The Bar 717 Ranch also known as Camp Trinity in Hyampom California. Camp Trinity is a summer camp for kids focused on Pioneer Living, horses and sustainability. I am helping them create a sustainable homestead farm.[img]https://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab73/1Farmer_Dave/Planting/plantinghomestead.jpg[/img]
Green manure also known as cover crop is a great way to build your soil. We just got ours in, in the nick of time. I usually plant my green manure crops in October or early November but I have learned that if I miss the early planting I can still plant in Mid February and the cover crops grow nearly as tall. By the time camp Trinity asked for my help in the fall it was already to late and too wet to disk and plant.
On February 22nd we disked up a 1/2 acre garden area and I used a small hand planter which Camp Trinity has for seeding. Usually I just put my seed in a bucket and hand broadcast the seed. It will be interesting to see how even this turns out, it sure was fast and easy to plant using the seeder.
I planted some annual rye, peas, vetch and bell beans as a cover crop to produce green manure. The next day it rained, perfect timing!
[img]https://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab73/1Farmer_Dave/Planting/plantingcovercrop1.jpg[/img]
Green manure cover crops will build the soil in two ways. Cover crops are usually a legume that fixes nitrogen in the soil and a grain that provides green matter (cellulose) for the soil. This cover crop is a mix of vetch, bell beans and rye.
Cover crops build soil composition and increase fertility.
The cover crop will grow until mid April when we will till it in for summer crops.
Turning in green manure cover crops- If I roto-till my garden area I turn the cover crops in two to four weeks before planting. I generally roto-till the whole area, roughly turning in the cover crops and then watering to help the green manure break down. A week or two later I roto-till again to further break down the organic plant material.
If I have cover cropped and I am hand farming I turn the cover crops in with a garden fork at least four weeks before my final bed preparation to give time for the cover crops to break down.
If don?t get a chance to turn them in early enough. I can hand pull the cover crops right before final bed preparation, and then fertilize and plant the next day. The the hand pulled cover crops are great for my compost piles. Using cover crops also known as green manure is an effective way of improving your soil quality for this years planting as well as improving the soil for years to come.
Happy planting
Farmer Dave
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Farmer Dave
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- Location: California
nice post FarmerDave ! ... I am a big fan of cover crops.
I am doing some more experimentations with Crimson Clover and Beans (as cover crops) this year.
I am a big fan of Buckwheat. I don't believe it has any of the Nitrogen-fixing properties of a legume, but it is great to "smother" weeds, and Buckwheat adds a lot of organic matter to the soil. Also, I find that Buckwheat decomposes quickly, so other crops can be planted soon after the Buckwheat is turned under.
A plot of Buckwheat in the summertime, full of honey bees, is a beautiful thing.
When you read most books, they will tell you to never let your cover crops go to seed; because the cover crop can then become a "weed".
But, I find that to never be an issue (for me) with Buckwheat.
In the garden, I often let my Buckwheat go to seed. That way, if I have a neglected (not planted) spot in the garden, the Buckwheat quickly pops up to shelter the soil and prevent any weeds from getting a foothold.
If any pops up in a vegetable planting, it's so easy to just snatch it out of the ground and throw it down for some extra mulch.
For anyone that has used Buckwheat as a Cover Crop, but never let it go to seed, you might consider trying it ... my "perpetual" Buckwheat is a great friend in the garden.
I am doing some more experimentations with Crimson Clover and Beans (as cover crops) this year.
I am a big fan of Buckwheat. I don't believe it has any of the Nitrogen-fixing properties of a legume, but it is great to "smother" weeds, and Buckwheat adds a lot of organic matter to the soil. Also, I find that Buckwheat decomposes quickly, so other crops can be planted soon after the Buckwheat is turned under.
A plot of Buckwheat in the summertime, full of honey bees, is a beautiful thing.
When you read most books, they will tell you to never let your cover crops go to seed; because the cover crop can then become a "weed".
