during the winter and fallow periods.
They are either needed or beneficial for several reasons to include:
1. Prevent soil erosion, water contamination, and to aide flood control.
2. Reduce soil compaction.
3. Prepare a new field for future production.
4. Minimize weed encroachment.
5. Fertilize with "green manure" and improve the field's soil structure
to include its water retention.
6. Minimize nitrogen leeching or over feeding of nitrogen and other minerals.
7. Attract beneficial insects and some attract honey bees.
8. Attract and sustain beneficial organisms which speed decomposition of our
humus and they compete with disease causing bacteria to limit their expansion.
9. Some mine minerals such as calcium from deeper soil and bring them into their
plant structure which will enrich the soil next spring when they are plowed under.
Typically, the only cover crop that can be planted now and until the first part of November is Winter Rye-grass. Warmer area residents, check with your county extension and other support organizations and see if you have time left to plant a needed cover crop this fall.
Winter Rye-grass has a vigorous root system and good plant growth which are needed to prevent soil erosion from both wind and water runoff. Winter Rye-grass smothers weeds and appears to possess a chemical that suppresses weed seed germination. It provides good biomass for soil structure in the spring or it can be mowed and used as straw mulch around strawberry plants for example.
Winter Rye-grass is not a good choice for a home gardener as it requires either mowing or heavy tilling capability to incorporate its matter into the field the next year. A home gardener will find annual plants to include annual rye grass which will winter kill and be partially decomposed by spring a better selection. These annual plants provide soil erosion protection by leaving their dead matter on the soil and by their providing biomass to help retain water in the soil once they are incorporated next spring.
Winter Rye-grass can also present a weed problem if it is not turned under soon enough in the spring. Heavy spring rains can cause substantial difficulty. Also, winter rye-grass not only suppresses weed seed germination but also the germination of fruit and vegetable seed. Several weeks rest after it is tilled under is needed before the field can be planted with certain crops. Winter
Rye-grass is best used in rotation with late start crops and by those who have mowing equipment or heavy tilling equipment. With adquate tilling equipment, one can mow to harvest the grass and then plow under the stubble and the roots to nourish the soil.
If you need nitrogen, Winter Rye-grass does not fix nitrogen but can be sowed mixed with clovers, hairy vetch, or cow-peas which do supply nitrogen to the soil. These covers typically need to be planted at earlier date but check and see if your locality can germinate and allow sufficient growth to occur before winter kill sets in.
I believe Winter Ryegrass would make a good slope contour strip to minimize soil errosion and to used to harvest needed mulch. I would use it in a "permanent" year round strip on a sloped field.
Over cropping efforts must be carefully considered and executed to minimize hardship from error rates. Winter is a great time to read and get the notepad out for planning goals, costs, and efforts involved in a new project.
This is a subject in which I am very interested so I will be writing about a number of planning considerations in the future. I am seeking organic and minimal invasion of natural processes to provide the healthiest and most sustainable agricultural environment one can develop.
Thank for visiting the blog today.
Happy fields to you,
Linda Headley
HomeHobbyFarming.blogspot.com
Just a Home Gardner
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