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Nashville, TN

I've been doing a little Ag research. Seems that there's a dispute over which winter cover crop tills under to produce the most nutritious 'green manure' in the spring.

I'm planning to get the hubby to spread these huge mounds of livestock waste over the Patch areas early in the spring. Then I want to seed a cover crop around late Feb - to let it grow until end of May (3 1/2 months grow time), then I'll plow it under, 10 days later spray the Roundup and plant the Pumpkins.

Now I'm having to decide on one of the following: Red Clover, winter rye, winter wheat or winter Oats... Any suggestions? (remember N is not a problem in our 'barn waste' recycling gardens **grin**)

12/12/2005 5:29:37 PM

Syracuse, NY

seems you would wanna hit it with Roundup first, wait a few days, then till it in, but i myself haven't done any cover crop work just yet.
if the plants are not dead they may come up again,
the ones that do not get hit 100% with the Roundup....

12/12/2005 6:05:11 PM

Applegate, Oregon

In the past I used a mixture of 50% winter (annual) rye, 10% crimsom clover, 10% vetch, 10% buckwheat and 20% winter peas.

This fall I planted mostly rye. It came up nice and is waiting to explode in the spring. I over seed, so that it gets very thick.

Has done a good job of helping bring my OM up.

12/12/2005 7:07:30 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

It really depends on what you are looking for a cover crop to do. Are you looking to add organic matter, increase nitrogen, pull certain elements out of the soil, stop leaching of nutrients, or just plain and simple reducing weeds. Then you have to look at what your minimum winter temp is going to be. For the northern growers a lot of us plan winter rye. As it is the only thing that will survive -20 degree temps, and still increase our organic matter in the spring. Also if you are tilling in you cover crop green, try cutting it and allowing it to dry then till it in. It will increase your OM even more. If climate would permit I would plant a legume like Fava Beans in the fall, and one quick crop of buckwheat in the spring.

12/13/2005 11:33:00 AM