@@notillgrowers Personally I disagree with the tarp method IF it has a solarization affect. Now, solarization is miles ahead in terms of sustainability for the environment than using round up to terminate a cover crop, but solarization (according to professional soil biologist Dr. Elaine Ingham) kills the soil food web. I'd probably use a flail mower as well.
( Sesbania bispinosa, sunhemp ) just check these two cover crop because these two cover crops comes under legumes which create highest amount of nitrogen under soil.. And they can go upto 12 to 15 feet so they are having high percentage of biomass. Sunhump can also used for roop after drying them. These two cover crops majorly used in INDIA.. And agriculture Department also give us these two seeds every year to make our land full of micobes and nutrition.. Apart from this you are doing good job brother all support and love to you brother..
I've never done cover crops but sounds like what I need because hauling in woodchips ,leaves and forest floor matter is getting harder for me as I age. 👍 Thanks for the tips.
I hear ya! My back was killing me hauling all the grass clippings and leaves for mulching. I started my cover crops this year because I moved into a place with quite large tiered beds but I don't think anyone used them in a VERY long time. Mulching with the forest matter and grass clippings really hasn't proven to be as helpful in restoring the soil in them. I decided this maybe the way to go to zap some life back into the soil so I can move away from the huge container garden I planted on my back deck and plant some veg that will do better in ground!
Not a bad idea tho. I'm having to haul in trailerloads of soil for my new raised bed-12 tons so far with more to go. Trailer in drive, shovel into cart, cart about 40' to fence, empty cart. When load is done, toss cart over fence, go back around and shovel over fence into cart, walk around and haul cart to bed and shovel it out-rinse and repeat about 16x. Fence is getting a new gate put it soon. lol. Cover crops on the list aS i'VE NO VIABLE PLACE FOR FORREST DEBRIS AND DON'T WANT TO HAUL IT ALL OVER gOD'S cREATION.
@@northshoregirl72 add different types of worms I don’t no the correct terminology but basically your giving food that isn’t bioavailable the worms will change this I believe
My wife and son have a business cleaning yards for people and it’s been a great source of leaves etc. But she’s 65 and needs to retire. He’s 37, an alcoholic and hates the job. I’m a 100% disabled veteran and I’m doing my best to get some cover crops in the ground. We can grow the mulch, heal the soil and my darling bride can retire to help me fix our property. We bought it 4 years ago and the previous owner had scraped the surface bare for 10 years. Only puncture vines grow voluntarily. As of this morning l we have 5# each of 3 clovers, turnips, sugar beets, daikon radish, 20# sunflower, 50# each of wheat, oats and barley, sorghum/Sudan grass. Some is to grow chicken food and people food, some to rehabilitate soil, some to ferment for the pantry, some to make fuel for several small gasoline powered tools around here. Heck, all of it is for the soil. The other uses are incidentals, lol!
One thing about I've noticed about rye is that it really helps breaking down woody residue. I've seen rye set roots right through weathered hardwood. It grows all by itself at my family home, so it's an easy winter cover for me. Anyway, I have been ripping out patches of it before, and had a whole ass tree branch come up with a clump, on multiple occasions. I've also seen it grow right over the top of my summer wood chips and mostly eat them before spring.
Love the encouragement to collaborate. Buckwheat is my favorite summer cover but I always make sure to tell people to BEWARE SEED SET. Very easily turns weedy if you let it go too long and easy to get lulled into complacency with those beautiful insect attracting flowers :)
My goal is to improve the soil for my animals, I have goats and chickens. This sight is exactly what i was looking for. I will be purchasing your book. Plus one for our local monastery.
I live in Thailand. I have an operating assumption that I am working through right now and that is that my home has heavy metal contamination. So I am using Indian and White Mustard to help clean my soil along with a 2 stage Bioremediation process for the green waste (involving BSFL and African Nightcrawlers).
@@pearson1662 For starters finding full sized fluorescent light bulbs on my top soil, but additional garbage was also unearthed. I grow fruits and veg. Don't want to take any chances.
In the uk agricultural mustard is used to reduce the population of wire worm which is a serious pest of horticultural crops. Caliente mustard is marketed as being the best for this.
Hoss Tools carries a fumigant mustard. There is at least one ag seed co that has a heavy dury proprietary fumigant mustard of some kind which they advise is not edible.
@@paullittle5200 Its good practice to have several sowings of mustard before going into production. You could feasibly have a winter sowing then a spring sowing followed by a maincrop of squash/ brassicas/ beets etc in l june/July.
I went to settings and went to 3/4 speed. I'm from the south and my ears couldn't keep up.(neither could my brain) --- I would be one that would like more videos on cover crops; like what blends of cover crops you use. I'm half way thru the book, good job.
We are planting berry cultivars , fruit trees and nut trees on a ranch we are to inherit, with an active honey bee operation, lavender and small cattle operation. For the berry cultivars (Haskaps/honeyberries, blueberries, saskatoons/service berries, raspberries, blackberries, black raspberries...) our mulch is multiple layers of cardboard covered with woodchips. (The huckleberries have been planted in one of our wooded sections). We have been looking at covering crops, first to smother existing weeds between the rows, followed a self-perpetuating covering crop to provide a beneficial crop for livestock/human consumption and honeybees. We have largely talked about clovers, sweet clovers, alfalfa, and edible flowers. There is a considerable White Sweet Clover presence, with considerable quack grass and recently American & Scottish thistle. This section hadn't been seeded for decades, and none of properties have ever had fertilizer or pesticides used. We in Armstrong's West Spallumcheen near Vernon at the terminus of the North End of the Okanagan Valley in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. Likely zone 6a or 6b. The honeybees have benefited from diverse blossoms and flowers, including large amount of white sweet clover, and produce a very popular honey. Appreciate any suggestions.
I buy big bags of oats and sunflower seeds and feed them to the rabbits especially over the winter That bedding is pine shavings and hay That goes into the gardens in the fall and spring Sometimes the mix is hot so i wait on planting I also sprinkle more sunflower and oats to make sure i have an even thick coverage The wild birds eat lots lol I have chickens now so i add scratch grains to this mix I use what i have I grow seeds to like let your radish go to seed and plant Them back,turnips :) I put Extra squash in late too because the biomass from one seed is huge! And i grew my own seeds for these fillers ;) and if the squash gets in the way you grew the seed anyway and i know mine are crossed so no big deal trimming or removing it if it gets in the way Thanks for inspiring me in the first place about cover crops I share your interest in inter cropping and how plants get along or don't lol Much love xoxox thanks
love that this guy started with nothing more than questions and desires...even longterm growers can read his book on an annual basis and continue to learn
I've seen reports indicating that at 32 different varieties they were still seeing increased benefits relative to lower diversity mixes. It leads me to think that we don't need to put a lot of time and effort into thinking about how many, because it's all good and there isn't any magic number ;) Consideration for things like winterkill or not, ease of termination, etc. are still worth thought, but this is one of those "don't overthink it" areas, imo. ;)
Your delivery was smooth and to the point; that rehearsal video made a big difference. Thank you. I'm of the frame of mind when planting out doors in soil; o First NTG commandment - always build soil, o Second NTG commandment - always plant into cover crops, o Third NTG commandment - always feed the Beneficial microorganisms. Yeah, Incentives are good, I learned that in rehab!
Thank you for specifying the needs of which cover crops I happily planted hairy vetch which welcomed the bees however I didn’t realize I needed a space of time before I could plant that area
Great talk, thanks for showing the planted corn mix cover crops behind. I can't believe how fast that all has grown since your garlic harvest. Love the clover as a cover crop as it is a great pollinator/bee attractor too.
