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  • From: Tommy Tolson <healinghawk@earthlink.net>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] cover crops
  • Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 06:01:08 -0500

And sheet mulch instead of tilling. Don't do anything to the cover crop save maybe walk over the cardboard sheet layer you apply first. Plant in the top mulch layer, after a light application of compost mixed with garden soil. Urine is a great idea, if you can get to it. Compost it if you feel better about it that way. Google "sheet mulch" for great resources. It's a miracle cure for depleted soils. Good luck. Now's a great time to do it, so the sun does most of the work for you.

BTW - Using Permaculture principles and practices leaves us with time to develop our experience into cogent thought by expressing ourselves. Evolution is 99% cognitive development, IMHO.

Smiles.
Tommy

On 8/13/10 11:09 PM, Tradingpost wrote:
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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