Cover crop

[Beth]

I have more garden beds made than I can manage right now. I mentioned how Steve Solomon recommends planting some beds in grass, legumes, and herbs and let land rest.

Any ideas on what to plant that will last for a season (or several) that I can cut down low to the ground (or will die by itself) or easily pull out so I won’t have to dig my beds? I I live in Idaho in Zone 7B. One thought I had was alfalfa as I think you might be able to cut it low.

Not sure about legumes…new gardener here!

Thanks,
Beth

[Rhys]

http://www.greenmanure.co.uk/advice/choosing-the-right-green-manure/

Not recommending anything in particular, but there’s plenty of information out on the net to guide you to different green manures depending on what your specific aims and objectives are.

[Beth]

Thanks for the greenmanure link. It looks like alfalfa would last an entire season. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to kill it without digging. I am guessing I will have to lay down cardboard and then mulch to sheetmulch/smother it. Then I am wondering if there are some negative effects to the soil by doing sheetmulching…

Has anyone heard of Dr. Jill Clapperton, who is no-till, discuss mixing cover crops and being as diversified as possible? Here’s an excerpt from an article that starts discussing her ideas halfway through.

http://www.resilience.org/stories/2014-02-07/edible-ecosystems

“I learned the details at a workshop in Kansas led by Dr. Jill Clapperton, a soil scientist, who told the audience that the key to rebuilding soil health is to start a “conversation among plants.” Cool-season grasses, such as barley, wheat and oats and cool-season broadleaf plants, such as canola, pea, turnip, lentils and mustard, she said, need to dialogue constructively with warm-season grasses, including millet, corn, and sorghum, and warm broadleafs, such as buckwheat, sunflower and sugar beets. Who gets along with whom?”

This is her youtube presentation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6daE2sYegg

[Author]

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