What kind of green cover crop to plant?

[Oldcountryboy]

I will ask this question on the gardening site too.

What kind of green cover crop should I plant this fall to build up my soil? I have a lot of spring oats leftover, can I use them? Or are they strictly a spring plant, hence the name "Spring Oats"?

[fostina1]

i plan on doing turnip greens or something similar to supplement the feeding of my chickens and rabbits.

[geo in mi]

Last year I had about a 3,000 sq ft area where I used oats, turnips, and great northern beans, straight from the grocery store, planted at just about this time. That turned out to be the most lush, rankest plowdown materials I've ever seen. Plowed it under(lost the original chrome radiator cap from my 9n in one of the furrows) in late September and left it until spring. Then went back with oats, sweet clover, and ladino clover to leave for at least the next two years to build the soil. I'm figuring to follow this kind of rotation among four garden plots of equal size for the next few years. Just about ready to do the same in another plot next week.

Also, after the potatoes are hilled the second time, I put them away with oats sowed in between the rows. Planted in the row bottoms that way--much lower after using the dirt for making the hills, all that growing material will be covered up when I dig the potatoes--thus leaving some organic materials to build the soil as well. I also use oats between the strawberry rows, after they have set runners, so as to get some material between the rows and fold over for a light winter mulch--works pretty well. Even though oats winter kill, they still leave lots of root materials to rot down for organic matter. I also plant lots of turnips to get green materials for the compost pile...... Works for me.

[rambler]

Originally Posted by Oldcountryboy

I will ask this question on the gardening site too.

What kind of green cover crop should I plant this fall to build up my soil? I have a lot of spring oats leftover, can I use them? Or are they strictly a spring plant, hence the name "Spring Oats"?

Depends on your climate some - filling out your location would help.

Would you like to:

build organic matter.

Add nitrogen fertilizer.

Scavage N, P, & K from your soil to be released next spring - instead of leaching out of courser soils.

Hold the soil from erosion - wind or water.

Offer some grazing or feed for critters in the off season.


There are different things that will accomplish these different goals.

Plant a legume (alfalfa, clover, etc.) to add N to the soil for example.

Oats will add organic matter & offer erosion control.

Rye will do the same, plus keep weed seeds from sprouting - but won't kill off easily & could interfere with some crops in spring.

Turnips, forage radish, and others will scavage P,K,&N out of your soil now, release it next spring so it doesn't leach away in sandier soils.

A combination of the above makes good forage for cattle & other critters.

Lots of things I didn't mention, just depends on what you want to accomplish most - a few examples.

I plant oats for harvest on a few acres - I put down clover, alfalfa, peas, and turnips at the same time in spring. The peas make N pretty fast, to feed the oats.

The clover & alfalfa make N later in fall to feed the ground for next year's crop.

The turnips suck up left over nutrients to stay near the soil surface.

I let cattle graze it in September, so the turnips, clover, alfalfa, and regrowing oats (small seeds) feeds the cattle. Which lerave manure to feed next year's crop.

I harvest oats for grain, straw for bedding, and a month of good grazing off the field by the end of the year, with a lot of N & organic matter added back into the soil.

Depends what you want to accomplish.

--->Paul

[Lazy J]

We will be planting Tillage Radishes on several of our farm fields (approx. 100 acres) this summer to help with tilth and to scavenge nutrients. I bet they would work well in a garden also.

Check them out at http://www.tillageradish.com/

[Wanderer0101]

hairy vetch

[Allen W]

The spring oats should freeze and die before spring if planted early and get plenty of growth, and sub freezing temps.

[Callieslamb]

Call your extension service. They will know what will work best for your soil type and your climate

I plan onf doing buckwheat now and annual rye/vetch later. Maybe some wheat or oats -strickly for plowing under - not for allowing to make a crop.

[agmantoo]

crimson clover

[Tricky Grama]

Originally Posted by Wanderer0101

hairy vetch

This is what I did a few yrs ago, then semi-spaded it and added expaned shale, humates, molasses, lava sand, compost. Now I can did w/trowel.

But I'm in NE TX-if I were farther north, I'd use alfalfa.

Patty

[makeitmyself]

There are a lot of different choices. I've had good luck with winter rye and hairy vetch.

[Wanderer0101]

Originally Posted by Tricky Grama

This is what I did a few yrs ago, then semi-spaded it and added expaned shale, humates, molasses, lava sand, compost. Now I can did w/trowel.

But I'm in NE TX-if I were farther north, I'd use alfalfa.

Patty

That's all good stuff. I bet you listen to the Dirt Doctor, me too.