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  • From: Harvey Ussery <harvey@themodernhomestead.us>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] More on fall cover crops
  • Date: Sat, 23 Oct 2010 07:22:31 -0400

A thought worth passing on which I didn't mention in my earlier response to Paul on fall/winter crops: I love the fall roots (winter radishes, turnips) and cooking greens (mustards, rape, et al)--I used to assign them their individual niches in the fall-crops garden beds. Not any more: These are all fantastic fall/winter cover crops--protect the soil over winter, have a "cleansing" effect on soil (discourage fungal diseases), feed the soil/increase OM with the decaying remnants come spring. So I don't plant those crops as individual, carefully tended garden-bed crops any more--I just plant them as cover crops, *lots and lots* of them--they're really easy to grow. Then when supper time comes, I just harvest as much as I need, usually a mix of several species, and bring to the kitchen. As well, I can cut as much as I need to feed live greenery to my poultry after most other options have died/gone dormant. However much I harvest for bird and people, I'm still abundantly feeding my soil. Win-win in every way.

~Harvey

--
Harvey in northern Va
www.themodernhomestead.us

My book, THE MODERN HOMESTEAD POULTRY FLOCK, will be published next year by
Chelsea Green Publishing.





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