When to plant cover crops for your garden, and how to do it right
Q. I would like some pointers for a successful cover crop planting.
Robert B., Templeton
A. Choose what time of the year you want to plant, because seeding can be done in the spring or fall.
Let’s start with some easy-to-grow cover crop seeds for fall. Buckwheat, phacelia, fava beans, bell beans, mustard and vetch do double-duty as nitrogen fixers, bio mass providers and, of course, their ability to attract many beneficial insects to your garden.
When planting in fall or early winter, the cover crop needs to be cut and composted in early spring before any of the flowers go to seed. Otherwise the plant will use the stored nitrogen for its own seed production instead of leaving the nitrogen in the soil and available for your plantings of veggies or flowers.
For a spring cover crop planting, rye grass is so prolific that if you don’t cut it down or till it under quickly to keep it at ankle height, it can grow from ankle to knee-high in days.
Red clover is another spring cover crop and is often planted next to small seedlings, such as lettuce, to protect them from wind or frost. It will also attract many beneficial insects with its showy blooms.
If you decide on a legume rich mix, (40-60 percent), inoculate the seeds before planting. This will increase the sprouting rate of the legumes — peas or beans. Follow the instructions on the inoculant bag. Take some care to prepare the planting area, removing weeds and rocks, breaking up clots by using a rake, and running the tines through the soil.
Then dribble the seed in the grooves and cover the seeds with soil, gently pressing the soil down over the seed. A 2-by-4 board works well. Doing this increases the odds that the seeds will germinate, providing a strong crop to choke out weeds in the spring. Keep the area moist. If you time it right, Mother Nature will do the work for you.
Jutta Thoerner is a UCCE Master Gardener.
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In San Luis Obispo call 781-5939, Arroyo Grande, 473-7190 and Templeton, 434-4105. Visit us at http://ucanr.org/sites/mgslo/ or email us at anrmgslo@ucanr.edu. Follow us on Instagram at slo_mgs and like us on Facebook. Informative garden workshops are held the third Saturday of every month, 10 a.m. to noon at 2156 Sierra Way, San Luis Obispo. Garden docents are available after the workshop until 1 p.m. To request a tour of the garden, call 805-781-5939.
This story was originally published November 1, 2017 at 9:13 AM with the headline "When to plant cover crops for your garden, and how to do it right."