Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>]

Barbara, I can't answer your questions about the brassicas but here's my list 
of cover crop resources. Someone else will have to answer what cover crops 
would be New England specific. As for the phosphate issue, I'm using bought 
bone meal - small quantities - which isn't mined. We can talk techniques all 
you want, anytime. But I try not to go on and on about my own methods which 
are specific to small plot intensive market production in a short season arid 
climate. Obviously dozens of different adaptions are needed in other regions 
and situations, and others are far better able to discuss those.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net
------------------------------------------

Overview of Cover Crops and Green Manures
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/covercrop.html

Choosing the best cover crops for your organic no-till vegetable system
A detailed guide to using 29 species

UC SAREP Cover Crop Resource Page
http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/ccrop/

Selecting the Best Cover Crop for Your Farm
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs/nwl/2005/2005-4-leoletter/cover_crop.pdf

Winter Cover Crops
http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/forages/publications/ay247.htm

Annual Winter Cover Crops Legumes for Nitrogen Fixing Growing ...
http://www.kuow.org/garden/031001.txt

cover Crop Fundamentals, AGF-142-99
http://ohioline.osu.edu/agf-fact/0142.html

OPERATING A PROFITABLE SMALL FARM
http://www.agnr.umd.edu/users/frederick/pubs/Opfarm18.pdf

Hairy vetch is a cover crop that is an attractive option
http://www.umassvegetable.org/soil_crop_pest_mgt/soil_nutrient_mgt/hairy_vet
ch_cover_crop.html

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 8/13/2010 at 7:55 PM Barbara Money wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>While the latest threads on sustainability and whether or not we are all
>going to die of raised temperatures is fascinating and thought provoking
>(seriously, I'm learning a lot), could we have some discussion now and
>again on actual gardening techniques? I'm particularly thinking about
>putting in a winter cover crop, as opposed to just covering my garden
>plots with leaves, straw, manure, etc. Now Ken's CD has a list of some
>cover crops for various applications --to increase nitrogen or to uptake
>phosphorus, for example-- but I'm wondering what would be the best
>application for southern New England. I'm a little short on phosphorus;
>I can get all the manure (N) I want from a couple of local farms, and I
>have tons of wood ash (K). I look on the list and I see Buckwheat will
>uptake phosphorus, but it's grown as a spring/summer crop. I don't have
>so much area for gardening that I can tie up a good chunk for buckwheat
>(though I could, and would, harvest the seeds). Also Red Clover will
>accumulate P, but again, as it won't die down in the winter, I'd have to
>figure out a way to remove it without tilling so I can plant where it
>grew. Tiny seeds like the Brassicas won't grow in slits cut in the
>clover, and I've had poor success with seedlings. Mowing closely would
>work I suppose if it kills the root, but I want to get away from using
>fossil-fuel power. I've considered planting the buckwheat after harvest
>so it gets up a bit before frost, but will it have time to grow enough
>to be worthwhile? I think the list was created with the idea the crops
>would be tilled under.
>
>I wonder if the low Phosphorus, or high Nitrogen, was the cause of my
>onions being really small, and my turnips being non-existent. Plenty of
>greens, just no turnip roots. Brassicas in general, (collards, brussels
>sprouts, broccoli) just not doing well. On the other hand, I'm having a
>bumper crop of Butternut squash!
>
>What has worked well for you in New England? Am I better off just using
>the composted material top dressed as I have been? What about
>phosphorus? The manures I have access to are horse and llama, which have
>some phosphate but not a lot. Maybe sheep in a year or so. I am unlikely
>to be adding urine as was discussed not long ago. I can get phosphate
>rock, but it's mined so will be a finite, and unsustainable, supply.
>
>Thanks,
>Barbara M, Foster, RI
>
>--
>"Animals Are A Gift"
>
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