Hello! I've been working on a new project managing a 10-acre farm to grow foods for BIPOC people in my area, and your videos have been great at helping to learn more about how to improve our practices! Thank you so much! I just ordered the book too :D
I am from northern part of India and have interest in organic farming.. Found this interesting video, on cover crop. To my case, the soil health is very poor with all chemical farming plus tillage. Now , to improve soil health with biomass, I m looking to replace my regular wheat followed by bean crop being done with all till method-to that of sugar cane farming, as once planted , for next 2 year, sugar cane plantation- do not need tilling. And after harvesting it on 2nd year, then onward go for no till farming. This way sugar cane , will generate minimum cash crop as well soil biomass and improve soil health . Observation/comment most welcome.
You think those who are already subscribed are awesome? This is my first video of yours... I came for some basic cover crop knowledge (because that is what the other video have been giving me so far)... Then at 4:20 (ish) you started talking the kind of sense that makes me a true "Instant fan". You have at least one new subscriber off the back of this video but more importantly from the points made between 4:20 and say 6:00 ish. I learned...or rather I finally connected some dots... in just 90 seconds of your one video I have just seen for the first time something which is not only relevant to my current problem but something I have been struggling to put into easily explainable terms for a while. YOU are awesome.
I’ve been doing this for past two years with success plus crimson clover, but my annuals are mixed in a food forest, so tarping is an issue. I cut low, then try to smother with compost, but the rye fights hard to come thru until July.. So it’s a bit laborsome. I need a cover crop that dies by Mother’s Day!
Bummer John. I genearlly think it's reasonably important that the weeds are put in check before implementing cover crop strategies. Especially pigweed that is a really shallow germinator and takes very little to expose it.
Mixed "iron and clay peas" are a sure winner here (Fl. Panhandle) Beaucoup biomass and nitrogen-fixing to boot. But terminate before seed matures or write off that bed (for this year, at least). Flail mow and blow some grass clippings on. Smells wonderful when you mow 'em!
In Western Colorado at 5800 feet, 5B. Greencoverseed is the go to for Gabe Brown so I did. Mixes for all seasons. The warm season soil builder mix is waist high at five weeks. Sifted the 14 species mix to plant with an Earthway. I inch for the big stuff with the beet plate, then back in the same row at 1/2 " for the brassicas with the radish plate. Even germination. Buckwheat is flowering so it's a concern for reseeding. Will crimp it soon, tarp with clear plastic, replant with winter mix plus chickling vetch which winter kills. Keep us happy with more videos. Ordered the book within the hour of your announcing it would be published. It's thoughtful, relatable, humble and worth twice its price. I garden too much ground for fun.
As most of the benefits are created underground the trick is to plant something, anything, so that there is a living plant growing in the soil. Making it as diverse as you can is better than a single crop. Your choice of plant is an additional bonus. A judicious choice will provide extra benefits but the key is to have something growing.
Agreed. The only things I suggest people avoid are those that are not easy to terminate. Chicory for instance. Anything that has a deep taproot like that.
This was helpful. I am a new farmer in Southern AZ, and I am wanting to experiment with Sonora wheat as a specialty wheat as a cash crop, in addition to market gardening, and I'm in the process of trying to figure out my preliminary rotation. I was thinking of including sorghum sudan grass, as I am trying to increase soil organic matter, but I didn't know that it suppresses the germination of other grasses. So you kept me from making a potentially expensive mistake.
Indeed, they can harm the growth. I recommend waiting at least a few weeks after your more allelopathic crops to plant a grass, or using less combative covers.
Awesome video. I’ve been subscribed on my personal channel for a while, but now I’ve also subscribed on our content channel. I’ve been doing a crazy amount of research on cover crops, and this is the only video that gives more specifics about choosing the right cover crops for our context. I also really like your delivery and humor. We are looking to do a video in the early spring (about a belated, temporary cover crop for our new food forest) where we review different cover crops and we are definitely going to give you a shout out because we have learned so much. Thank you!!
Ok..so I live in northern New Mexico and my 10 acres has been over grazed for about 30 yrs. We decided to plant red clover over the whole 8+ acres and just let the place rest. Our goal is to start planting "food" crops Id say 2025. We bring horses onto the property to smash the fields, poop and pee and I think moving forward crimping we will try. Good energy in these videos.
One cover crop that is rarely mentioned is weeds. That's right, weeds. Most any plant growing on your soil can be a soil builder. The key with weeds, as a cover crop, is don't let them go to seed. The reason is obvious. Plough them under before they seed.
The guy that owned my property before me scraped it bare a couple times a year for weed control. Weeds were the only thing that grew. I’m trying to fix it but it’s not gonna be fast. Right now wild mustard is going nuts and I’m letting it do its gig. I need roots in my soil!
Do you realise what channel your on?? No till growers. Yes no till so you dont plough stuff in. Yes weeds can be good but use mulch to kill it off as its better
About to tarp out a huge section of my yard (bermuda grass, ugh) to double my garden space... planning on cover cropping through the fall and winter and hopefully improve the red clay enough to plant in the spring. Not at all how I started my original garden space, it'll be interesting to see how different it goes. Great video- I have a whole list of seeds to get for this now. Thanks man!
@JessWatt • If you haven't tarped your bermuda. Here's what I use. I like to use cardboard from boxes I get. You need to peel of any tape and colored shiny paper. But then lay it down and you can go ahead and plant right on top of it. I usually cover with compost and it's ready. Sometimes in layers. I've heard the high temperatures from the tarp can kill microbes. It wasn't a pro source, so it's not a definite. I just know it's been how I always start new beds, anything. And use as much cardboard as you like. You'll find many videos on YT doing this. So it's very common practice. Hope your cover crop works great for you. Great Netflix film on no-till came out a year ago if you haven't seen it yet. Later, ✌️
@@WillieWeed In my experience, bermuda just laughs at cardboard. I tarped it under black plastic for nearly 3 months and still found a couple sprouts greening up as I was making my beds. I have used cardboard elsewhere with good effect- blocks everything but the bermuda and wild violets lol.
@@jesswatt5824 I guess I hadn't tried it on Bermuda. I started an entire lawn from Bermuda seed one time. It was tough to start. Mine is St. Augustine, and I start a new raised bed each year. I just have cereal rye, red clover and winter Austrian peas in them now. Keep seeing everyone with 18 varieties. I'd probably going to add radish and oats in a couple. But the beds fill with roots that don't rot. Had to pull out a solid matt a foot tall of roots from vegetables and trees out of my beds after they did awful from no room this year. That's been my problem with no till.
Just ordered the book. Very much looking forward to some hammock reading. Im trying to find 2 varieties of annual ornamental grasses that can be used as both cover crop and flower arrangement filler throughout the summer. The idea is to put the cover crop on top of the daffodil/tulip beds after they are done in the spring. Use it as a cover crop and arrangement filler throughout the summer and Let the grasses die off over the winter and in the Spring the tulip and daffodil beds will bloom through the mulch. Then start all over again. If anyone has any thoughts on this id appreciate suggestions.
I have flower grower friends who use rye for Mother's Day every year and there's also lacy phacelia that makes a good spring grass. As for a summer one, however, millet is really nice! All the millets, *I think* make good cut flowers. Have you found The No-Till Flowers Podcast that we produce yet? Check that out, I think they discuss ornamental grasses in there as well.
@@notillgrowers Wow! Sincerely, thank you for taking the time to reply. Super helpful. Sounds like I have plenty of options to experiment with. Cheers!
Oh one more thing ive been chopping the sunflower heads off to give to the animals and leaves but i planted beans, peas and tomatoes around the sunflower or the sunflower around the tomatoes anyway lol They become living stalks :) holding up the plants Now the sunflowers are done the other real veggies are needing suppots :) growing them has been interesting and works Just remove leaves to let some light on the seedlings and no need to weed plants are packed in tight
I never hear anyone mention sesame as a cover crop, but I’ve read it’s one of the top producers of biomass, so I’m about to give it a try and compare to some millet I just got in the ground this morning. Thanks for the informative video!
