Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Pumpkin Lady <pumpkingal@clearwire.net>]

Emery Mitchamore wrote:
> This was my first year with a cover crop and, in spite of cutting it 
> down twice, it's still growing so vigorously that the Snow Peas are 
> smothered.  It's a mix of Vetch, Wheat, and Oats - maybe something else 
> would be more cooperative.  I'm sure the transplants will fare better, 
> but I don't think I'll do that again.

Vetch has that reputation. I don't care what they say about 
it, I won't use it.

I keep hearing stories on the net about people who got plots 
in a community garden that are completely over-run because 
someone planted it as a green manure and they couldn't get 
rid of it. The person getting the overrun plot often gave up 
and let someone else deal with it, too. I honestly doubt 
vetch would be that aggressive where I live, but why take a 
chance? Vetch is often sold as an erosion control plant. One 
person I know in NC is really mad that they put it down near 
her house. She says it keeps trying to climb out of the 
ditch and up into her yard.

Morgan