Comments for Plant Cover Crops

Comment on Planting into “Out of Control” Peas – The Rest of the Story by Dave

Dave — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:22:28 +0000

Hi David, Where are you from?
The producer planted 35#/acre of the N-Vest Groundbreaker Mix (the recommended rate). He bought his N-Vest GroundBreaker from Cover Crops*USA out of Indianapolis, IN.

Comment on Planting into “Out of Control” Peas – The Rest of the Story by David Mull

David Mull — Tue, 15 May 2012 03:37:29 +0000

how much N-Vest Groundbreaker per acre planted? where did you get the seed

Comment on Cover Crop Turnips – A Good Choice Over Radishes? by Dave

Dave — Sun, 06 May 2012 00:51:17 +0000

Holly,

I like a number of cover crops for gardens. I prefer to mix a legume (Nitrogen producer) with a nitrogen scavenger. My “favorite” is a mixture of crimson clover (or peas)and radishes…or crimson clover and a grass like annual ryegrass or cereal rye. You can seed the cover crops as soon as the garden plants start to die out. So as the peas are finishing up you can plant either another garden plant…or add cover crops into that area. When the sweet corn is finished then add cover crops! That way the soil is always covered and feeding microbes and earthworms!

Comment on Killing Cover Crop Annual Ryegrass – How Are We Doing? by Dave

Dave — Sun, 06 May 2012 00:37:13 +0000

Great suggestions! Thanks Seth!

Comment on Cover Crop Turnips – A Good Choice Over Radishes? by Dave

Dave — Sun, 06 May 2012 00:36:24 +0000

Hey Kevin, I’m from NE Indiana and the farms in the blog post are silt loam to clay loam soil. Some of the radishes did not die this winter…and in my garden lots of radish seed sown last fall actually came up this spring! Like you I recommend and use a legume with radishes and ryegrass and/or rye.

Comment on Cover Crop Turnips – A Good Choice Over Radishes? by Kevin

Kevin — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 14:52:13 +0000

Where are you from? What soil do you have? Sandy, clay (if wet your rubber boots get sticky and big), or silty (more slippery like soap). Either way, Tillage Radish is one of the things to put in. Most gardens are low in fiber (organic matter). We put our grass clippings on ours. Mixing some annual ryegrass with the radish works well. Adding a legume like hairy vetch adds some nitrogen. Seeding a winter cereal also is good for stimulating microbes in the soil. Let the winter cereal grow 8 – 10″ high, then mow it down, let it regrow. We also try to return most of the vegetable growth back to the soil. When our peas are done, we mow them. Radishes require 40 days of growth before a killing frost (3 nights of -9°C or 15°F). Best to work them into the ground in the fall. The biofumigant part of the radish may be too much for your neighbours.

Comment on Killing Cover Crop Annual Ryegrass – How Are We Doing? by Seth Little

Seth Little — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:36:14 +0000

Can’t hurt to add some fusilade or select maxx to glyphosate when killing annual ryegrass. Two-modes of action and no antagonism.

Comment on Cover Crop Turnips – A Good Choice Over Radishes? by Holly

Holly — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:02:11 +0000

Dave,
What type of seed would you recommend for an urban garden?
Holly

Comment on Cover Crop Turnips – A Good Choice Over Radishes? by Dave

Dave — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:45:12 +0000

Holly, That can be true of both radishes and turnips. Mustard probably does better than either one of those! There is lots of great research being done at Michigan State University by Dr. Mathieu Ngouajio. Id suggest you do a web search on his work to see his excellent work on the brassia family and how they help in various ways. Dave

Comment on Cover Crop Turnips – A Good Choice Over Radishes? by Holly Utrata-Halcomb

Holly Utrata-Halcomb — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:23:29 +0000

Dave,
I have heard that radishes can “fumigate” the soil ridding it of desease and pest eggs. Is this true and can Turnips do the same?
Holly