Yup, I'm gonna be using sesame in my mix this season on the east coast of RSA to prepare greenfields. Its a water wise, upright and easy grower suffering few pests until late in season and a no-brainer to include in a cover for our sandy soil. Whether this theory translates to practice, we shall see this coming spring (seeding September)
@@dennistaylor3796 interesting! Our Clemson spineless is pushing 5 foot (we’re in SC), but I hadn’t considered it. Think I’ll experiment with it next year.
@@arneinkululeko glad to hear someone else is trying it! I’m in the northern hemisphere so I’ll be planting this week and mowing before planting a small patch of winter wheat into it.
i usually keep a top layer of fresh turned mucl bedding of 2 to 3 feet deep on a step ,yes , one side and end cap is raised whereas the rset is leveled -ish with purposeful overflow channels as it POURS here When it Rains and it Will Saturate a Complete ned water logging entire crop the depth i keep the bed that drains down into a much smaller and lower drain bed { Does Very well for those 90 to 150 days of 100 degree and up days that seem to never end } , yes contains water as well very eaily collects all morning dew as well instead of lossing it into a well drain moisture rich demanding soil , the mulch bed keeps the water welled thoughout the longest days yet . I get your method , but here ,the grass easily recoups by end of season , i hope i made that clar , thas just my lluck the only thing that weighs it down here , are the deer as they are maany during the winterv motnths as i let it go till next plaantingg seaason noth touching it , i have had to remove a a few invasives ,one certain 12 to 16 yellow petal prolific that loves the heat and come s from alarge bulb that resembles an awkward potato shape bulb that grows throughout winter and abosorbs water feverishly in spring that it doubles in sizeeach year , and mean doubles , ive found one that weighed 3lb so far have=ing to did upless of them each year now as thats the only way to get rid of them and tdont let them spawn a seed , the black peppercorn looking seed that falls out the bud of the flower and generates another the Very Next season Each and All Generates a new Plant = All of them ,one seeds and your back to Thousands
We grow sunflower seeds and oats this year we are getting into other grains too But if we don't eat it the rabbits and chickens eat it They planted it anyway
I wanted to experiment with no till using cover crops for an area of about 100 by 100ft so that I can convince my husband to go "no till" and not using his 75hp tractor that I believe compact the soil every time he got on that thing. I believe there is a purpose for that kind of heavy tractor but not when it's destroying the land with heavy wheels. Anyway, my question to you is since you are in AR, you must understand that we have compact dry clay soil with lots or rocks, so I definitely need a cover crops that will help build soil matter. How do I even begin to start with a fresh area of 100ft by 100 that has lots of grass/weeds, etc...growing there right now. This area is a test for going larger scale so what ever method I use here will need to be able to duplicate to a larger scale...about 10 to 30 acres. Thank you.
I'm in Ky so I don't get the heat you do but I feel you on the clay. You will want to clear the weeds first. That can be with tarps (occultation) or light tillage, but you will want to get those under control to begin with. Then sow your cover crops. Sometimes no-till must start with a small amount of mechanical disturbance to be effective. No-till is a long-term goal, and a small amount of effective disturbance upfront can mean longterm success!
I live in Arizona Desert. Very Rarely get a Hard Frost. Definitely need Long lasting above ground mulch and Organic matter in Soil. What's Good Cover crops. Yes I'm no Till.
I'm kinda overwhelmed by this topic and I'm not sure what I should be planting... my main issue is to get more organic matter into my soil and something that my cold winter will kill. What am I looking at? Rye or some mix or grasses? Great video, I find soil really fascinating, thanks!
Rye is one of the hardiest, it will survive winter just about anywhere. Millet is widely available and will winter kill, should be easy to mulch the dead matter in the spring with a mower. You could also consider mixing in some clover that might grow through the winter and terminate easily in the spring.
Some good, reliable winter kills are basically any summer cover crop. Or for ones that will last a ways into the fall, peas (NOT Austrian winter peas), cilantro, beets, chard, lettuce, arugula, turnips, daikons, radishes, Any of those latter options die fairly easy in a freeze or, if not, with a tight mowing in the spring. Oats can be an option in zones 5b or below, but must die or will basically be similar to rye for termination.
@@laurabehenna7950 based on the context of the question, it's that it can't be counted on to winter kill. That was my assumption anyway. I've never used it.
Excellent video, as usual! What variety of corn did you use for the cover crop? Good choice to re-shoot the video. That first shirt made you seem sullen and morose. The hat is gaining organic matter nicely!
I got a couple hundred sq feet of mugwort that I'm trying to kill and use a cover crop to outcompete it . Currently have about half the area covered with pond liner. In Jersey zone 7. Sorghum Sudan grass sounds like a good bet
It’s mid-July right now in SW Washington (zone 8b). I just bought a house with a little backyard. So I don’t have a farm or even what you might call an acreage property. It’s your standard cookie-cutter house with a little area in the back to have a small raised garden and some flower beds. My one BIG issue is the soil just flat out sucks here. There is no topsoil, it’s all yellow/orange colored heavy, solid clay. I dug a two foot deep hole and it just kept going. It rained and filled up a few inches and never drained. I could probably make pottery out of it. When it dries, it turns into rock hard cement. What do I do to make this soil better to grow in? I’ve already mixed in two bags of soil conditioner into a flower bed. While that has helped, it’s also created a lot of clay dirt clods. The soil is still very heavy…literally. I had buckwheat in there, it was flowering and I noticed a couple seeds starting to show so I cut it down and mixed it in. That’s where I am right now. I would like to be able to eventually grow some flowers and shrubs there but this clay issue is stumping this newbie gardener. What should I do next? I was thinking about daikon radish as a clay buster but being that it’s July and we are currently dealing with mid-80s to 100F afternoons, I think I better wait until it cools a little. I was thinking about maybe another round of a cover crop? Help.
For legumes you only really get the benefit of added nitrogen for other plants if you kill it before they go to seed, otherwise the legume uses up much of the nitrogen that has been fixed.
Curious on others opinion on silvopasture mixes.. Areas that were forest for many many years, and now have an opened canopy and can support grasses.. I initially tried perennial and annual rye grasses with some clover, but it didn’t establish well. It’s dried out at this point and wanted to put in a summer mix.. Something adequate for grazing..
What is the best winter cover crop that you would terminate in spring before planting summer plants(squash, tomatoes, okra). Kind of new to no till. Any pointers on no till prep for potatoes also thanks
In terms of the allelopathic cover crops, you mentioned rye for example - are there better crops to follow this cover crop with or are there specific crops that won't grow well due to this allelopathic nature? I've got buckwheat in right now on about 1/2 my beds. Best crop I've grown all year! LOL. If I could get the rest of my crops to do that well I'd be set!
I believe grasses are most affected but just generally it’s better to allow the ground to rest for a while before planting after things like rye. No worries with buckwheat! Plant immediately
How do you seed carrots behind the corn? I would think the stalk and roots at soil level would make it impossible. I’ve got my first ever corn in no till. It’s growing better than any corn I’ve done in till. One thing I’ve been concerned with is that root mass at soil level.
It's actually easier than it sounds because the density of the cover crop keeps the roots from being too intense. the corn is pretty skinny at ground level. One important note is that it was 95 degrees that week so instead of just sowing the carrots, I decided to throw a tarp on for three days to protect the surface mulch from blowing away or drying out, so if you did have heavy roots that can help too. Then I use the Jang with the double disc opener so it's like a micro seed drill with that thing.
Another great informative video! Thank you. Also anxious to go download the Living Soil Handbook. In the video I don't remember hearing you talk of Annual rye grass. ?? Does that one give you the bang for your buck?
I'm planning on sowing cover crops in the High desert of California to build the soils out here. My plan was to run the cows on it to kill it. Do you think this is a good Idea or would it be better to mow it and leave the vegetation on the ground to help build the soil faster? This is the mix I was planning on trying on a acre here then maybe plant with a drought tolerant pasture seed in spring. Eco-Till Radish - 0.30 Common Vetch - 0.20 Flax - 0.15 Crimson Clover - 0.15 Oats - 0.10 Sunn Hemp - 0.05 Forage Peas - 0.05
I'm looking for a cover crop to plant in my garden space for next year. I will be using my garden area next year to pasture raise chickens in a chicken tractor for meat. The chicken tractor will be moved everyday. Something the chickens will love but won't grow to tall. I have heard that they love broadleaves more than blade grasses. Suggestions???
