Topic: Advice on Edible wind break

[Cider Chris]

The edge of my new allotment borders a field and the wind whistles in from the west across the field. What sort of edible wind break would you suggest. I can support it and it needs to be about 30 feet by 3 feet deep. What about deep rooted varieties of Sweet Corn or SunFlowers and Jerusalem Artichokes (good for wind I am told). I don't want something permanent. There is a short fence which fills up with Bindweed and nettles to a height of about 3 1/2 feet. Help from you experts please. ???

[Andy H]

Onions and curry and sprouts are good for wind :o

[Columbus]

Maybe fruit bushes or brambles?

[djbrenton]

One of the guys on our site uses hazel branches in the ground to provide support for runner beans. He simply pulls them at the end of the season. They do look better than my metal frame too.

[Mrs Ava]

If it is a wind break then it needs to be tough enough to withstand the wind.  I believe Palustrus used Jerusalem artichokes as a windbreak, as they are tough as old boots!  I don't know how beans would cope.....I would imagine the side that the wind hit would get burnt but I guess if you were planting a vast length of them, which you would be, your bean gains would outweigh those lost to the weather!

I tried googling edible windbreaks, and other than pointing me to this site, all I seemed to come up with was permanent plantings, trees and hedges.

[Sarah-b]

Have read that you can use globe artichokes - but then my nieghbour's got blown over in the summer - so probably not that effective.
I do think a good windbreak is definitely worthwhile. I was reading at the weekend that it improves crops by 30 per cent - which is apparently equal to optimum irrigation or optimum fertilisation. - so there you are!
I'm thinking of using hessian stapled to 4 x 1 wooden stakes. But that would  be a bit chewy wouldn't it?
How about a nice row of cobnuts? (expensive)

SB

[Andy H]

I have just put up some brushwood screen. Not as a windbreak but a thing to hide filter tanks etc, butt seems to be the sort or stuff that would work.
6ft x 24ft was £25

Probably better to grow something though...

[philcooper]

Not edible (and therefore not answering the question but possibly a politician might suggest ) willow.

They grow at a high rate (meters per year) and can be cut down (in part when thick enough) to provide:
fuel
basket weaving canes
thin garden canes
revenue (by selling foot lengths as cuttings.

The best site for pricxe and choice is www.westwaleswillows.co.uk There are several others on the willows page of my website

Phil

[ajb]

Not temporary (sorry) but edible: you could try one of the more vigorous blackberries they'll put up with anything. The biggest is Bedford Giant. Ashton Cross is pretty big and produces true blackberry flavoured fruits.

A.