The horticulture season is winding down , the day are acquire shorter and the nights are getting cooler . After an vivid spring and summer of planting , harvesting , weeding and fighting that dateless war on pest , it ’s fourth dimension to take a horticulture break . That was my horticulture philosophy for many years , and unfortunately , I was missing out on an opportunity to amend my garden . As Ben Franklin said , “ Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves . ” Just like taking precaution of cent , it ’s often the little things we do in the garden that make a world of divergence .
One of the most important thing a gardener can do to improve the territory is to add organic matter in the form of compost , manures or other organic materials , such as leaves , husk , or grass clip . crawler , bacteria , fungus kingdom , nematodes and other forms of life employ the organic matter to build a healthy or “ well-chosen ” filth . I have find that one final push in the fall can make a big difference in my garden soil – found a cover crop or “ green manure ” crop .
or else of being harvest , a top craw is grown to provide vegetal cover for the soil . It can be left on the surface as mulch or till while it is still unripened into the soil , becoming a green manure . ( Brady & Weil ) Garden soil can be abused during the grow season from tilling , weeding , harvesting , and foot dealings . Over the year I have find that planting cover song crops is an scotch and easy way to improvesoil structureand overall land calibre .
Cover crops have a lieu in the home garden regardless of garden size of it and leave many benefits :
dirt corrosion
The roots of a cover crop stabilize the root zone or control surface of the soil , trim down the risk of erosion from wind and rainwater . The leafage and stems of the concealment crop also minify grime corroding by reduce the impact of rainfall and likely overspill . I conceive of dirt as an investment funds in the future . After twelvemonth of examination , psychoanalyse , tweaking the pH levels , adding nutrient and organic issue , it just make sense to protect my investment and lessen the risk of infection of my worthful grime being moisten or blow away . Regardless of the prison term of yr , I require to protect my soil by keep it covered , either with a veg harvest or a cover craw , and in our surface area we can arise cut through crop class around to protect our soil .
Soil Compaction
Cover crop rootage systems can be used to battle both shallow and cryptical compaction . enshroud crops with taproot ( forage radish ) reach deep into the stain and can break up compacted dirt layers . Likewise , the extensive root systems of grass cover crops ( food grain rye ) reduce aerofoil concretion make it gentle for vegetable base to access essential body of water and nutrients that may previously have been unavailable .
dirt organic affair
Cover crop residues increase soil organic matter , providing numerous benefits to the soil and successive crops . Increasing organic issue improve soil structure , soil water holding electrical capacity and infiltration , and soil aggregated stability . decompose plant material contributes nutrient back to the soil to be used by succeeding crop .
Weed Suppression
Cover crop can provide an incremental benefit of mourning band control by out - competing weeds for light , piss and nutrient . inquiry has found that grain Secale cereale also demonstrate an allelopathic effect on weed , i.e. , acts as a natural weed killer ,
The Allelopathic Effect
Cereal rye produces several compound in its plant life tissues and releases solution extractions that inhibit sprouting and growth of weed germ . These allelopathic effects , together with cereal rye ’s ability to smother other industrial plant with coolheaded weather condition development , take it an musical theme alternative for winter weed control . Cereal Secale cereale can be implant in our area up to the end of October .
However , be aware that in addition to suppressing weed growth , allelopathic chemical compound may conquer germination of humble cum veggie crop ( expectant seedsare seldom affected ) if they are implant shortly after the incorporation of food grain rye residual . Cereal rye should be incorporate 3 - 4 weeks into the soil before small ejaculate vegetable , such as pelf , are planted . Cereal rye may grow as improbable as 3 - 4 metrical foot by former bounce and will want to be cut with either a weed - eater or lawn mower before being incorporated into the soil .
Disease and Pest Management
Many article have been publish recently about cover craw being another tool for use in disease and pest direction . Particular member of the brassicas family , certain mustard , and rapeseed miscellanea assist control soil - borne pathogens such asroot mi nematodesandverticillium wilt .
stem Calidris canutus nematodesare microscopical worms that assail many summertime vegetables including cucumber vine , tomatoes , eggplant bush , okra , and cantaloup vine .
plant infected with origin greyback nematode will be stunted , droop ofttimes and produce footling or no harvest . When you pull up these plant , look for gnarled and bumpy roots . These characteristic indicate the presence ofthe destructiveroot knotnematode parasite .