But, I find that to never be an issue (for me) with Buckwheat.
In the garden, I often let my Buckwheat go to seed. That way, if I have a neglected (not planted) spot in the garden, the Buckwheat quickly pops up to shelter the soil and prevent any weeds from getting a foothold.
If any pops up in a vegetable planting, it's so easy to just snatch it out of the ground and throw it down for some extra mulch.
For anyone that has used Buckwheat as a Cover Crop, but never let it go to seed, you might consider trying it ... my "perpetual" Buckwheat is a great friend in the garden.
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Farmer Dave
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- Location: California
Hi cover croppers
I love to plant buckwheat in the summer, it is frost sensitive so I don't use it in the winter. I often combine it with soy beans as they fix nitrogen so you get a nice blend of nitrogen fixing from the soy beans and cellulose from the buckwheat. I let my buckwheat go to seed every now and then and collect the seeds for future cover cropping. I don't find it to be a problem to have buckwheat sprouts in my beds either. If you let them go to seed before turning them in they do not benefit your soil as much. The prime time for turning in a cover crop is when it starts to flower as the plants start to put their energy into the flowers and seeds and less goes into the soil.
If you are also feeding honey bees then it is best to let them flower.
As far as vetch goes it gives your soil a lot of nitrogen and cellulose. It is a very good soil and nutrient builder. I have never heard of it taking toxins out of the soil and I hope I never have to garden in a place that needs toxins removed but if I do I will remember that.
Happy cover cropping
Farmer Dave
I love to plant buckwheat in the summer, it is frost sensitive so I don't use it in the winter. I often combine it with soy beans as they fix nitrogen so you get a nice blend of nitrogen fixing from the soy beans and cellulose from the buckwheat. I let my buckwheat go to seed every now and then and collect the seeds for future cover cropping. I don't find it to be a problem to have buckwheat sprouts in my beds either. If you let them go to seed before turning them in they do not benefit your soil as much. The prime time for turning in a cover crop is when it starts to flower as the plants start to put their energy into the flowers and seeds and less goes into the soil.
If you are also feeding honey bees then it is best to let them flower.
As far as vetch goes it gives your soil a lot of nitrogen and cellulose. It is a very good soil and nutrient builder. I have never heard of it taking toxins out of the soil and I hope I never have to garden in a place that needs toxins removed but if I do I will remember that.
Happy cover cropping
Farmer Dave
Farmer Dave.
Thanks for posting your cover cropping technique. I have a small vineyard that I am looking to plant cover crop between rows this year. Discouraging to find that most of what I am reading says I am starting too late (early Feb).
The prescribed soil temp. of 60 to 70 to 80 depending on the species for germination is what I fear the most. But I will be throwing caution to the wind this year and just go for it this weekend. Are you using a seed that has been innocluated with rhibo. bacteria? I would be interested in your thoughts on the nitrogen fixation of the blend you have been using. Nitrogen fixation in the soil is key for me at this point, its a young vineyard and I need to be able to sustain pretty high levels of it in the soil as often as I can.
Again, thanks for your posting. Much appreciated.
Thanks for posting your cover cropping technique. I have a small vineyard that I am looking to plant cover crop between rows this year. Discouraging to find that most of what I am reading says I am starting too late (early Feb).
The prescribed soil temp. of 60 to 70 to 80 depending on the species for germination is what I fear the most. But I will be throwing caution to the wind this year and just go for it this weekend. Are you using a seed that has been innocluated with rhibo. bacteria? I would be interested in your thoughts on the nitrogen fixation of the blend you have been using. Nitrogen fixation in the soil is key for me at this point, its a young vineyard and I need to be able to sustain pretty high levels of it in the soil as often as I can.
Again, thanks for your posting. Much appreciated.
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rainbowgardener
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But wow that's a lot of tilling! Those of us that are working on building up rich, biologically active soils with good microbial and fungal populations, don't like to till very often or at all. Anyone doing cover cropping with no till methods? How do you do that?