( Sesbania bispinosa, sunhemp ) just check these two cover crop because these two cover crops comes under legumes which create highest amount of nitrogen under soil.. And they can go upto 12 to 15 feet so they are having high percentage of biomass. Sunhump can also used for rope after drying them. Our ancestor do this when plastic is not present around and this is ecofriendly as well. These two cover crops majorly used in INDIA.. And agriculture Department also give us these two seeds every year to make our land full of micobes and nutrition.. Apart from this you are doing good job brother all support and love to you brother..
Thanks for this comment, and I love Sunnhemp and Sesbania both (we have some sesbania in a plot right now and I love how it looks like palm trees). Love this sort of commentary, thank you
What cover crops do you reccomend for short growing seasons ( 90 days) for people like me who don't have time to sow a second crop of whatever. Ideally for a mulch to protect the soil over winter and prevent weeds ( damn rhizome grasses) from taking over during the rest of the growing season. Bonus points if the cover crop will be killed off by a freeze. I tried peas but it was too warm at time of planting and they didn't germinate too well. I tried rye too but it was such a pain to terminate in a raised bed senario.
Great video! I just found your channel. Please tell me the name of the tune the mandolin is playing at the beginning of your video?! I would love to get the music for that. Thanks for the great cover crop info. I am now a subscriber!
QUESTION: Does your book address how to correct awful soil? I had my soil analyzed & it's "very high" (the lab designation) in phosphorus & saline. Plus, deficient in iron, zinc, etc. Will your book provide solutions to me? It DOES sound like a fabulous book.
Westerwold type annual ryegrass is a decompactor extrodianiare. From row crops my experience with daikon radish is worms love them. Annual ryegrass most likely will require chemical or a tarp to control.
Absolutely great video Jessy! Just looking at what cover crops I can use on a blank site. Ex cattle grazing paddock of about 2 acres but a lot of ragwort and thistles....
If it were me, I would get those weeds in check before cover cropping anything. At least as best you can with thistle. A long term tarping (occultation) can help but 2 acres is a lot for that, so perhaps consider plowing and harrowing a few times. Planting cover crop into weeds like that can just result in a weed cover crop. It's one step back to plow but will ultimately set you up for long term success.
@@notillgrowers Does this apply to all weeds? Our first year garden is just over run with grass and "stuff". It all grows faster than our produce and as we're about to open a large part of the land to harvest potatoes, I was looking for something to maybe smother the weeds for next year or at least the rest of summer.
Thank you for your great informations, Can I plant covercrop on paster without tilling, wanting to make a pumpkin patch for next 🤔 years, God bless you
You kinda need some semblance of a seedbed for planting. Seed drills can work, too, especially for winter cover crops, but ideally you have a clean bed to start with so you have low or no competition after cover crop termination.
Hi, yes, great video. If I may, I have a question, thought, about a slightly different situation. I actually don't have crops. I have an orchard. It used to be a vineyard, so the soil is VERY compacted. My goal is to get the acre or so into good shape with healthy, living soil. But I don't want to do annual cover crops. I'm wondering if I can go straight to perennials - clover, maybe vetch, rye, maybe some local wildflowers (I'd love to keep buckwheat in there too). Wondering how to handle weeds in this scenario, and what I do with the current CC's. I also don't have big equipment, just my weedwhacker. Wondering if I can seed into what is there now and then bring down the current crop as green mulch to cover it. Or something else? And always looking for a good suggestion on where to buy seed (I'm in upstate NY).Thank you so much.
Hi Farmer Jesse, Experienced Gardner here, but wanting to try more no till techniques and also branching out into growing veggies on a backyard scale. It's a bit overwhelming so I was hoping I could get a recommendation? Working on killing grass (on a plot that was last home gardener about 25 years ago) on a samdy clay acidic soil, in zone 7a on the east coast. Using cardboard topped with grass clippings and compost to build the in ground beds for the spring. Interested in a cover crop that would be best to grow through fall and maybe winter. Goals could be to loosen compaction, provide a spring mulch, and/or hold soil in place for the winter. Let me know if you need any more info, if you're willing to make a recommendation or two. Thank you!
I have a 10 seed fall cover crop mix. Can I put my wood mulch back on top of the seeds? Winter peas, rye, collards, berseem and crimson clover, fenugreek, vetch, teiticale, daikon and mustard.
I'm a little confused. Say I plant buckwheat as a cover crop. When it comes time to terminate it do I pull it up, roots and all or do I cut it down to ground level and leave the root in the ground? I only have a small plot-about 6 x 6'.
I'm wondering if it makes sense to plant a cover crop right now. I'm in zone 3b and my annual first frost is today, although we are having a very warm fall. My cucumber plants are starting to die so should I cut them off and plant the buckwheat seed I have? Second question is also related to cover cropping. My lettuce and arugula plants went to seed about a month ago. I left the plants in the ground instead of planting the buckwheat. I reasoned they are still green and photosynthising and would still be feeding the soil. My goal for cover cropping is to feed the soil for as long as possible before the ground freezes or we get snow. Thoughts?
So basically the larger the diversity of cover crop the better for soil health. Isn't that a return to letting land go fallow for a while between crops to increase fertility?
I’m almost done with the book it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read no joke absolutely love it
Wow, super awesome to hear that! Thank you 🙌
Yep. Love it
Ordered, can't wait to read it!
@@notillgrowers Personally I disagree with the tarp method IF it has a solarization affect. Now, solarization is miles ahead in terms of sustainability for the environment than using round up to terminate a cover crop, but solarization (according to professional soil biologist Dr. Elaine Ingham) kills the soil food web. I'd probably use a flail mower as well.
( Sesbania bispinosa, sunhemp ) just check these two cover crop because these two cover crops comes under legumes which create highest amount of nitrogen under soil.. And they can go upto 12 to 15 feet so they are having high percentage of biomass.
Sunhump can also used for roop after drying them.
These two cover crops majorly used in INDIA.. And agriculture Department also give us these two seeds every year to make our land full of micobes and nutrition..
Apart from this you are doing good job brother all support and love to you brother..
I've never done cover crops but sounds like what I need because hauling in woodchips ,leaves and forest floor matter is getting harder for me as I age. 👍 Thanks for the tips.
I hear ya! My back was killing me hauling all the grass clippings and leaves for mulching. I started my cover crops this year because I moved into a place with quite large tiered beds but I don't think anyone used them in a VERY long time. Mulching with the forest matter and grass clippings really hasn't proven to be as helpful in restoring the soil in them. I decided this maybe the way to go to zap some life back into the soil so I can move away from the huge container garden I planted on my back deck and plant some veg that will do better in ground!
Not a bad idea tho. I'm having to haul in trailerloads of soil for my new raised bed-12 tons so far with more to go. Trailer in drive, shovel into cart, cart about 40' to fence, empty cart. When load is done, toss cart over fence, go back around and shovel over fence into cart, walk around and haul cart to bed and shovel it out-rinse and repeat about 16x. Fence is getting a new gate put it soon. lol. Cover crops on the list aS i'VE NO VIABLE PLACE FOR FORREST DEBRIS AND DON'T WANT TO HAUL IT ALL OVER gOD'S cREATION.
