The health and vitality of garden plants are strongly tied to the soil condition they grow in.
Cover crops arent just for professional growers.
They are also essential for cultivating nutrient-rich home gardens for gardeners of all skill levels.
Every year, vegetables pull vital nutrients from the soil without putting anything back for the years to come.
Adding extra soil, fertilizer, compost, or mulch every few years can be costly and laborious.
The first step to accessing these benefits is finding the rightcover crop seedsfor the right soil.
Start by understanding what the growing space is like.
Is it hard with clay?
Or have the plants been yellow, weak or overtaken by weeds?
Use the tried-and-true method of growing cover crops to restore and revitalize exhausted garden soil.
These are processing centers for beneficial bacteria that place nitrogen directly into the root zone of upcoming crops.
For hard soils, add winter rye to help break up compact clay loams.
For the best pest control benefits cover crops have to offer, plant brassicas such as mustard and radishes.
Cover crops have so many great benefits, but one of the most favored is weed suppression.
When planting a fall cover crop, distribute the seeds as temperatures begin to cool after the summers heat.
Then, gently rake the seeds into the soil to ensure they maintain contact with the moisture.
Around the onset of the first fall frost, consider cutting, mowing, or tilling the cover crops.
In spring, its wise to delay planting until just after the final spring frost.
Similar to a fall cover crop, allow a span of several weeks to develop healthy growth before terminating.
This kind of versatile blend serves as an effective choice for both spring and fall cover crops.
Its essential to trim the cover crop before it goes to seed.
Neglecting this step could lead to volunteers popping up during the main growing season.
Gardening can seem like a never-ending knot of confusion with different opinions and practices being touted as the best.
Dont get tied up in the mess.
The takeaway here is that soil is the ultimate source of a wonderful and productive garden.
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