even potatoes do well. Back to your question.... My beds are all fungal dominant. I used a lot of wood chips in the beginning. Even though I will freshen the chips up around the trees a bit further out it’s all chop and drop. When I chopped and scattered summer crop residues I came right behind it with more seed. Either winter rye, winter pea or both. I have to think that the amount of green biomass going back into those beds is beefing up the bacterial portion of the soil. Regardless, my production is outstanding. I hope this helps. Scott
 
gardener
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Sunchokes would be my first choice.
They are easily established and the stalks persist through winter if you let them.
Clumping bamboos might look better, if looks matter to you.
Mind you,  the usual trees used for windbreaks might do fine.
I believe they have often been used along the edges of annual crop fields without either the trees or the Cris suffering.
 
master steward
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Would you be able to put up a trellis and plant something like Scarlet Runner Beans? I'm on Vancouver Island and the ones I've got on a teepee still have leaves even though it's the end of November. Even when they do die, their vines will remain for a few months. They tend to be a cool weather bean, so they may not like summer if it's too hot. You might have to start them in pots a cool spot and transplant them after the worst of the summer heat. We always cool off at night, so it's not a problem here.
 
steward and tree herder
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What about Elephant grass? Miscanthus x giganteus is grown for biomass around the uk.  The canes it produces are a but thin, but useful like thin bamboo.  Sagara uses it in East Devon Forest garden (SkyeEnt blog on EDFG) and I was very taken by it.  I've only been growing it for one year (may be a bit cool for it here) so can't comment from person experience yet.
 
gardener
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Does dutch white clover grow where you are? They could function as a cover crop and add nitrogen fixing bacteria to the soil.
I grow them in my woodchips covered walking path.
Worms are flourishing in there, they definitely carry many bacteria in their guts.
Bacteria feast on dead fungi as well, so i doubt things are that black and white concerning fungal vs bacterial soils.
Especially as it takes quite a while to tip the soils toward one or the other.
 
pollinator
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What time of year do you need the windbreak? and how tall does it need to be. You say small patch so that may count out trees to begin with, my windbreaks reduce the crop from vegetables and fruit for about 12ft from their dripline. (low trees, elder small elm etc) If you need a summer windbreak then some form of climber should work on a trellis. For a winter windbreak I would pick something like rosa rugosa or snowberries, both have a nasty habit of suckering but if you can run a mower round them they stay in place. A thick unpruned hedge of red or black currants would also work here, not sure if they would like your heat though.
 
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