@@northshoregirl72 add different types of worms I don’t no the correct terminology but basically your giving food that isn’t bioavailable the worms will change this I believe
My wife and son have a business cleaning yards for people and it’s been a great source of leaves etc. But she’s 65 and needs to retire. He’s 37, an alcoholic and hates the job. I’m a 100% disabled veteran and I’m doing my best to get some cover crops in the ground. We can grow the mulch, heal the soil and my darling bride can retire to help me fix our property. We bought it 4 years ago and the previous owner had scraped the surface bare for 10 years. Only puncture vines grow voluntarily. As of this morning l we have 5# each of 3 clovers, turnips, sugar beets, daikon radish, 20# sunflower, 50# each of wheat, oats and barley, sorghum/Sudan grass. Some is to grow chicken food and people food, some to rehabilitate soil, some to ferment for the pantry, some to make fuel for several small gasoline powered tools around here. Heck, all of it is for the soil. The other uses are incidentals, lol!
One thing about I've noticed about rye is that it really helps breaking down woody residue. I've seen rye set roots right through weathered hardwood. It grows all by itself at my family home, so it's an easy winter cover for me. Anyway, I have been ripping out patches of it before, and had a whole ass tree branch come up with a clump, on multiple occasions. I've also seen it grow right over the top of my summer wood chips and mostly eat them before spring.
Love the encouragement to collaborate. Buckwheat is my favorite summer cover but I always make sure to tell people to BEWARE SEED SET. Very easily turns weedy if you let it go too long and easy to get lulled into complacency with those beautiful insect attracting flowers :)
Love the idea of having cover crops between rows to store carbon in the soil and build nutrients
Have you found any good cover crops for between rows? I trying to find something that I will keep in place and not plant into
WOW!!! THANK YOU, FOR THIS OVERVIEW OF "COVER CROPS,!! THERES SO MANY "BENEFITS" TO USING THEM, ON ANY SIZE GARDEN, OR FARM! THIS SHOULD BE FUN!!...☘
My goal is to improve the soil for my animals, I have goats and chickens. This sight is exactly what i was looking for. I will be purchasing your book. Plus one for our local monastery.
SARE on-line covercrop guide is a great resource.
I live in Thailand. I have an operating assumption that I am working through right now and that is that my home has heavy metal contamination. So I am using Indian and White Mustard to help clean my soil along with a 2 stage Bioremediation process for the green waste (involving BSFL and African Nightcrawlers).
That's interesting. I'm curious what the source of the heavy metal contamination is??
@@pearson1662 For starters finding full sized fluorescent light bulbs on my top soil, but additional garbage was also unearthed. I grow fruits and veg. Don't want to take any chances.
In the uk agricultural mustard is used to reduce the population of wire worm which is a serious pest of horticultural crops. Caliente mustard is marketed as being the best for this.
Great addition, thank you!
Hoss Tools carries a fumigant mustard.
There is at least one ag seed co that has a heavy dury proprietary fumigant mustard of some kind which they advise is not edible.
Had wireworm in my potatoes this year, thanks for the tip.
@@paullittle5200 Its good practice to have several sowings of mustard before going into production. You could feasibly have a winter sowing then a spring sowing followed by a maincrop of squash/ brassicas/ beets etc in l june/July.
Enjoy your authenticity, simplicity & overall vibe in the videos
I went to settings and went to 3/4 speed. I'm from the south and my ears couldn't keep up.(neither could my brain) --- I would be one that would like more videos on cover crops; like what blends of cover crops you use. I'm half way thru the book, good job.
I'm glad RUclips has that option! more vids on cover crops to come, 100%
It's funny you say that, because I always watch RUclips videos at 2x speed. Including this one.
@@jetownsend1 same 2x speed always! listening on regular speed has become painfully slow
@@jetownsend1 I was 1.5 x so I could keep an ear out for my kids LOL
We are planting berry cultivars , fruit trees and nut trees on a ranch we are to inherit, with an active honey bee operation, lavender and small cattle operation. For the berry cultivars (Haskaps/honeyberries, blueberries, saskatoons/service berries, raspberries, blackberries, black raspberries...) our mulch is multiple layers of cardboard covered with woodchips. (The huckleberries have been planted in one of our wooded sections). We have been looking at covering crops, first to smother existing weeds between the rows, followed a self-perpetuating covering crop to provide a beneficial crop for livestock/human consumption and honeybees. We have largely talked about clovers, sweet clovers, alfalfa, and edible flowers. There is a considerable White Sweet Clover presence, with considerable quack grass and recently American & Scottish thistle. This section hadn't been seeded for decades, and none of properties have ever had fertilizer or pesticides used. We in Armstrong's West Spallumcheen near Vernon at the terminus of the North End of the Okanagan Valley in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. Likely zone 6a or 6b. The honeybees have benefited from diverse blossoms and flowers, including large amount of white sweet clover, and produce a very popular honey. Appreciate any suggestions.
I buy big bags of oats and sunflower seeds and feed them to the rabbits especially over the winter
That bedding is pine shavings and hay
That goes into the gardens in the fall and spring
Sometimes the mix is hot so i wait on planting
I also sprinkle more sunflower and oats to make sure i have an even thick coverage
The wild birds eat lots lol
I have chickens now so i add scratch grains to this mix
I use what i have
I grow seeds to like let your radish go to seed and plant Them back,turnips :)
I put Extra squash in late too because the biomass from one seed is huge! And i grew my own seeds for these fillers ;) and if the squash gets in the way you grew the seed anyway and i know mine are crossed so no big deal trimming or removing it if it gets in the way
Thanks for inspiring me in the first place about cover crops
I share your interest in inter cropping and how plants get along or don't lol
Much love xoxox thanks
love that this guy started with nothing more than questions and desires...even longterm growers can read his book on an annual basis and continue to learn
I've seen reports indicating that at 32 different varieties they were still seeing increased benefits relative to lower diversity mixes. It leads me to think that we don't need to put a lot of time and effort into thinking about how many, because it's all good and there isn't any magic number ;) Consideration for things like winterkill or not, ease of termination, etc. are still worth thought, but this is one of those "don't overthink it" areas, imo. ;)
Dr. Christine Jones has a great talk on that subject.
Your delivery was smooth and to the point; that rehearsal video made a big difference. Thank you.
I'm of the frame of mind when planting out doors in soil;
o First NTG commandment - always build soil,
o Second NTG commandment - always plant into cover crops,
o Third NTG commandment - always feed the Beneficial microorganisms.
Yeah, Incentives are good, I learned that in rehab!
Thank you for specifying the needs of which cover crops I happily planted hairy vetch which welcomed the bees however I didn’t realize I needed a space of time before I could plant that area
Great talk, thanks for showing the planted corn mix cover crops behind. I can't believe how fast that all has grown since your garlic harvest.
Love the clover as a cover crop as it is a great pollinator/bee attractor too.
Hello! I've been working on a new project managing a 10-acre farm to grow foods for BIPOC people in my area, and your videos have been great at helping to learn more about how to improve our practices! Thank you so much! I just ordered the book too :D
I am from northern part of India and have interest in organic farming.. Found this interesting video, on cover crop. To my case, the soil health is very poor with all chemical farming plus tillage. Now , to improve soil health with biomass, I m looking to replace my regular wheat followed by bean crop being done with all till method-to that of sugar cane farming, as once planted , for next 2 year, sugar cane plantation- do not need tilling. And after harvesting it on 2nd year, then onward go for no till farming. This way sugar cane , will generate minimum cash crop as well soil biomass and improve soil health . Observation/comment most welcome.
You think those who are already subscribed are awesome?
This is my first video of yours... I came for some basic cover crop knowledge (because that is what the other video have been giving me so far)... Then at 4:20 (ish) you started talking the kind of sense that makes me a true "Instant fan".
You have at least one new subscriber off the back of this video but more importantly from the points made between 4:20 and say 6:00 ish.
I learned...or rather I finally connected some dots... in just 90 seconds of your one video I have just seen for the first time something which is not only relevant to my current problem but something I have been struggling to put into easily explainable terms for a while.
YOU are awesome.
I plant winter rye in my garden in the fall then mow it down and tarp it before planting in the spring.
