{"id":19427,"date":"2022-08-15T09:13:45","date_gmt":"2022-08-15T13:13:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greatbiggreenhouse.com\/?p=19427"},"modified":"2022-08-15T09:13:45","modified_gmt":"2022-08-15T13:13:45","slug":"bonnies-garden-about-cover-crops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/great-big-greenhouse-gardening-blog\/bonnies-garden-about-cover-crops\/","title":{"rendered":"BONNIE’S GARDEN – About Cover Crops"},"content":{"rendered":"
Besides getting rid of summer debris, one thing we can do to really improve next spring\u2019s garden is to consider planting a cover crop.<\/p>\n
Cover crops are sometimes called green manure. They do important things\u2014like help to replenish the soil, keep weeds down over the winter, prevent erosion and many varieties even bloom in early spring\u2014providing food for foraging bees.<\/p>\n
Cover crops also prevent erosion and can reduce soil loss by improving the structure of the soil. And cover crops are very little work. Either late fall or early spring you simply till them INTO the soil and let them continue to enrich the soil as they break down.<\/p>\n
Legumes, like clover, fix nitrogen in the soil. Clover grows fast and produces attractive red flower heads that are very pollinator friendly. When it\u2019s finished blooming and before seeds set, till it in. You can plant approximately four weeks later.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s very good at retrieving phosphorus from the soil. Buckwheat grows very quickly and is great for inhibiting weed growth.\u00a0\u00a0White flowers are pollinator friendly.\u00a0\u00a0Till it under after blooming but before seeds form.\u00a0\u00a0It breaks down quickly and you can plant three to four weeks after tilling under.<\/p>\n
Vetch adds nitrogen to the soil. It grows fast and it is a great weed blocker. It lasts over the winter, making it good erosion control. Plant your summer veggies four to five weeks after tilling it in. It produces bee-friendly flowers.<\/p>\n
This is a mixture of field peas and oats. It adds nutrients to the soil and helps to suppress weeds. The tops can be cut and used as fresh mulch, leaving the roots to break down in the soil. Or you can till the whole plant in, planting three to four weeks after tilling.<\/p>\n
If you have any questions about the coming fall (or any other season) planting, come in and see us!<\/p>\n
To read more from Bonnie, visit our blog<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Besides getting rid of summer debris, one thing we can do to really improve next spring\u2019s garden is to consider planting a cover crop. Cover crops are sometimes called green manure. They do important things\u2014like help to replenish the soil, keep weeds down over the winter, prevent erosion and many varieties even bloom in early … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19428,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n