Why is soil made more fertile by growing peas, beans or clover?
“They are all able to ‘fix’ the all important plant food Nitrogen from the atmosphere. This is stored in small but visible ‘nodules ‘ on the root system, and is often left in the soil after the plant’s death. The Nitrogen is obtained from the atmosphere by a symbiotic relationship with the nodules and certain bacteria (Rhizobium). Legumes are important for many agricultural purposes – especially on soil that has become depleted of Nitrogen. In the garden, this phenomena is useful for the production of leaf crops nearby, that need plentiful supplies of Nitrogen. Together with this, if the old stems and foliage of Legumes are dug into the soil, there will be less need for added nitrogen fertilisation. Peas and beans as vegetables, have a high protein content, which is probably as a result of the added Nitrogen available to the plant from the action of the root nodules.” http://www.gardenseeker.com/vegetables/p…
