Flowering cherry tree mulch and veg question

[reetnproper]

Hi guys,

OH has a bit of a bee in his bonnet and I knew just the place to find the answer .

Before the veg patch became the veg patch, it was part of our evolving flower garden, during which time we planted 2 flowering cherry trees (Japanese OH seems to recall) along the fence edge. That section of the garden has now been fenced off and has become the veg patch.

Last week, I had to take out 4 of the hedging plants which hadn't survived the snow and cold spell of November/December and this left a nice patch of ground which, we thought, would be good for growing potatoes and beans in. However, this same patch of ground is also home to the flowering cherries.

This is where OH's 'bee' comes into play.

As I merrily tipped some fresh compost onto the newly cleared soil and dug it in, he fired up the computer. A short while later he came out and told me that we wouldn't be able to use this ground afterall because Flowering Cherry leaves and branches, when mulched, produce cyanide

I have NEVER swept up the leaves from any of the trees where they have fallen onto the soil believing (erroneously as it would now seem) that the goodness from the rotting vegetation would feed the soil naturally. Obviously the leaves and twigs etc from these trees haven't just fallen onto the soil immediately beneath them and have, in fact, blown over the whole veg patch (but not in such huge concentrations as the bed they stand in).

So my question today is, is he right? Do I have a problem in my veg patch? Particularly the now empty spaces beneath these trees? I don't particularly want to take the trees out (OH's solution) but growing the veg is the priority. Help!

Regards and thanks
Reet
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[solway cropper]

I've composted cherry leaves and shredded twigs with no ill effects on my produce, or myself. Almonds contain cyanide, as do apple pips but in such small amounts as to make no practical difference unless you consumed huge quantities of them. Even then you'd be sick before you'd ingested enough cyanide to harm you!!

[gojiberry]

Would not worry to much about planting near the cherry tree. Just need to put it all into perspective. To give a good example rhubarb leaves are poisonous but what a lot of people don't know is that the stems contain that same poison but in much smaller quantities. Not even sure if your plant would take up the cyanide from the ground.

Ian

[Two_Sheds]

Flowering Cherry leaves and branches, when mulched, produce cyanide

As already pointed out, other plants contain cyanide too, including apples. Yet cherry leaves fall to the ground and mulch the tree, and the tree survives. As does the grass and whatever else lives underneath cherry trees

"cherry leaves contain prunasin, a cyanide precursor that in itself is non-toxic. When the leaves are damaged, the prunasin molecule is split and free cyanide (also called prussic acid or hydrocyanic acid) is liberated. Many plants, especially those in the rose family, have the potential to produce toxic levels of cyanide under certain conditions"
46. WILD BLACK CHERRY

"The inner bark as well as the leaves of wild black cherry enclose a cyanide amalgam" Wild Black Cherry

"Black Cherry trees have in them prunasin ... this prunasin when broken down can become cyanide" Black Cherry and Cyanide

[Two_Sheds]

Ah, this is what I was looking for: "Cyanide is lost to the air with time" so as long as the leaves are aerobically composted, ie turned frequently, the cyanide will just disappear (into the air, where your OH will breathe it in)
source: http://www.vet.purdue.edu/toxic/plant46.htm

[reetnproper]

Thanks everyone, as always your help and advice is greatly appreciated

Ah, this is what I was looking for: "Cyanide is lost to the air with time" so as long as the leaves are aerobically composted, ie turned frequently, the cyanide will just disappear (into the air, where your OH will breathe it in)
source: 46. WILD BLACK CHERRY

LOL, ummmmmm, now there's a thought

Regards
Reet
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