Better
soil... less weeds
Planting a winter cover crop has two major benefits. It is a great way
to improve your soil condition and it gives you a head start on next years weeds.
Heres how:
In the late summer when most of your garden is coming to an end, sow an
annual cover crop throughout your garden. During the fall this cover crop will grow
vigorously with little effort from you. The result will be a cover that crowds out any
nasty fall/winter weeds which normally grow and set their seeds for next spring. This
classic idea gives you a head start on the number of weeds youll be fighting next
year & at the same time youll be doing your garden a favor by growing a green
manure which can be turned under in the spring along with some fresh compost before
planting. As an alternative, you can let the crop die off naturally leaving behind a thick
mat of dead mulch which will act as a barrier against weeds and help retain moisture
during the following summer. You can simply poke holes in the dead mulch to sow your seeds
or your transplants in. Some good choices for cover crops are; oats, buck-wheat, rye
grass, millet, & annual or perennial clover. However, you should prevent a cover crop
from going to seed & becoming a problem itself. Simply cut it down before it flowers
and youll be ok!! |