And you thought you were done planting...
Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Glenn Fawcett
Ok, you planted your early spring vegetable crop of peas, lettuces and broccoli, and then you planted your summer crop of tomatoes and peppers. When they were finishing up, you planted a fall crop of lettuces, spinach or garlic.
And, once you got your spring flower bulbs planted, you thought you were done planting for the season, didn't you?
Wrong.
You need to plant a cover crop.
Cover crops are especially good for vegetable gardens, which are subject to wind and rain erosion during the dormant months of winter.
Planting of cover crop - annual rye, oats or winter wheat - prevents that, and feeds the soil. The roots work the soil structure for you and, when you cut down the crop in spring, the roots remain in the ground as organic material.The tops - greens, grasses, wheat or clover - can be mowed down and left to decay in the garden, perhaps under a fresh one-inch layer of compost. (You should be adding an inch of compost to your garden every year, anyway.)
If you cover crop dies off before spring, no need to remove it. Simply dig through the layer of desiccated material and plant your spring vegetables. The remains of the cover crop will act as both mulch and added organic material. Check out Maryland First Lady Katie O'Malley's kitchen garden at Government House in Annapolis. Maryland Master Gardener Lisa Winters will be planting a cover crop there in the days ahead.
Comments
So... where does one aquire seed for these sorts of crops ?
Garden centers might not have them, but farm centers will. Like Southern, and such. Call around. -- Susan
Posted by: Dave T | October 12, 2010 5:17 PM
I tried growing cover crops for the first time this year to break up compact soil and add organic matter... Picked up a $2 bag of soybeans from the grocery store, which went a long way. They look nice in the garden and are growing fast. Also lentils are supposed to work well. Just about any legume from the grocery store should grow. Even bird seed will grow (found that out the hard way).
Lol Trisha. Bird seed makes my husband the grass lover CRAZY! -- Susan
Posted by: Trisha | October 12, 2010 10:04 PM