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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] cover crops

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: "John D'hondt" <dhondt@eircom.net>
  • To: "Healthy soil and sustainable growing" <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] cover crops
  • Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:31:29 +0100


Why wouldn't deep-rooted cover crops bring up phosphorus that isn't
available in the vegetables' root zone?

In our case because the soil is not that deep that vegetable roots would not get to the bottom of it if they wanted. Sometimes they might not want to because of high water tables. (like over the last three very wet years)
In a good deep well draining soil it could work.



I thought that was one reason why one used them.

We never use cover crops as such. But two days after the last of the summer peas were cleared away we planted seedlings of red kale, mizuna, mibuna, giant red mustard and turnips that will grow until the Spring. When these come out of the ground the next crop will go in within days.
Cover crops are mostly there to protect the soil from drying out and erosion. Our crops are the cover except where we have weeds.


Oh, I should say this garden area was last used as a horse paddock, and by rights should be full of phosphorus (smile). Though that was 2 years ago, and was let run to weeds since. I did plant squash last year where the turnips are, and it was manured well then too. Hmm, different horses' poop last year, the squash didn't bear well, and the other area I used it the brussel sprouts didn't make "sprouts"... the horse owner used it on her garden which was astoundingly bountiful. Could it be the seed? I hear most seed companies are owned by Monsanto and its kind.

I would advise everyone to start saving their own seeds. That is the only way to have crops adapted to local circumstances. There many things that breed true and are so easy to save seed from that it is ridiculous to buy seed every year. Tomatoes for instance. We save seeds from the best tomato on the best plant of a variety as follows : eat your tomato but before swallowing the lot you lick seeds on a clean dry tissue paper about two cm (a bit less than an inch apart) in rows and collums until the paper is ful. Continue on several new tissue papers if you want many tomato plants. The seeds stick to the paper liked they were glued.
We dry paper and seeds for a few days and then store them in a zip-lock bag. Advantage of the paper also is that you can write the variety and date on it.
At planting time next Spring I fill a flat tray with home made compost. Put the tissue papers on top removing unwanted layers if such there are. Cover thinly with a bit more compost and water. In a warm place we have germination within days with seedling a bit less than an inch apart in both directions. I transplant to pots when there are 3-4 real leaves and at that stage the tissue paper is completely gone.
Takes less time to do than to write about.
John




Barbara M,
Foster, RI

--
"Animals Are A Gift"

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