Garden Cover Crop

Cowpeas center bed will add nitrogen to this garden s soil and dutch white clover right bed will make a great living mulch for interplanted food crops.

Garden cover crop. If your soil is in need of nitrogen use austrian peas or the like as a cover crop. While your garden soil is lying dormant cover crops can prevent your precious dirt from becoming unproductive. Unlike garden crops planted for their delicious edible outcomes cover crops planted between growing seasons boost soil health and ensuing vegetable production a sort of crop s crop. Grasses are quick to germinate and generally more effective at controlling weeds than legume cover crops which are some of the reasons that annual rye grass is such a popular cover crop.

The use of cover crops in a home vegetable garden is a resource not used enough by local gardeners. A fall cover crop is a must for a great garden it not only replenishes minerals and stops erosion but also loosens the soil and eliminates next year s weeds. Cover crops at work. Not only will a cover crop strengthen soil with nutrients it helps to loosen it for better root growth.

Certain cover crops will boost your garden soil with nitrogen potassium phosphorus and or many other important nutrients. Cover crops take very little labor while also adding organic material to your soil. Plant grass crops such as winter wheat grain rye or oats to scavenge leftover nutrients from the veggie garden and then recycle them by plowing it in the spring depending upon your soil needs you may even plant a combination of green manure and grass as a cover crop. Planted in rotation with edibles cover crops improve soil by adding and retaining minerals and organic matter.