Nutrient Cyclers

Different plants (known as ‘Dynamic Accumulators’ )have the ability to ‘mine’ or ‘bioaccumulate’ different nutrients from the soil and store them in their leaves. As the leaves fall, they are broken down, and it seems highly likely that those nutrients are then broken down and incorporated into the upper layers of the soil where other plants will benefit from the newly-available minerals. Permaculture systems take advantage of this by planting a diversity of plants which root at different levels and are able to cycle a variety of nutrients. It is important to note that the nutrient cycling cannot happen if the nutrients are not in the soil to start with or if the soil biology is not functioning properly, and not much scientific testing has been done about the time frame in which the nutrients become available. However, as with all things permaculture, these plants have multiple other functions as well as their supposed nutrient cycling benefits, and so I’m happy to give them the benefit of the doubt!