I’ve been doing this for past two years with success plus crimson clover, but my annuals are mixed in a food forest, so tarping is an issue. I cut low, then try to smother with compost, but the rye fights hard to come thru until July.. So it’s a bit laborsome. I need a cover crop that dies by Mother’s Day!
i did this for this season and after the matter broke down, pigweed and other weeds took over
Bummer John. I genearlly think it's reasonably important that the weeds are put in check before implementing cover crop strategies. Especially pigweed that is a really shallow germinator and takes very little to expose it.
Mixed "iron and clay peas" are a sure winner here (Fl. Panhandle) Beaucoup biomass and nitrogen-fixing to boot. But terminate before seed matures or write off that bed (for this year, at least). Flail mow and blow some grass clippings on. Smells wonderful when you mow 'em!
am doing a masters on cover cropping and unfortunately i just saw this (just finished my master).. great summary sir, BIG UP
Well spoken. I just ordered your book, directly from no-Till Growers!!
In Western Colorado at 5800 feet, 5B. Greencoverseed is the go to for Gabe Brown so I did. Mixes for all seasons. The warm season soil builder mix is waist high at five weeks. Sifted the 14 species mix to plant with an Earthway. I inch for the big stuff with the beet plate, then back in the same row at 1/2 " for the brassicas with the radish plate. Even germination. Buckwheat is flowering so it's a concern for reseeding. Will crimp it soon, tarp with clear plastic, replant with winter mix plus chickling vetch which winter kills. Keep us happy with more videos. Ordered the book within the hour of your announcing it would be published. It's thoughtful, relatable, humble and worth twice its price. I garden too much ground for fun.
As most of the benefits are created underground the trick is to plant something, anything, so that there is a living plant growing in the soil. Making it as diverse as you can is better than a single crop.
Your choice of plant is an additional bonus. A judicious choice will provide extra benefits but the key is to have something growing.
Agreed. The only things I suggest people avoid are those that are not easy to terminate. Chicory for instance. Anything that has a deep taproot like that.
This was helpful. I am a new farmer in Southern AZ, and I am wanting to experiment with Sonora wheat as a specialty wheat as a cash crop, in addition to market gardening, and I'm in the process of trying to figure out my preliminary rotation. I was thinking of including sorghum sudan grass, as I am trying to increase soil organic matter, but I didn't know that it suppresses the germination of other grasses. So you kept me from making a potentially expensive mistake.
Indeed, they can harm the growth. I recommend waiting at least a few weeks after your more allelopathic crops to plant a grass, or using less combative covers.
Something I don't know anything about but hopefully to learn more.
Awesome video. I’ve been subscribed on my personal channel for a while, but now I’ve also subscribed on our content channel. I’ve been doing a crazy amount of research on cover crops, and this is the only video that gives more specifics about choosing the right cover crops for our context. I also really like your delivery and humor. We are looking to do a video in the early spring (about a belated, temporary cover crop for our new food forest) where we review different cover crops and we are definitely going to give you a shout out because we have learned so much. Thank you!!
Ok..so I live in northern New Mexico and my 10 acres has been over grazed for about 30 yrs. We decided to plant red clover over the whole 8+ acres and just let the place rest. Our goal is to start planting "food" crops Id say 2025. We bring horses onto the property to smash the fields, poop and pee and I think moving forward crimping we will try. Good energy in these videos.
Green Cover Seed on RUclips also has a good series on different cover crops for those interested
Great presentation. Absolutely beautiful farm.
At this point I would almost kill for one of those hats... just bought the book. Can’t wait to get it!
Haha, they will be back soon 😉
One cover crop that is rarely mentioned is weeds. That's right, weeds. Most any plant growing on your soil can be a soil builder. The key with weeds, as a cover crop, is don't let them go to seed. The reason is obvious. Plough them under before they seed.
Hedge mustard has been my favorite cover from by far. Plus I can harvest the greens for my salad mix
@@Kale_shredssame here
I also use weeds!
The guy that owned my property before me scraped it bare a couple times a year for weed control. Weeds were the only thing that grew. I’m trying to fix it but it’s not gonna be fast. Right now wild mustard is going nuts and I’m letting it do its gig. I need roots in my soil!
Do you realise what channel your on?? No till growers. Yes no till so you dont plough stuff in. Yes weeds can be good but use mulch to kill it off as its better
About to tarp out a huge section of my yard (bermuda grass, ugh) to double my garden space... planning on cover cropping through the fall and winter and hopefully improve the red clay enough to plant in the spring. Not at all how I started my original garden space, it'll be interesting to see how different it goes. Great video- I have a whole list of seeds to get for this now. Thanks man!
@JessWatt • If you haven't tarped your bermuda. Here's what I use. I like to use cardboard from boxes I get. You need to peel of any tape and colored shiny paper. But then lay it down and you can go ahead and plant right on top of it. I usually cover with compost and it's ready. Sometimes in layers. I've heard the high temperatures from the tarp can kill microbes. It wasn't a pro source, so it's not a definite. I just know it's been how I always start new beds, anything. And use as much cardboard as you like. You'll find many videos on YT doing this. So it's very common practice. Hope your cover crop works great for you. Great Netflix film on no-till came out a year ago if you haven't seen it yet. Later, ✌️
@@WillieWeed In my experience, bermuda just laughs at cardboard. I tarped it under black plastic for nearly 3 months and still found a couple sprouts greening up as I was making my beds. I have used cardboard elsewhere with good effect- blocks everything but the bermuda and wild violets lol.
@@jesswatt5824 I guess I hadn't tried it on Bermuda. I started an entire lawn from Bermuda seed one time. It was tough to start. Mine is St. Augustine, and I start a new raised bed each year. I just have cereal rye, red clover and winter Austrian peas in them now. Keep seeing everyone with 18 varieties. I'd probably going to add radish and oats in a couple. But the beds fill with roots that don't rot. Had to pull out a solid matt a foot tall of roots from vegetables and trees out of my beds after they did awful from no room this year. That's been my problem with no till.
Just ordered the book. Very much looking forward to some hammock reading. Im trying to find 2 varieties of annual ornamental grasses that can be used as both cover crop and flower arrangement filler throughout the summer. The idea is to put the cover crop on top of the daffodil/tulip beds after they are done in the spring. Use it as a cover crop and arrangement filler throughout the summer and Let the grasses die off over the winter and in the Spring the tulip and daffodil beds will bloom through the mulch. Then start all over again. If anyone has any thoughts on this id appreciate suggestions.
I have flower grower friends who use rye for Mother's Day every year and there's also lacy phacelia that makes a good spring grass. As for a summer one, however, millet is really nice! All the millets, *I think* make good cut flowers. Have you found The No-Till Flowers Podcast that we produce yet? Check that out, I think they discuss ornamental grasses in there as well.
@@notillgrowers Wow! Sincerely, thank you for taking the time to reply. Super helpful. Sounds like I have plenty of options to experiment with. Cheers!
In south Florida cosmos work great for long term cover, even if they get a little woody a lawn mower can take care of em n great roadside appeal.
Nice! I love when you get can different flowers involved
My front and side yard is covered in clover 🥰 gonna use those for mulch didn't know it was possible
Incredible channel. So glad I found you! Buying your book.
You are an angel Jesse
Oh one more thing ive been chopping the sunflower heads off to give to the animals and leaves but i planted beans, peas and tomatoes around the sunflower or the sunflower around the tomatoes anyway lol
They become living stalks :) holding up the plants
Now the sunflowers are done the other real veggies are needing suppots :) growing them has been interesting and works
Just remove leaves to let some light on the seedlings and no need to weed plants are packed in tight
Briliant resources which i need thanks friend for sharing 🤘 you have good choice about rotating 🎋
Thanks from INDIA
I never hear anyone mention sesame as a cover crop, but I’ve read it’s one of the top producers of biomass, so I’m about to give it a try and compare to some millet I just got in the ground this morning. Thanks for the informative video!
