Dynamic accumulator
Encyclopedia
Dynamic accumulators are plants that mine nutrient
s from the soil
through their roots. These plants can then be used as a fertiliser, or as part of a fertiliser mix, for other plants that may be deficient in those particular nutrients. They play an important role in many permaculture
guilds.
Here is a list of plants that work as dynamic accumulators:
Microbiologist Kristine Nicholas showed that native grasses like switchgrass
, blue gama, bluestem, Indian grass not only send down deep roots but increase glomalin
levels and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
that help "glue" the soil together, make it coherent, and most importantly, shuttle biologically available nutrients from soil to plant. Some land reclamation companies are now using arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
and triticale
to accomplish a similar end, and most likely Orchard grass (especially in combination with chicory and clover), and yacon
, Jerusalem artichoke
, chicory and many other plants will also eventually be shown to increase glomalin. Whatever that mysterious quality of "fertile" and "fertility" turns out to be in the soil, it must have something to do with these processes.
It seems that you can hardly do better than plant lots of chicory and stinging nettle
. These are very tolerant of other plants, stable, persistent but not invasive, and seem to bring out the best of whatever they are planted next to.
Nutrient
A nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment. They are used to build and repair tissues, regulate body processes and are converted to and used as energy...
s from the soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
through their roots. These plants can then be used as a fertiliser, or as part of a fertiliser mix, for other plants that may be deficient in those particular nutrients. They play an important role in many permaculture
Permaculture
Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that is modeled on the relationships found in nature. It is based on the ecology of how things interrelate rather than on the strictly biological concerns that form the foundation of modern agriculture...
guilds.
Here is a list of plants that work as dynamic accumulators:
- ArrowrootArrowrootArrowroot, or obedience plant , Bermuda arrowroot, araru, ararao, is a large perennial herb found in rainforest habitats...
- BorageBorageBorage, , also known as a starflower, is an annual herb originating in Syria, but naturalized throughout the Mediterranean region, as well as Asia Minor, Europe, North Africa, and South America. It grows to a height of , and is bristly or hairy all over the stems and leaves; the leaves are...
- BrackenBrackenBracken are several species of large, coarse ferns of the genus Pteridium. Ferns are vascular plants that have alternating generations, large plants that produce spores and small plants that produce sex cells . Brackens are in the family Dennstaedtiaceae, which are noted for their large, highly...
- BuckwheatBuckwheatBuckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...
- CarrotCarrotThe carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
leaves - ChicoryChicoryCommon chicory, Cichorium intybus, is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Various varieties are cultivated for salad leaves, chicons , or for roots , which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and additive. It is also...
- Clovers
- ComfreyComfreyComfrey is an important herb in organic gardening. It is used as a fertilizer and also has many purported medicinal uses...
- DaikonDaikonDaikon , Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, also called White Radish, Japanese radish, Oriental radish, Chinese radish, lo bok and Mooli , is a mild flavoured, very large, white East Asian radish...
- GroundselGroundselSenecio vulgaris, often known by the common name Common groundsel, a humble in appearance member of the Asteraceae family and Senecio genus, is a tenacious deciduous annual whose presence now encompasses the globe in a wide area of easy to somewhat difficult growing conditions.The discussion of...
- KelpKelpKelps are large seaweeds belonging to the brown algae in the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera....
- Lemon BalmLemon balmLemon balm , not to be confused with bee balm, Monarda species, is a perennial herb in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region....
- MarigoldTagetesTagetes is a genus of 56 species of annual and perennial mostly herbaceous plants in the sunflower family . The genus is native to North and South America, but some species have become naturalized around the world. One species, T...
- MenthaMenthaMentha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae . The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18. Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally...
(Mint) - Stinging NettleStinging nettleStinging nettle or common nettle, Urtica dioica, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant, native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America, and is the best-known member of the nettle genus Urtica...
- StrawberryStrawberryFragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
leaves - YarrowYarrowAchillea millefolium or yarrow is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the Northern Hemisphere. In New Mexico and southern Colorado, it is called plumajillo, or "little feather", for the shape of the leaves. In antiquity, yarrow was known as herbal militaris, for its use in...
Microbiologist Kristine Nicholas showed that native grasses like switchgrass
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum, commonly known as switchgrass, is a perennial warm season bunchgrass native to North America, where it occurs naturally from 55°N latitude in Canada southwards into the United States and Mexico...
, blue gama, bluestem, Indian grass not only send down deep roots but increase glomalin
Glomalin
Glomalin is a glycoprotein produced abundantly on hyphae and spores of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soil and in roots.As a glycoprotein, glomalin stores carbon in both its protein and its carbohydrate subunits. It permeates organic matter, binding it to silt, sand, and clay particles...
levels and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are all placed in the phylum Glomeromycota. They form the widespread arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis with land plants . The fungi are obligate symbionts that cannot be cultured without a plant as a 'host'...
that help "glue" the soil together, make it coherent, and most importantly, shuttle biologically available nutrients from soil to plant. Some land reclamation companies are now using arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are all placed in the phylum Glomeromycota. They form the widespread arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis with land plants . The fungi are obligate symbionts that cannot be cultured without a plant as a 'host'...
and triticale
Triticale
Triticale is a hybrid of wheat and rye first bred in laboratories during the late 19th century. The grain was originally bred in Scotland and Sweden. Commercially available triticale is almost always a second generation hybrid, i.e., a cross between two kinds of primary triticales...
to accomplish a similar end, and most likely Orchard grass (especially in combination with chicory and clover), and yacon
Yacón
The Yacón is a perennial plant traditionally grown in the Northern and Central Andes from Ecuador to Argentina for its crisp, sweet-tasting tuberous roots. The texture and flavour are very similar to jicama mainly differing in that yacon has some slightly sweet resinous and floral undertones to...
, Jerusalem artichoke
Jerusalem artichoke
The Jerusalem artichoke , also called the sunroot, sunchoke, earth apple or topinambour, is a species of sunflower native to eastern North America, and found from Eastern Canada and Maine west to North Dakota, and south to northern Florida and Texas...
, chicory and many other plants will also eventually be shown to increase glomalin. Whatever that mysterious quality of "fertile" and "fertility" turns out to be in the soil, it must have something to do with these processes.
It seems that you can hardly do better than plant lots of chicory and stinging nettle
Stinging nettle
Stinging nettle or common nettle, Urtica dioica, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant, native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America, and is the best-known member of the nettle genus Urtica...
. These are very tolerant of other plants, stable, persistent but not invasive, and seem to bring out the best of whatever they are planted next to.