Mow 2 Till

[digitS']

John Jeavons, of How to Grow More Vegetables than you ever thought possible fame, says that we should devote 60% of our gardens to "compost crops." He explained that compost crops need not be solely for composting but should have a large part that is not harvested but returned to the soil.

Well, what about cover crops? Of course, their purpose is to be left, in good time, to the soil.

What if 50% of the ground I have is "surplus?" I know that is an enviable situation for some of us but keep in mind that I don't own most of my garden space. I'm a little concerned that even more ground will be "turned over" to my care this year . . !

My gardens shrunk by about 7,000sqft in 2012 and expanded by right at 7,000sqft in 2013! That was one-half the new ground that was put into production. It was more than enough! And, I might end up with the other half this year! How might I make good use of that land - cover crops?

Here is my idea: sow 3 cover crops in succession on that 7,000sqft, and if not 3, then 2.

First, field peas ($12.50/5# seed); next, either millet ($9/5#) or sunflowers ($6/5#); finally, radish ($14/2#).

I am sorry there are so many punctuation marks in that!

There it is in a nutshell. Tilling would have to be done before each sowing -- mowing prior to the tilling.

Steve

 

[Smart Red]

Don't forget your winter wheat after the radishes.

 

[digitS']

It was your idea about daikon radish seed that got me looking at them, Red! Fedco sells "forage radish" by the pound.

I think the radish seed will have to go in fairly late, like the first hint of cool weather in August. Frost could come in September -- late for sowing grain.

Winter rye has worked for me sown by August 1st. The plants are huge by May and I can easily pull them by hand. Well, as easily as something with that massive root system can be pulled! Sowing rye seed in September resulted in such small plants that I had trouble killing them in the spring with the rototiller. I don't remember how many times I had to go across that ground with the tiller.

If I sow winter rye or wheat late, I could probably wait until about the 1st of July to pull it. That should work but it is quite late for using the ground in 2015.

Steve

 

[seedcorn]

Farmers are using winter annual rye because of the tremendous root system it sets. Great for breaking up compaction in clay.

They use glysophate to kill it. You have to apply it the first time it greens up in the spring.

Letting ground sit idle will not change the P and K levels. If it was abused going idle, it will still be abused when you go back to it.

 

[Smart Red]

They use glysophate to kill it [winter rye]. You have to apply it the first time it greens up in the spring.

I just cut mine down and covered the bed with brown grocery bags. No glysophate, no weeds, no digging or tilling in.

 

[digitS']

It just hasn't been hardly used at all, Seedcorn. Not used in the last 50 years, anyway.

The property owner said it was going to be his second orchard but he never got to it. He had the tractor guy come in and cut it for hay once a year. There is alfalfa planted elsewhere but not there. After tilling the part to expand the garden, what remains is a little better in-line with another little field he has. Altogether, his haying must be (just has to be) a net loss but like so many people out in the "exurbs," he has more ground that he knows what to do with.

I can imagine that the owner doesn't really want to "share" it with me. He just had that much tilled because that is what the sprinklers were going to hit, about 14,000sqft. His 2013 plantings on "his side" of the sprinklers, didn't take up 30% of the ground and what was there, went almost unused. He certainly isn't wanting it to go to weeds! Just one of those people who liked to have some land around the house and enjoyed a garden.

Now, I should be thinking of bringing some more life to that soil but keeping things under control!

Steve

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i didn't think sunflowers were considered a cover crop but i've never grown them for that purpose. i thought they had a chemical that suppressed other plants from growing where they were or when they were ground and mixed back into the soil?

 

[so lucky]

Farmers are using winter annual rye because of the tremendous root system it sets. Great for breaking up compaction in clay.

They use glysophate to kill it. You have to apply it the first time it greens up in the spring.

Letting ground sit idle will not change the P and K levels. If it was abused going idle, it will still be abused when you go back to it.

You know, Seedcorn, I hadn't really thought about that. One tends to think that a plot of land left idle would heal on its own, but I guess you have to aggressively treat it, plant it, mow it, plow it. Certainly my garden spot didn't get any more workable by letting it sit idle for 6 or so years.

 

[digitS']

Chickie'sMama, I know you are right. The plan would be that they wouldn't get close to maturity but, maybe, I'd better discount the sunflowers.

I'd also prefer to use broad beans rather than field peas for the initial cover crop. Broad beans are really something! They take the cold just as well as peas. I can imagine peas being very difficult to mow before tilling. The broad bean seed is quite a bit more expensive, tho'. Fedco also carries it in bulk.

Steve

 

[seedcorn]

Steve, love concept of cover crops. Each has a benefit. I wish I was more aggressive to use it.

Rye-compaction.
Clover, peas-add nitrogen
Radishes-used for breaking up surface compaction. Can add nitrogen but they release a huge amount of sulfur and ammonia-they stink as they break down.
All add fiber which attract worms. As everyone knows it takes tons of compost to make pounds of organic matter. So building soils up with cover crops alone is a long, slow process.

Ground not tilled has fungi which helps release nutrients to plants. Tilling destroys them. So tilling is good/bad. Till-destroy fungi. Don't till-roots have a hard time penetrating soil, nutrients tend to be on top of soil, may fight more weeds.

Can't win, pick best options for you and your soil.