Sesame is a good call, though I've never grown it as a cover. Anything can be a cover, really! Just gotta fit those goals
Yup, I'm gonna be using sesame in my mix this season on the east coast of RSA to prepare greenfields. Its a water wise, upright and easy grower suffering few pests until late in season and a no-brainer to include in a cover for our sandy soil. Whether this theory translates to practice, we shall see this coming spring (seeding September)
Okra is supposed to have a lot of biomass but I’m in Ohio. It’s hard to get it 2 feet tall. If it works well in your region and soil, go for it.
@@dennistaylor3796 interesting! Our Clemson spineless is pushing 5 foot (we’re in SC), but I hadn’t considered it. Think I’ll experiment with it next year.
@@arneinkululeko glad to hear someone else is trying it! I’m in the northern hemisphere so I’ll be planting this week and mowing before planting a small patch of winter wheat into it.
thanks for the link to some great cover crop info!
i usually keep a top layer of fresh turned mucl bedding of 2 to 3 feet deep on a step ,yes , one side and end cap is raised whereas the rset is leveled -ish with purposeful overflow channels as it POURS here When it Rains and it Will Saturate a Complete ned water logging entire crop the depth i keep the bed that drains down into a much smaller and lower drain bed { Does Very well for those 90 to 150 days of 100 degree and up days that seem to never end } , yes contains water as well very eaily collects all morning dew as well instead of lossing it into a well drain moisture rich demanding soil , the mulch bed keeps the water welled thoughout the longest days yet .
I get your method , but here ,the grass easily recoups by end of season , i hope i made that clar , thas just my lluck
the only thing that weighs it down here , are the deer as they are maany during the winterv motnths as i let it go till next plaantingg seaason noth touching it , i have had to remove a a few invasives ,one certain 12 to 16 yellow petal prolific that loves the heat and come s from alarge bulb that resembles an awkward potato shape bulb that grows throughout winter and abosorbs water feverishly in spring that it doubles in sizeeach year , and mean doubles , ive found one that weighed 3lb so far have=ing to did upless of them each year now as thats the only way to get rid of them and tdont let them spawn a seed , the black peppercorn looking seed that falls out the bud of the flower and generates another the Very Next season Each and All Generates a new Plant = All of them ,one seeds and your back to Thousands
We grow sunflower seeds and oats this year we are getting into other grains too
But if we don't eat it the rabbits and chickens eat it
They planted it anyway
I wanted to experiment with no till using cover crops for an area of about 100 by 100ft so that I can convince my husband to go "no till" and not using his 75hp tractor that I believe compact the soil every time he got on that thing. I believe there is a purpose for that kind of heavy tractor but not when it's destroying the land with heavy wheels. Anyway, my question to you is since you are in AR, you must understand that we have compact dry clay soil with lots or rocks, so I definitely need a cover crops that will help build soil matter. How do I even begin to start with a fresh area of 100ft by 100 that has lots of grass/weeds, etc...growing there right now. This area is a test for going larger scale so what ever method I use here will need to be able to duplicate to a larger scale...about 10 to 30 acres. Thank you.
I'm in Ky so I don't get the heat you do but I feel you on the clay. You will want to clear the weeds first. That can be with tarps (occultation) or light tillage, but you will want to get those under control to begin with. Then sow your cover crops. Sometimes no-till must start with a small amount of mechanical disturbance to be effective. No-till is a long-term goal, and a small amount of effective disturbance upfront can mean longterm success!
I live in Arizona Desert. Very Rarely get a Hard Frost.
Definitely need Long lasting above ground mulch and Organic matter in Soil.
What's Good Cover crops.
Yes I'm no Till.
Great video! Thanks Jesse!
Time for me to order your book !
That earthworm at 4:14!
Ya answered my questions. Thank you!
I'm kinda overwhelmed by this topic and I'm not sure what I should be planting... my main issue is to get more organic matter into my soil and something that my cold winter will kill. What am I looking at? Rye or some mix or grasses? Great video, I find soil really fascinating, thanks!
Rye is one of the hardiest, it will survive winter just about anywhere. Millet is widely available and will winter kill, should be easy to mulch the dead matter in the spring with a mower. You could also consider mixing in some clover that might grow through the winter and terminate easily in the spring.
See this & other mixes they offer.
www.groworganic.com/collections/annual-cover-crops/products/soil-builder-mix-raw-lb
Some good, reliable winter kills are basically any summer cover crop. Or for ones that will last a ways into the fall, peas (NOT Austrian winter peas), cilantro, beets, chard, lettuce, arugula, turnips, daikons, radishes, Any of those latter options die fairly easy in a freeze or, if not, with a tight mowing in the spring. Oats can be an option in zones 5b or below, but must die or will basically be similar to rye for termination.
@@notillgrowers What's the matter with Austrian winter peas?
@@laurabehenna7950 based on the context of the question, it's that it can't be counted on to winter kill. That was my assumption anyway. I've never used it.
Excellent video, as usual! What variety of corn did you use for the cover crop? Good choice to re-shoot the video. That first shirt made you seem sullen and morose. The hat is gaining organic matter nicely!
Do you have any suggestions on long-term cover crop ideas? and how long they can last
I got a couple hundred sq feet of mugwort that I'm trying to kill and use a cover crop to outcompete it . Currently have about half the area covered with pond liner. In Jersey zone 7. Sorghum Sudan grass sounds like a good bet
Awesome Video!!
Can’t sleep thanks!
Excellent video
Thank you
It’s mid-July right now in SW Washington (zone 8b). I just bought a house with a little backyard. So I don’t have a farm or even what you might call an acreage property. It’s your standard cookie-cutter house with a little area in the back to have a small raised garden and some flower beds. My one BIG issue is the soil just flat out sucks here.
There is no topsoil, it’s all yellow/orange colored heavy, solid clay. I dug a two foot deep hole and it just kept going. It rained and filled up a few inches and never drained. I could probably make pottery out of it. When it dries, it turns into rock hard cement.
What do I do to make this soil better to grow in? I’ve already mixed in two bags of soil conditioner into a flower bed. While that has helped, it’s also created a lot of clay dirt clods. The soil is still very heavy…literally.
I had buckwheat in there, it was flowering and I noticed a couple seeds starting to show so I cut it down and mixed it in. That’s where I am right now. I would like to be able to eventually grow some flowers and shrubs there but this clay issue is stumping this newbie gardener. What should I do next? I was thinking about daikon radish as a clay buster but being that it’s July and we are currently dealing with mid-80s to 100F afternoons, I think I better wait until it cools a little. I was thinking about maybe another round of a cover crop? Help.
For legumes you only really get the benefit of added nitrogen for other plants if you kill it before they go to seed, otherwise the legume uses up much of the nitrogen that has been fixed.
Dude you rock.
Curious on others opinion on silvopasture mixes.. Areas that were forest for many many years, and now have an opened canopy and can support grasses.. I initially tried perennial and annual rye grasses with some clover, but it didn’t establish well. It’s dried out at this point and wanted to put in a summer mix.. Something adequate for grazing..
Depending on your area, orchard grass tends to do well for shaded pasture, but best established in the fall here (Maryland USA)
Hi ... love the content of your video... I am about to start a organic project... what is the brand of the mower you are using in this video?
Where do u get the bulk seed for your 13 ish cover crop/ corn okra suns ect?
Great information
What is the best winter cover crop that you would terminate in spring before planting summer plants(squash, tomatoes, okra). Kind of new to no till. Any pointers on no till prep for potatoes also thanks
Such a informative video. 👍🏻
After how many days of sowing cover crop is supposed to be chopped in the soil ?
Awesome shirt, great organization.
My wife was just there for a wood fired bread camp and it sounds awesome.
In terms of the allelopathic cover crops, you mentioned rye for example - are there better crops to follow this cover crop with or are there specific crops that won't grow well due to this allelopathic nature?
I've got buckwheat in right now on about 1/2 my beds. Best crop I've grown all year! LOL. If I could get the rest of my crops to do that well I'd be set!
