$$$ Cover Crop Seed $$$

[pepper]

I use hairy vetch as a cover crop for my tomato plantings the next season in 4x8 beds. It's an excellent nitrogen fixer. I sow it in late summer, it overwinters extremely well and in early June it is just starting to flower so I terminate it then and plant my tomatoes while disturbing the bed as little as possible. Then I replace all that plant matter as a mulch which breaks down and adds more nitrogen. I haven't had to add any other N to the bed since I started using it. I get it at a local seed and feed store for $4/lb and 5lbs is way more than I need for 3 beds. Here's a pic from this summer just before planting and also a link to a great article on using it with tomato crops in particular. https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/12650400/WebsiteCharacteristicsofHairyVetch.pdf

That stuff has been growing here knd if wild. But I am on old farmland so that probably explains it. I never knew what it was until now, I always think of it as rattle snake weed because once it goes to seed and dried it's like a rattle snake tail and the seeds inside rattle when shaken. Anyway very cool, I learned something new.

Also see you are from Almont, also very cool. Beautiful town.

 

[Meadowlark]

Here's a pic from this summer just before planting and also a link to a great article on using it with tomato crops in particular. https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/12650400/WebsiteCharacteristicsofHairyVetch.pdf

That article shows the benefits of cover cropping in kind of a specialized way.

However, significantly reduced insect problems, minimized fungal problems, elimination of the need for any synthetic fertilizers, and significantly increased production are all very achievable benefits in the general case with these methods...large garden or small. It works!

When coupled with the regular addition of composted animal manure, the garden soil takes on magical properties and yields nutrient dense highly tasty produce.

 

[redback]

Hi. My understanding is that it's a cover crop until you dig it in a few weeks prior to planting your veggies. Then it becomes "green manure". I'm not sure why anyone would want a permanent cover crop in a garden, but I'm putting your reference in my garden
journal on my ever-growing "stuff I don't know" list.

So what made your green manure of mustard successful? What difference did you see? I was hoping for more comments on
cover crops/green manure from those with personal experience.

Thanks for your input. Kinda cool to talk to someone half a world away.

Cover crops are like that vetch smitty55 mentions. You can mow and then run trenches or dig holes in the cover crop area to plant tomatoes or whatever. Cover crops are good for livestock and improve soil by sustaining the microbes in the soil, as well as capturing water runoff, preventing erosion and generally sequestering carbon in the soil.
Mustard is very quick and very tall and very good at out competing weeds. You can eat the young leaves on salads - which reminds me that arugula (rocket) is similar. Mustard is good at eliminating certain soil borne pests as well. It has a 'wow' factor - plant a bit and see. It has a yellow flower and is easy to hoe in as green manure.
I'm half a year away as well - spring has just sprung.

 

[Ernst]

My Favorite yuppie store for organic nerds like me.