Cover crops

[bacpacker]

I put out some seed about 3 weeks ago on the garden as cover crops. The rape seed has just broken the ground, but the Annual Rye has already came up. Here's a couple of pic's.

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_100_3354.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=100_3354.jpg)

In the background of this shot is a glance at the chicken coop.

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_100_3355.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=100_3355.jpg)

I also planted my winter wheat at the same time. It came up even quicker and has took off well.

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_100_3353.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=100_3353.jpg)

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_100_3352.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=100_3352.jpg)

This is my second attempt at growing wheat. Last years crop was off to a great start and got hammered by the hail storm. I basically got nothing off of it. Hopefully this crop will make it till the end and I'll get a good harvest from it.

My step dad still has an old sickle bar mowing machine we used when I was growing up. He told me I could have it. It needs new knives and guard's installed. I also have a spare sickle that I need to get welded up and set it up with new knives and guard's as well. Otherwise it's still in great shape and has been stored in his barn since we quit using it back in the early 1980's. I'm almost certain I can get it running and it will do a good job of cutting the wheat down. All I will have to do is just pick it up and seperate the wheat from the chaff. We'll see how it goes.

[helomech]

Sweet, that rye grass will grow on concrete.

[JustAPrepper]

So many people overlook the importance of Cover Crops. Before we ever planted in our raised beds we planted a cover crop, Sunn Hemp. It seemed to be the best thing for our area at that time of year and fit in to our planting schedule as we were ready to get the ball rolling. There was a couple of times we measured in the morning then again at dusk. That stuff was growing about 3" a day! I've never seen anything like it! By the time DH cut it down it was over six feet tall...and that's from soil level in the bed.

I hope your wheat pulls through for you. Until we ordered our first bags of wheat I had always taken flour for granted. Just some powdery stuff you make bread with or dredge pork chops in before you fry them. Now it's almost a spiritual experience when I hold those berries in my hand before I grind them. I can't imagine actually growing it. I hope you have an abundant crop.

[The Stig]

I'm such a suburban dullard.

When I read "cover crop" I thought it was going to be something you grew to hide what you were really growing *cough* weed *cough*

[ravensgrove]

All of the legumes make excellent nitrogen fixing cover crops. For the most part I am blessed to not have to cover crop every year: all that multi species manure. But atleast every third year I cover a plot with legumes in the winter, generally fall sown peas and or alfalfa. It is also important to rotate your crops every year. We have three primary beds around our house cottage style. I rotate these beds clockwise every year.

[bacpacker]

Stig, I think you need to come up here next spring and get some soil under your fingernails!
:)

Like Raven said some crops fix nitrogen in the soil, others like the rye, is used more to add green material to the soil to decompose. Kind of a green compost if you will. We have decent dirt where our garden is but it still has a fairly high clay content. The green stuff turned under breakdown the clay and over the years I will end up with a good loam type soil. On top of that the cover crops also hold the soil in place thru the winter, it doesn't let it wash or blow away. In the summer between crops or while waiting to plant a late crop, I use buckwheat as a cover. It will come up and bloom in about 6 weeks here and will be about 2' high. I puts even more green material in the soil as it's stems are much thicker. If I let it go to seed and harvest, we grind it up and the flour makes the most awesome pancakes.

I don't use much commercial fertilizer since we go as much organic as possible. The cover crops allow me to do that. Some crops are still heavy enough feeders I have to fertilize some, but it cut's it back a lot. Saves money as well.