Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Nigel Kirby" <naturespirit@clearwire.net>]

Hi Liz,

I use a mixture of fava beans, winter rye, winter pea and crimson clover as
a cover crop. I haven't experimented much but I have heard that daikon is
great for breaking up and adding organic matter to the soil. Apparently,
Masanobu Fukuoka would plant daikon for this purpose and let them get huge.
The decomposing roots would then leave large pockets of organic matter deep
down in the soil.
Often when I plant my cover crops other weeds and self seeding starts from
my garden come up too. I just leave these and allow them to act as a cover
also. Cardoon has a deep tap root and borage produces a lot of green matter.
I treat them all the same and cut them down as they begin to flower in the
spring.

Nige