I believe grasses are most affected but just generally it’s better to allow the ground to rest for a while before planting after things like rye. No worries with buckwheat! Plant immediately
How do you seed carrots behind the corn? I would think the stalk and roots at soil level would make it impossible. I’ve got my first ever corn in no till. It’s growing better than any corn I’ve done in till. One thing I’ve been concerned with is that root mass at soil level.
This is a good question. I'm curious too.
Initially, it might work best with a short stubby carrot like ox heart or some of the french chantenays. Fewer misfit/porn carrots.
It's actually easier than it sounds because the density of the cover crop keeps the roots from being too intense. the corn is pretty skinny at ground level. One important note is that it was 95 degrees that week so instead of just sowing the carrots, I decided to throw a tarp on for three days to protect the surface mulch from blowing away or drying out, so if you did have heavy roots that can help too. Then I use the Jang with the double disc opener so it's like a micro seed drill with that thing.
The corn also isn’t being grown very long so the stem would probably not be very “woody” ?
Correct! Super lush at the time of mowing
*frozened
Nice info 👍🏼
Thanks!
Thank YOU!
Another great informative video! Thank you. Also anxious to go download the Living Soil Handbook. In the video I don't remember hearing you talk of Annual rye grass. ?? Does that one give you the bang for your buck?
I don't have any issues with annual ryegrass per se I just don't have any experience with it. We've always used cereal rye
I'm planning on sowing cover crops in the High desert of California to build the soils out here. My plan was to run the cows on it to kill it. Do you think this is a good Idea or would it be better to mow it and leave the vegetation on the ground to help build the soil faster? This is the mix I was planning on trying on a acre here then maybe plant with a drought tolerant pasture seed in spring.
Eco-Till Radish - 0.30
Common Vetch - 0.20
Flax - 0.15
Crimson Clover - 0.15
Oats - 0.10
Sunn Hemp - 0.05
Forage Peas - 0.05
I'm looking for a cover crop to plant in my garden space for next year.
I will be using my garden area next year to pasture raise chickens in a chicken tractor for meat.
The chicken tractor will be moved everyday.
Something the chickens will love but won't grow to tall.
I have heard that they love broadleaves more than blade grasses.
Suggestions???
Great video
( Sesbania bispinosa, sunhemp ) just check these two cover crop because these two cover crops comes under legumes which create highest amount of nitrogen under soil.. And they can go upto 12 to 15 feet so they are having high percentage of biomass.
Sunhump can also used for rope after drying them. Our ancestor do this when plastic is not present around and this is ecofriendly as well.
These two cover crops majorly used in INDIA.. And agriculture Department also give us these two seeds every year to make our land full of micobes and nutrition..
Apart from this you are doing good job brother all support and love to you brother..
Thanks for this comment, and I love Sunnhemp and Sesbania both (we have some sesbania in a plot right now and I love how it looks like palm trees). Love this sort of commentary, thank you
What cover crops do you reccomend for short growing seasons ( 90 days) for people like me who don't have time to sow a second crop of whatever. Ideally for a mulch to protect the soil over winter and prevent weeds ( damn rhizome grasses) from taking over during the rest of the growing season. Bonus points if the cover crop will be killed off by a freeze.
I tried peas but it was too warm at time of planting and they didn't germinate too well. I tried rye too but it was such a pain to terminate in a raised bed senario.
Forgot to mention I am zone 3
Great video! I just found your channel. Please tell me the name of the tune the mandolin is playing at the beginning of your video?! I would love to get the music for that. Thanks for the great cover crop info. I am now a subscriber!
QUESTION: Does your book address how to correct awful soil? I had my soil analyzed & it's "very high" (the lab designation) in phosphorus & saline. Plus, deficient in iron, zinc, etc. Will your book provide solutions to me? It DOES sound like a fabulous book.
Westerwold type annual ryegrass is a decompactor extrodianiare. From row crops my experience with daikon radish is worms love them. Annual ryegrass most likely will require chemical or a tarp to control.
Absolutely great video Jessy! Just looking at what cover crops I can use on a blank site. Ex cattle grazing paddock of about 2 acres but a lot of ragwort and thistles....
If it were me, I would get those weeds in check before cover cropping anything. At least as best you can with thistle. A long term tarping (occultation) can help but 2 acres is a lot for that, so perhaps consider plowing and harrowing a few times. Planting cover crop into weeds like that can just result in a weed cover crop. It's one step back to plow but will ultimately set you up for long term success.
@@notillgrowers Thank you SO much for the reply!! Good point on the tarping... would work for the bed areas then mow around them
@@notillgrowers Does this apply to all weeds? Our first year garden is just over run with grass and "stuff". It all grows faster than our produce and as we're about to open a large part of the land to harvest potatoes, I was looking for something to maybe smother the weeds for next year or at least the rest of summer.
Thank you for your great informations,
Can I plant covercrop on paster without tilling, wanting to make a pumpkin patch for next 🤔 years,
God bless you
You kinda need some semblance of a seedbed for planting. Seed drills can work, too, especially for winter cover crops, but ideally you have a clean bed to start with so you have low or no competition after cover crop termination.
What over crop would you use in a clay/sandy soil when attempting to build the organic matter and generally improve the soil? Zone 9a
Hi, yes, great video. If I may, I have a question, thought, about a slightly different situation. I actually don't have crops. I have an orchard. It used to be a vineyard, so the soil is VERY compacted. My goal is to get the acre or so into good shape with healthy, living soil. But I don't want to do annual cover crops. I'm wondering if I can go straight to perennials - clover, maybe vetch, rye, maybe some local wildflowers (I'd love to keep buckwheat in there too). Wondering how to handle weeds in this scenario, and what I do with the current CC's. I also don't have big equipment, just my weedwhacker. Wondering if I can seed into what is there now and then bring down the current crop as green mulch to cover it. Or something else? And always looking for a good suggestion on where to buy seed (I'm in upstate NY).Thank you so much.
Hi Farmer Jesse,
Experienced Gardner here, but wanting to try more no till techniques and also branching out into growing veggies on a backyard scale. It's a bit overwhelming so I was hoping I could get a recommendation?
Working on killing grass (on a plot that was last home gardener about 25 years ago) on a samdy clay acidic soil, in zone 7a on the east coast. Using cardboard topped with grass clippings and compost to build the in ground beds for the spring. Interested in a cover crop that would be best to grow through fall and maybe winter. Goals could be to loosen compaction, provide a spring mulch, and/or hold soil in place for the winter. Let me know if you need any more info, if you're willing to make a recommendation or two. Thank you!
Would you suggest buckwheat or vetch To cover a garden in the winter to help with weed control as much as soil rejuvenation?
Freezed
Hello! How do You sead carrots in mulch?
I have a 10 seed fall cover crop mix. Can I put my wood mulch back on top of the seeds? Winter peas, rye, collards, berseem and crimson clover, fenugreek, vetch, teiticale, daikon and mustard.
What’s the best way to plant without any equipment into a field that already has poor hay growing in heavy clay and saturated soils?
What is a good way to decompact soil if not diakon?
I'm a little confused. Say I plant buckwheat as a cover crop. When it comes time to terminate it do I pull it up, roots and all or do I cut it down to ground level and leave the root in the ground? I only have a small plot-about 6 x 6'.
I'm wondering if it makes sense to plant a cover crop right now. I'm in zone 3b and my annual first frost is today, although we are having a very warm fall. My cucumber plants are starting to die so should I cut them off and plant the buckwheat seed I have? Second question is also related to cover cropping. My lettuce and arugula plants went to seed about a month ago. I left the plants in the ground instead of planting the buckwheat. I reasoned they are still green and photosynthising and would still be feeding the soil. My goal for cover cropping is to feed the soil for as long as possible before the ground freezes or we get snow. Thoughts?
So basically the larger the diversity of cover crop the better for soil health. Isn't that a return to letting land go fallow for a while between crops to increase fertility?