Verticillium wiltaffects tomato , potato , Madagascar pepper and eggplant in the vegetable garden . The pathogen usually enters the plant though young ascendent and then grow into and up the water - carry vessel of roots and stem . As the vessel become plugged and tumble , the water supply supply to the leaves is parry . With a limited water supply , the leaves set about to droop on sunny day and recover at Nox . This process may continue until the entire plant is wilt , stunted or dead .
If your cover crop goal is to aid see land pathogens such as root knot nematodes or verticillium wilt , ‘ Dwarf Essex ’ rapeseed ( canola ) , and ‘ Caliente 119 ’ mustard have test effectual invarious field track . In Central Virginia , these cover crops need to be planted in mid - September to early October and till into the soil two to three month afterward . mustard greens and rapeseed contain a chemical substance and an enzymein the plant cellular phone wall . When the cell wall is damaged , the chemical and the enzyme come into physical contact and the enzyme give way down the chemical into a compound that behaves as a fumigant . The folks at Penn State commend that these get across crops be exquisitely chopped before they are incorporated into the soil , and should beincorporated into the soil immediatelyafter pout because the bio - active compounds that assist hold territory pathogens are precarious . “ As much as 80%can be lostif the binding harvest is not incorporated ( into the soil)within 15 minutesof mowing . ”
Low Maintenance
Cover crops require very slight sustenance , and extra food are seldom take to support them since cover crops scavenge nutrients already present in the filth , and may even “ fixate ” extra nitrogen from the atmosphere .
Having talked a bit about all the marvelous thing wrap up crops can do for our garden , the next footmark is select which cover crop to found . unluckily , this is not a one - sizing - primed - all decision and a little planning is demand to maximum the benefits .
In general , cover crops are divided into two major category : legume ( pea family ) and nonlegumes ( eatage and grain crops ) . Legumes include such works as peas , Fava bonce , trefoil and vetch and are generally grown for their ability to capture or “ fix ” nitrogen from the tune and make it available to industrial plant . In worldwide , legumes are dull to establish and are not recommended as a sens control . Nonlegume crops are small grain and grasses such as cereal rye whisky , wheat , oats and barley . Nonlegume crop are in general planted to protect the soil from erosion , add organic issue to the soil , and suppress weeds . They do not have the electrical capacity to lend extra nitrogen but will clean nutrients such as atomic number 7 and daystar and foreclose them from leach out of soil . When the dark-green material is tilled into the dirt , the green manure is snap off down and atomic number 7 , atomic number 15 and other trace constituent become available for consumption by subsequent plants . Cereal Secale cereale is quick growing and is highly recommended for ascertain weeds .
Selecting and Planning a Cover Crop
One of the essentials for a good screen crop is timing which also requires some planning . design your cover craw in advance by choose the best species for your gardening conditions and obtain seed early so you may be quick to imbed at the right time . Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication 426 - 344 provides not only a list of recommended cover crop for Virginia , but also entropy on planting good word per 100 straight foot , when to plant , when to change by reversal under , the various dimension of each cover harvest , and miscellaneous entropy on soil requisite , hardiness , etc . The New England Vegetable Guideprovides a brief verbal description and lists attributes of the various cover craw plants . gardener works and harvest different harvest at different time . Planning ahead makes it easy to swag the planting and ending of cover crop with the planting and harvest of vegetables in the garden .
make up one’s mind which vegetables crops you require to imbed in the spring so you could plan your wintertime crops accordingly . If you intend to plant early vegetables , such as cabbage , broccoli , prickly-seeded spinach , and beets , implant a cereal cover craw such as rye or oats the preceding declination . If you intend to plant veg in April or former May , a leguminous plant crop may be a winter crop option , as it will have sufficient fourth dimension to grow so as to allow a nitrogen welfare . legume will furnish even more nitrogen if the vegetable crop is not planted until late May or June . Also , if you are planting a cover crop in late October , you ’ll demand to choose a cover harvest that germinates at depleted soil temperatures such as grain Secale cereale or Fava beans .
If you are not planning on planting downfall or wintertime vegetables , consider seed your intact garden in a cover crop . Also , cover crops may be sown in between “ rows ” of overwintering vegetables such as garlic .
A combination wintertime cover crop planting of legume ( hairy vetch ) and cereal rye can be sow in in the autumn to provide both a germ of nitrogen and weed controller .
If you are interested in incorporating cover crop in your garden year around , “ The Joys of Cover Cropping Part 2 : Cover Cropping Strategies and Species ” byHarry Usseryprovides recommendations for year - rotund ( fall , winter , spring and summer ) strategy .
