Mid Spring Cover Crop Update

The cover crops have taken off! The winter/cereal rye is just about ready to cut.

The best time to cut is when they are shedding pollen. The rye is starting to make its flower so it should be shedding pollen soon.

Once the rye is shedding pollen it gets cut, then the roots sit for 2 weeks. I am going to try transplanting right into the decomposing roots as in Cindy Connor's book "Grow a Sustainable Diet".
I am very interested in the results and will post them here.

The crimson clover that made it through the winter is beginning to bloom as well.

According to SARE, crimson clover flowers are great food for many beneficial insects and do well interplanted with winter rye. I definitely need to think about some cover crop mixes next.

My poor maligned Austrian Winter Peas have really come on strong with the heat. And don't seem to be minding the lack of rainfall. I take back just about every negative thing I said about them before.

All in all I can safely say I am happy with the cover crops I have grown so far. I have a big bag of buckwheat seeds waiting for cover cropping and I will definitely be using fall oats and radishes in my garden this year.

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