Dateline: 9 September 2016
I like to blog about things that interest me and new things that I'm learning about. So you're probably going to be reading more about cover cropping in the days ahead.
I have come to believe that cover cropping is the simplest, most logical solution to building good garden soil. With that in mind, I hope you have had a chance to watch the Ray Archuleta Soil Health videos I blogged about.
If you watched video #2, you heard Ray talking about agriculture's dependency on the industrial grid, and how foolish that is. Building soil health and fertility by simply using cover crops deliberately and intelligently is, I'm persuaded, the key strategy that serious gardeners need to develop and pass on to future generations. I find it incredibly exciting.
Not a single raised bed in my garden will be bare (or covered with an occultation cover) this winter. I'm currently planting more oats, along with field peas, mustard, and a little of Johnny's Fall Green Manure Cover Crop Mix.
Yesterday afternoon, I cut a bed of blossoming buckwheat off one garden bed, and immediately planted rows of oats between the buckwheat stubble. No disturbance of the soil... except to slice a furrow for the seed with the edge of my Whizbang pocket cultivator. This cover cropping just feels so right.
All of which brings me to this matter of definitions...
I always thought green manures and cover crops were one and the same. In fact, I recently titled an essay here about planting oats in my garden as Green Manuring. Well that was an improper use of the word!
A green manure is a crop you plant and then till into the soil in order to benefit the soil.
A cover crop is a crop you plant and do NOT till into the soil in order to benefit the soil. You either harvest the top growth off and leave the roots, or, more commonly, kill the top growth, leave it on the soil as a protective mulch, and plant into the mulch.
I have no intention of tilling the oat growth in my garden into the soil. I'll either let it winter kill, or cut it low and leave it on top of the bed for the winter. Then plant my garden into the mulch next spring.
Here's a link to some informational resources on cover cropping: Cover Crops: Selection & Management.
Hi Herrick, When you plant the oats, are you rolling back the covering on the whole bed or just planting in the holes? I just got 10 lbs. of oats today and am wondering which way to do it. Thinking that just taking off the binder clips and rolling the plastic back, 'cause that way I can do the whole bed. Broad cast and rake in or furrows? Can't make up my feeble mind. First time I ever tried doing this. Thanks, Your nemesis , Everett
ReplyDeleteHi Everett,
ReplyDeleteThe beds I'm planting are uncovered. I still have plastic in the walkways. I make 4 or five furrows down the length of the 30" wide bed. About an inch deep. Maybe a tad more. I'm planting not too thick. Seeds maybe an inch apart, but they end up being closer because I'm not taking my time like I would with a vegetable seed. I am putting foot pressure on top of the rows. That's just the way I've done it. It isn't necessarily the right way. But it seems to be working fine. As I understand it, you can broadcast and rake in a bit. But germination is not as good. Here's wishing you the best with your oats!
Herrick,
ReplyDeleteI will be interested to see how this all works out. I've known about cover crops and green manure for decades but barely done it. I did cover crop some clover once - not a good idea - it didn't winter kill and basically took over. Oats, buckwheat and the like are great as long as you don't let them go to seed. Seeding vegetables in them in the spring may be tricky, especially things like carrots that are small or potatoes which need a ditch. I am all for less work at this point in my life - if the garden becomes too much work it loses it's appeal.
vdeal—
DeleteI think cover crops and green manure go all the way back to ancient times. The wisdom of it all, on a farming scale, is being rediscovered. And most gardening books talk about all of this to some degree, though it is typically focused on growing and tilling the organic matter into the soil, not leaving the roots in there and planting into untilled soil.
I know that my garden soil was nicer when I planted winter rye over the whole garden and tilled the dense mass in the spring. I had more earthworm activity.
I took my buckwheat crop off the beds where I had it because it had flowered and seed had formed (I'll cut it sooner next time and let the plants lie on the ground) But I left the roots. If the mustard I'm planting does not get winter killed before it blossoms, I will "chop and drop" it as soon as I see flowers forming. You are right... if any of these cover crops go to seed, it's going to be a problem.
I'm not looking for more work, but seeding the garden beds is not difficult or time consuming, and it is so nice to see something growing (and growing very well) there at this time of year when it's otherwise bare soil or some straggling weeds (if I don't have an occultation cover on the bed).
I don't think carrots or any other root crop will be a problem. Except potatoes—they are a whole different story.
Herrick,
ReplyDeleteAs I read your post I gather cover crops and green manures are two different things, yet Johnnys sells Green Manure Cover Crop Mix, this is getting confusing. But I am sure you can clear it up for me. Thanks,
I'd say it is a cover crop as long as it is above ground. Once it's plowed in, it becomes a green manure crop. So the mix can be both.
DeleteHerrick, you stumbled on a gold mine of a YouTube channel. There's a series with Jean Martin Fortier, too. The videos parallel his Market Gardener book. I've read the book a couple times but I find hearing him talk through certain things and answer questions is very useful. Even though his goals are associated with market farming, I think a lot of his methods also apply to hone gardening. There are a ton of other videos that look interestng, too.
ReplyDeleteScott,
DeleteI'm glad you got a chance to check out the videos. I listened to the entire series with JM Fortier. It is excellent. I will probably watch every video that YouTube channel has made.
Herrick,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the link to Ray Archuleta. This may be one of the most important pieces of info I've ever come across. I've only watched part 1 so far but I'm hooked. BTW, I didn't mean that cover cropping would be harder, to the contrary, I can see it making things easier come primary vegetable season. Thank you again.
vdeal—
DeleteYou wrote: "This may be one of the most important pieces of info I've ever come across." I couldn't agree more. It opens up a whole new approach to gardening. Very exciting. I hope your comment will be an added encouragement for other readers here to at least check out the first video in the series.