From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Elk Grove , California

Looking for advice for a cover crop. Soil needs a bit of nitrogen. Your suggestions are welcome.
Thanks

10/8/2018 5:00:37 PM

Topsfield, MA

Try mustard

10/8/2018 5:34:05 PM

Austin MN

Check put my diary :) I did a cover crop rotation (a good friend of mine is a cover crop expert) it really made a huge difference to my patch!

10/8/2018 6:04:18 PM

Bloomfield, Iowa

Hairy Vetch will add nitrogen when you till in. Winters well.

10/8/2018 10:12:28 PM

Wisconsin

Radishes, Clovers and Peas are what you're looking for

10/8/2018 11:51:21 PM

Wisconsin

If soley focusing on adding Nitrogen

10/8/2018 11:51:59 PM

Deer Park WA

Hi Host,
We have tried most cover crops and landed on Winter Rye as the favorite for our soil condition. Adding nitrogen via use of Legumes has had minimal impact on nitro levels in our lattitude / longitude + soil type... We love Monocott grain crops like winter rye because they are so darn hardy, break up our sub soil and add tons of OM to the soil!!!

10/9/2018 4:06:21 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Berseem clover is supposed to be great for adding nitrogen to the soil. You have to mow it before it blooms if you want to keep it going, because it will die after blooming. A non-winter hrdy, annual alfalfa will also do a great job of adding nitrogen and organic matter. Alfalfa is deep rooted. will pull up nutrients from deep in the soil and add lots of organic latter.

Brassicas like mustard, rape and radish, and grains like oats and rye will scavenge nitrogen from the soil and release it after it is tilled in and starts to break down. They won't add nitrogen to the soil, but if you add commercial nitrogen, they will take it up and convert it to organic forms of nitrogen.

10/9/2018 6:13:22 PM

Marion,IN

Contact Joel or Mari Lou Holland at Hollands.com. They'll take good care of you and your cover crop needs.

10/10/2018 12:17:22 PM

Grittyville, WA

http://www.hollandsgiants.com

Not sure what all they have. I know that rye and mustard are the most common. Mustard grows very well in CA... Elsewhere it might freeze. Rye should hold up just about anywhere.

10/10/2018 1:11:00 PM

Grittyville, WA

Nitrogen is so cheap and easy to apply... Maybe you are trying to be organic. Then, use an inoculated legume peas, vetch, clover? But I think mustard and rye are more proven to work well in a rotation with pumpkins.

10/10/2018 1:16:00 PM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

I like tillage radishes winter rye soy beans clover alfalfa

10/10/2018 8:40:00 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

I have never planted a cover crop. By the time I get my last pumpkins out of the patch the nighttime temps are already getting to below freezing. Is there any benefit?

10/10/2018 9:50:31 PM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

I have top dressed cover crop seed over the leaf canopy well before weigh offs and had good growth prior to harvesting the fruit... but shh I don’t want all of my secrets getting out..

10/10/2018 10:02:02 PM