Tips On How To Grow Cover Crops Your vegetable garden is a salad bar of fresh produce. To help keep your garden in tip-top shape, even if you aren't growing or harvesting anything, you will need to pay attention to it all year round. You'll pull weeds, till the soil and do your best to keep pests under control. One of the most effective steps you can take over the winter is to grow a cover crop, like crimson clover. The Advantages Of Cover Crops Once the weather turns cold, cover crops are plants that you'll sow in order to protect your garden. You will be able to turn a big profit in the first year of you planting a cover crop, for those who plant vegetables to be able to sell them. Why? Because these plants actually strengthen the soil in your garden. They're able to minimize the contaminants that will seep into the dirt with covering and protecting it. Furthermore, the cover crops will help to stop soil erosion and keep weeds and insects out of the garden. You may see that you have a decrease in fertilization costs and that you won't spend as much on herbicides. You could boost the soil's moisture at the same time. The exact way that these plants will work for your garden is likely to depend on the climate, however you can be sure that you will enjoy a couple advantages from sowing the seeds. Choose Your Cover Crop Wisely You may want to speak to a local master gardener or garden supply store, if you aren't familiar with cover crops, to find out which products tend to thrive best in your area. Additionally, there are a few plants that may yield the specific results you want, like pest control or erosion prevention. For instance, if you need more nitrogen in your soil, crimson clover is a wonderful choice. This plant normally works quite nicely with annuals such as ryegrass or perhaps radishes and turnips that are also ideal cover crops. There are some gardeners that even believe they can create an "earthworm heaven" because the worms are drawn to the roots of the plants. How to Grow Cover Crops According to what seeds you decide to plant, the planting methods may vary. The great news is that just about any environment can handle a cover crop, including small backyard gardens to bigger scale farmers. Most of the time, to plant all your crops, you will need a garden rake to work up the soil and loosen it up. You'll then spread the seeds on top of the soil and make use of the rake to appropriately get the seeds embedded. The best method will be to rake it because it gives a good soil-to-seed relationship and will also prevent the birds from getting to the seeds. You will want to plant the cover crops at least a month before you get the first winter frost. This will give them sufficient time for them to get established within your garden. The only exception to this is cereal rye, which you can plant at any time before a frost. Fortunately, these covering plants are low-maintenance, requiring watering if the climate is especially dry. Lastly, you will need to kill the crops when they begin to flower. You then need only to wait a couple weeks before you can plant your flowers or vegetables. Center Seeds
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