My gardening is too small scale to really do cover cropping. But last fall, I did plant peas in a couple raised beds, too late for them to actually produce peas. After the peas were sprouted, I laid down my winter mulch cover. When I plant this spring, I will just bury the dead pea plants in the bed.
My gardening is too small scale to really do cover cropping. But last fall, I did plant peas in a couple raised beds, too late for them to actually produce peas. After the peas were sprouted, I laid down my winter mulch cover. When I plant this spring, I will just bury the dead pea plants in the bed.
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applestar
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There are three ways that I know of to cover crop with no tilling.
One way which I use most often in my small beds is to plant cover crops that won't survive the winter in my cold climate. they just die and form mulch that you can plant through.
You can also cut down with knife or hand sickle or take down swaths with scythe, or mow.
For people with large fields, there's IS a piece of equipment described at the Rodale's cover crop site. It's a tractor attachment that looks like a roller/drum with non-cutting bars that push down/bend over the cover crop.
One way which I use most often in my small beds is to plant cover crops that won't survive the winter in my cold climate. they just die and form mulch that you can plant through.
You can also cut down with knife or hand sickle or take down swaths with scythe, or mow.
For people with large fields, there's IS a piece of equipment described at the Rodale's cover crop site. It's a tractor attachment that looks like a roller/drum with non-cutting bars that push down/bend over the cover crop.
One of my experiments this year, will be growing four (4) Cover Crops, in succession, on a 30' x 40' area. I'm contemplating trying to find a balance between no till and being able to have a respectable seed bed to accept the next crop.
What I have settled on trying is this...
First, I will slowly turn the soil with a plow. That seems to be the least "damaging" way to incorporate or "turn in" the existing crop growth. Then, I will roto-till only the surface 1 to 2 inches of the soil, to prepare a smooth seed bed for the next crop.
To me, that seems to be a practical method for planting preparation; and should be much more supportive of the soil biology than "hammering away" with a deep rotary tilling.
we'll see ...
What I have settled on trying is this...
First, I will slowly turn the soil with a plow. That seems to be the least "damaging" way to incorporate or "turn in" the existing crop growth. Then, I will roto-till only the surface 1 to 2 inches of the soil, to prepare a smooth seed bed for the next crop.
To me, that seems to be a practical method for planting preparation; and should be much more supportive of the soil biology than "hammering away" with a deep rotary tilling.
we'll see ...
Dave,
I used a seeder very similar to the one in your picture - more than four decades ago! It worked a treat. Evenly broadcast the seed, I could do a half-acre in about an hour. I really liked the sound it made when scattering the seed.
This year, I didn't sow a cover crop, first time in years. I think it was due in large part to the horrible year we had. From early spring to late fall, the weather was about as bad as it could get. By October, I was praying for a killing frost to end my misery. But normally, I let the winter wheat grow until late April or very early May, then use a weed-eater to cut the foliage. It goes into a compost pile, layered with leaves I save from the fall. The roots get tilled into the soil, where they provide lots of organic matter.
Dad use to sow tobacco fields in wheat. I can remember a couple of springs when we had to rig up a chain to bend the wheat over so it could be plowed under.
Mike
I used a seeder very similar to the one in your picture - more than four decades ago! It worked a treat. Evenly broadcast the seed, I could do a half-acre in about an hour. I really liked the sound it made when scattering the seed.
This year, I didn't sow a cover crop, first time in years. I think it was due in large part to the horrible year we had. From early spring to late fall, the weather was about as bad as it could get. By October, I was praying for a killing frost to end my misery. But normally, I let the winter wheat grow until late April or very early May, then use a weed-eater to cut the foliage. It goes into a compost pile, layered with leaves I save from the fall. The roots get tilled into the soil, where they provide lots of organic matter.
Dad use to sow tobacco fields in wheat. I can remember a couple of springs when we had to rig up a chain to bend the wheat over so it could be plowed under.
Mike