A Good Cover Crop...

[BCB]

 What might be a good cover crop to plant now and then till it into the ground later this summer and then replant that area again to till into the ground in the spring and then plant a vegetable garden…
 
I live in Western Pennsylvania…
 
Thanks…BCB
 

[blind ear]

Check with your county agent. Many crop seeds are pretty expensive for a lot of acres. Many crops should have been started earlier or last fall for my southern area. Local knowledge will be best. Seed cost vs plant matter produced are major determineing factors. Going to be hot and dry pretty soon in my area.
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Certain garden plants might be your best bet. Get some stuff planted and mulch heavy with straw might work as well as anything. Might get to eat some of your own stuff. Good luck, ear

[Ranger99]

                            ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
                           this here , and you need
                      to have the soil ph checked
                      and corrected so your planting won't fail
                 

[Empty Quiver]

Oats might be what you are looking for. Spread them with a fertilizer spreader lightly disk them in. They will go to seed and be ready to disk back in sometime around July lets say. A summer rain comes and they germinate again. No need to buy seed twice.


Rye has the ability to suppress weed growth. But this can be a double edge sword as it could also affect the desired crop too. You would need to do your research. The weed killer aspect is real I have witnessed it many many times, and lasts over the winter. Google Rye aleopathy.


Clover is another choice and it will do the most good as far as fertility goes, but, I'm not sure a single season will get you what you desire.


Soybeans will fix nitrogen like clover and alfalfa. They are single season crops and the multiple tillage and growth would not exactly be needed. They were first planted to compete with other hay crops and as green manure.


Soybeans planted a bit thickly might well be a good option, with oats second and rye third (maybe first).

[reliquary]

Dutch white clover has worked well for me, and has the advantage that some of it will come back.  I've heard buckwheat is good, but haven't found any locally. 

[BCB]

Thanks to all the replies so far...

I have been thinking about soybeans and I was told to let them stand for critters this winter...

But, I want to till the cover crop back into the ground in the late fall and plant another one that might start to grow then and then start again in the spring...

At that time, I will plow it in and the till and then plant the garden...

Guess there are really many options...

Now that I am retired, I have the time and want to do some experimenting...

Thanks...BCB

[SHOOTALL]

I plant rye in the spring and turnips in the fall .

[blind ear]

The stalk and leaves of the soybean make pitiful little plant matter to till back in. The most benefit comes from the root fibers and the nitrogen nodules. Soybeans do little for soil tilth. ear

[SHOOTALL]

turnips when disc in work well .

[Bugflipper]

I think I'd concentrate more on organic matter than a warm season manure crop. You can get a lot of free things to make your soil richer. A manure crop to me is when it's cold out and I don't want to get out there and mess with it. Some ideas would be wood chips from your local city, aquatic weeds, shad, chicken feathers from chicken houses, manure from ranches, spoiled hay from last year, grass clippings and so on. Just keep your ph in check if you add acidic things. In Fall plant a good brasica with a lot of tonnage per acre and get it under before it goes to seed. That way you have a little fresh composting material underground but from the warm months you can already have several tons that has composted instead of several pounds.

[hunt-m-up]

Grow some sweet corn then in the fall till and plant to winter rye.

[longwinters]

Typically I plant winter wheat in the late fall and till it in the following spring.  It comes up thick and adds lots of "green manure" to your soil.  I did not catch how big your garden is.  I have 5 raised beds which average 4' wide by 16' long.  But when you mention "plowing"


I would imagine you are talking a much bigger area.  Farmers up here use oats, wheat and rotate crops with alfalfa.


Long

[charles p]

When I was a kid it was common for newly constructed homes to have soy beans planted in the yard during the construction period.  They were then cut into the soil and grass was planted.
 
Someone suggested oats.  That is my favorite.  If you plant soybeans, do not mow or disc them in until after the hunting season.
 
I have had good results with cow peas as a fall planting.

[Ol BW]

I am assuming part of the reason is for soil conservation reducing erosion?  I used to work for a large vegetable producer, and when they had a field that was between crops they would plant wheat.

This is a little different but may be a thought, whenever my dad would do some dirt work and wanted to grow grass, he would blend whatever grass seed with "rye grass" or "orchard grass".  These two would sprout fast and establish a root system before the other grass seed would sprout.  Once the main grass started growing the cover grass would die out.

BW

[blind ear]

I am assuming part of the reason is for soil conservation reducing erosion?  I used to work for a large vegetable producer, and when they had a field that was between crops they would plant wheat.

This is a little different but may be a thought, whenever my dad would do some dirt work and wanted to grow grass, he would blend whatever grass seed with "rye grass" or "orchard grass".  These two would sprout fast and establish a root system before the other grass seed would sprout.  Once the main grass started growing the cover grass would die out.

BW

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Rye grass has chemicals to keep competing plants from growing well or at all. ear

[Ol BW]

Like I said he had a different goal in mind, establishing roots to prevent erosion, it didn't hold back the fescue and bermuda he sowed with it.

BW