Cover crops.

[Smiles Jr.]

I'm curious to see how many of us plant a winter cover crop in our vegetable gardens. Please let us know your feelings on cover crops. Also if you do plant a cover crop what type of cover do you plant?

I typically plant winter wheat or rye in late October and disk it under in April or May. My soil nitrogen content is very good by July each year. The organic material makes the soil very loose and easily tillable.

 

[pharmerphil]

we sow alfalfa

 

[lesa]

Last year I did winter wheat (not in my veggie garden, but in another garden area). I was very happy with the result. I am thinking of trying clover this year- as a treat for the bees. I am going to do a couple of the aisles in the veggie garden with clover (as a few gardeners did on here) and see how that goes.

 

[vfem]

We're going to do red clover just because my neighbor has some seed left over... free is as good as its going to get!

 

[bills]

The owner previous to me must have planted cover crops of red clover, and fall rye, as it is always spring up each year. I gather he didn't till it in time, so it left seeds.
Just about the time my garden is in full swing, and I can't start turning it over, all this clover and rye start growing like mad.:/ I'm not impressed..The cover crops have actually become a major weed problem rather than a benefit..

I would rather apply mulch over the entire garden each fall. I don't have quite enough leaves, or lawn clippings to do so, but I add compost as well.

 

[hoodat]

My experiment with planting red mustard and red clover together is turning out very well. If anything the red mustard is doing better than it would by itself. I've harvested leaves several times and they're still going strong. They'll be reaching full maturity soon and I'll have to decide whether to harvest all of them or let them go to seed. I won't dig the clover under till it flowers so the bees can have a good harvest too.

 

[journey11]

I've always intended to do a cover crop. This is the first year I have gotten around to it though. I've been feeling pretty on the ball this time, got my garden cleaned up and turned under promptly and hopefully it will lessen my population of overwintering nuisance bugs.

It's been very warm and we're supposed to get several good rounds of rain in the next few days, starting tonight. I planted my buckwheat today, covering about 80% of my garden space, about 2000 sq. ft. It says it needs 3-4 days to germinate and will flower in 3 weeks, so I'm counting on it being a wonderful foodsource for my bees this fall so I won't have to feed them sugar water. (My bees are doing awesome, btw. They are a strong colony! I hope to do 3 or 4 splits out of them next spring if they overwinter as well as they did last year.)

I'll turn it under just as soon as it's done blooming or once it's too cold for the bees to fly, whichever comes first.

For my own entertainment, I also planted some winter wheat, which I might let go to seed and harvest some. It's just a small patch. I also have some turnips, kale, spinach and radishes I put in along one perimeter.

I know this cover crop business will be beneficial. I've seen too much erosion and run off on my garden over winters in the past and I know it's not healthy to let the soil sit barren. It's also not a good idea to let it sit full of weeds either!

I think once my buckwheat is done I will just start piling compost on it. I've got my chickens fenced in their own area and they're not running the show in my garden anymore! :bun

 

[hoodat]

I love buckwheat honey, darker colored and with a more intense flavor than clover but never bitter like some wildflower honeys.
Speaking of honey, someone gave me a jar of avocado honey the other day. What a surprise. It tastes like molasses.

 

[vfem]

I am planning on planting some in our orchard area and around our grape vine. I heard they would co exist very nicely

 

[hoodat]

As you can see my red mustard seems to be enjoying the company of the clover.