Best Soil Builders

The 3 varieties in our catalog that scored 8 or higher out of 10 for building soil. Scored on nitrogen fixation, deep rooting and biomass.

Buffaloberry and sea buckthorn are nitrogen fixers, pulling nitrogen out of the air and feeding it into the soil around them. Siberian peashrub is the other nitrogen fixer we grow. It scored just under the line here, but it's a tough one for windbreaks and hedgerows in dry, cold country.

An 8 is Very good on the adapted Beach (1905) grade, a 9 is Very good to best and a 10 is Best. Beach put very good and best in the higher classes, above what he called medium, and that is why the line sits at 8 and why an 8 is hard to get. Varieties that scored 6 or 7 are genuinely good at this too, and you will find them under the matching Shop by Use group. How we rate fruit.

Every score here is sourced, and nothing is on this list on our word alone. The reasoning and every source behind it is in the Best Of research. That is a working document, so if your experience is different, tell us.