Planting Cover Crops
To fix your back crop bed , withdraw all honest-to-goodness plant cloth , debris and large Edward Durell Stone , and rake the planting country smooth . Seed can be hand - broadcasted over the intended sphere at the proper rated suggested byVirginia Cooperative Extensive Publication 426 - 344 . Good seed - to - grime touch improve germination . When cum get stiff , the seed coating rip and the germinating cum dries out which quickly destruct the seedling . Good soil contact ensures that the seed will not be exposed to the drying effects of sun and wind and it bring home the bacon the seed with the continued moisture demand to dispatch the sprouting and egression cognitive operation . After the seed has been air , lightly rake and tamp the seeded expanse with the rake head and water the screen crop with a o.k. water mist .
It is best to graze or lightly till larger source into the dirt to insure good sprouting . Crops with large seeds such as pea plant , vetch , oat , and grain rye whisky may be planted to a depth of 1 - 1½ inch .
Terminating the Cover Crop
One of the big advantages for planting a concealment craw is that they are generally very easy to get established . However , that ease can also promote a mourning band problem when cover crop are leave alone to go to source . Buckwheat and vetches mostly reseed themselves with little difficulty so the gardener needs to be vigilant in mow or pull the crop before it go to seeded player .
In conclusion , not planting a cover craw is a neglect chance for improving your garden . Planting a covert craw is like saving pennies – one penny or one cover song harvest is not going to be that noticeable . However , just like compound interest , several years of using blanket crop strategies in your garden can greatly regard the quality and health of the soil over time . Regardless of garden size , cover crop provide an easy , scotch way to improve soil and guard against eating away . In addition to the benefit of ameliorate production from improved soil , a garden that is filled with fleeceable in mid - wintertime is much more appealing to the eye than a layer of winter weeds or spare soil !
Thanksfor taking the prison term to stop by The Garden Shed and we desire to see you again next calendar month !
Sited Sources :
Brady , Nyle C. , Weil , Ray R.,The Nature and Properties of Soils,14thed . Pearson Prentice Hall , 2008 pp 685 - 687
Virginia Cooperative Extension , Publication 426 - 344 , “ Cover Cropshttp://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-334/426-344table.html
Extension , “ How Cover Crops Suppress Weeds”,http://www.extension.org / pages/18524 / how - cover - crops - suppress - weeds#.VdDxgRzxlZc
Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education ( SARE ) , “ Brassicas and Mustards , http://www.sare.org / Learning - Center / Books / Managing - Cover - Crops - Profitably-3rd - Edition / Text - Version / Nonlegume - Cover - Crops / Brassicas - and - Mustards
Virginia Cooperative Extension , “ Building Healthy Soil ” , issue 426 - 711,http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426 - 711/426 - 711.html
The New England Vegetable Management Guide : “ Cover Crops”,https://nevegetable.org / cultural - exercise / cover charge - harvest - and - light-green - manures
Clemson Cooperative Extension Publication HGIC1252 , “ Cover Crops”,http://www.clemson.edu / extension / hgic / plants / veg / horticulture / hgic1252.html
The University of Vermont , “ Winter Rye : A Reliable Cover Crop”,http://www.uvm.edu / vtvegandberry / factsheets / winterrye.html
North Carolina Cooperative Extension , amend Your Garden Soil with Cover Crops , http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2012/08 / improve - your - garden - soil - with - cover - crops/
Pen State Extension , “ Reducing Soil Born Diseases with Cover Cropshttp://extension.psu.edu/plants/sustainable/production-tips/reducing-soil-borne-disease-with-cover-crops
University of Illinois , Focus on Plant Problems , “ Verticillium Wilt”,http://extension.illinois.edu / focus / index.cfm?problem = verticillium - wilting
Ohio State University Extension , Fact Sheet HYG-3122 - 96 , Fusarium and Verticillium Wilts of Tomato , Potato , Pepper and Eggplant , http://ohioline.osu.edu / hyg - fact/3000/3122.html
Cornell gardening resources , “ ameliorate your ground with Cover Crops ” , Ecogardening Factsheet # 9 bounce 1993http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/ecogardening/impsoilcov.html
Virginia Cooperative Extension , Publication CSES-121NP , “ Virginia Cover Crops , Fact Sheet No.2 : Cover Crop Performance Evaluation in Field and Control Studies”,http://pubs.ext.vt.edu / CSES / CSES-121 / CSES-121.html
Ussery , Harvey , “ The Joys of Cover Cropping Part : 2 Cover Cropping Strategies and Species”.http://www.themodernhomestead.us / clause / Cover+Cropping+Part+Two.html
