garden:cultivate:tasks:grnmanure
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garden:cultivate:tasks:grnmanure [2014/11/03 14:38] – [For 2015] davidbac | garden:cultivate:tasks:grnmanure [2014/11/03 20:44] (current) – [For 2015] davidbac | ||
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+ | ===== Green manure ===== | ||
+ | There is a long list of the beneficial functions of green manure cover crops. The ones I have sought are: | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Suppressing weeds | ||
+ | * Adding organic matter | ||
+ | * Adding nutrients, especially nitrogen | ||
+ | * Bringing nutrients from deep down | ||
+ | * Encouraging micro-organisms | ||
+ | * Improving soil structure | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== What I have planted ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | In 2013 I planted: | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Buckwheat (as a Spring/ | ||
+ | * Alfalfa and clover (Medic Mix) (as a Summer smother crop and green manure) which failed completely to germinate | ||
+ | * Cereal Rye (as a Winter cover crop and to add organic matter through its root system) | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Timing ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The challenge of planting cover crops where the area is to be used for growing the following season is timing: | ||
+ | * Can I move veggie crops out in time to allow the cover crop to germinate before cold weather comes? In 2013 it was a challenge to prepare the ground for planting of rye and vetch because the beans needed to dry out. We sowed the vetch too late for significant germination. | ||
+ | * Can I terminate the cover crop soon enough in the Spring/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | So significant factors in choosing a cover crop are how late in the Fall it can germinate and how long it occupies the area before it can be terminated effectively. These are in addition to serving a purpose of providing nutrients an organic matter. | ||
+ | |||
+ | We do leave about one-third of our garden in summer cover each year, which adds to the complexity of managing the remainder. | ||
+ | ==== For 2015 ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | My choices for the 2014-2015 Winter season are: | ||
+ | * Crimson clover | ||
+ | * Medic mix (alfalfa and clover) | ||
+ | * Winter mix (Austrian winter peas, cereal rye, triticale, annual rye grass and crimson clover | ||
+ | |||
+ | I searched for a good cover crop for the heavy clay soil at one garden and wasn't pleased with the choices I had available. I settled on the Gardenway winter mix, the third in the list above. I'm hoping that a few of the varieties, probably winter peas and cereal rye, come close to surviving and thriving. The peas need a pole to climb on. I had no luck with vetch in the heavy soil last year and there' |
garden/cultivate/tasks/grnmanure.txt · Last modified: 2014/11/03 20:44 by davidbac