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  • From: Shawnee Flowerfarmer <farmingflowers AT hotmail.com>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] cover crops
  • Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:07:54 -0500

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/hort/faculty/bjorkman/covercrops/buckwheatbrochure.html

This link deals specifically with using buckwheat as a cover crop but Cornell does extensive research on everything else...excellent information.

I have used buckwheat as weed control, green manure, and winter cover on a small scale for mixed vegetable cropping and as a nurse crop in native plant restoration.  (All done by hand-no machine help.) I try not to allow any bare soil after harvest and buckwheat is a fast germinating, versatile plant that's easy to knock down when necessary. (Just broadcast some last week in beds after potatoes.)

Shawnee, zone 5, and now, no rain at all. 
 




>
>
> We're getting ready to plant rye/vetch too on the fields that will be
> summer crops next year.
>
> Any suggestions on how to get a fall/winter/spring cover crop on land
> that will go into early crops (planted April here, our last frost is
> around May 10). Or do you really just have to start earlier than
> this? Or leave it fallow. Our plan is to turn the summer crops
> (tomatoes, corn, cucurbits) into the greens beds for next year
> (brassicas, root crops, lettuces, etc.) which get planted in
> successions from April through July, some of them double cropped. The
> summer crops will go into new pasture ground we're just now breaking,
> hopefully we'll get rye/vetch on that this week.
>
>
>
>
> --
> Rachel Evans
> The Sunshine Farm
> 37 Highway 97A
> Chelan, WA 98816
>
> 509-670-8958
> rachel AT sunshinefarmmarket.com
>
>
>
>
> On Sep 14, 2009, at 7:38 AM, Michael Peck wrote:
>
> > I am getting ready to plant my first field. The land has sat for a
> > year with weeds. I have chosen Winter Rye and Hairy Vetch to winter
> > kill; In spring- mow & turn under. The .61 acre has been fitted and
> > is ready to plant.
> >
> > 1- Is 2# / 1000sq ft of 78% Rye, 22% Vetch adequate?
> > I measured out a trial run and the seed seems scantly spread
> > across the area at that rate.
> > I can get more rye, but not vetch in short order. Would it
> > be bad to add more rye, throwing off my rye/vetch ratio?
> >
> > 2- Do I need to water?
> > I read to keep the seeds damp while germinating. There is
> > no rain in sight.
> > I am approx. 6 weeks from first frost. Says to plant 4-6
> > weeks before.
> >
> > 3- Should I rake the seed in.
> > I will be hand broadcasting. Some say just throw in on
> > top. Most reading says to rake it in lightly.
> > Any suggestions.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Michael
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
> >
>
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