http://www.davidbach.net/wiki/ 2026-06-24T07:53:30+00:00 http://www.davidbach.net/wiki/ http://www.davidbach.net/wiki/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=wiki:logo.png text/html 2020-03-28T21:43:43+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://www.davidbach.net/wiki/doku.php?id=garden:cultivate:tasks:grnmanure:annual-rye&rev=1585431823&do=diff Annual rye grass In the Garden in 2019 I took an easy way and let annual rye grass and crimson clover go to seed, saving me that effort. (Actually, I chose this by default, not having time to cultivate a 1000 foot section of the Garden. In the summer I scythed the area after the plants had terminated and let the seed fall where they might. This was successful in providing a healthy cover crop during the fall and winter. text/html 2015-08-29T21:57:51+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://www.davidbach.net/wiki/doku.php?id=garden:cultivate:tasks:grnmanure:buckwheat&rev=1440885471&do=diff Buckwheat [The buckwheat was up in several days][Cleared of rye straw, buckwheat sowed as a smother crop]I cleared some rye start that wasn't thick enough to keep out weeds. And I had some buckwheat seed left from last year, so on July 10 I put a buckwheat cover crop here for a quick “smother crop” and to add some organic matter to the soil. By July 14 I had a good many buckwheat seedlings. text/html 2016-04-25T18:21:25+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://www.davidbach.net/wiki/doku.php?id=garden:cultivate:tasks:grnmanure:crimsonclover&rev=1461608485&do=diff Crimson clover In the fall of 2014, I sowed crimson clover, another try at a cover crop that can smother weeds as well as serve as green manure. [Triming the clover from around the garlic was easy with a hand trimmer][It was easy to terminate the clover with the scythe]Crimson clover was slow to germinate and slow to grow, allowing weeds to get a head start. However, by the end of March, the clover was coming on strong. Nevertheless, weeds were making seeds before the clover towered over them. text/html 2019-03-04T03:43:49+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://www.davidbach.net/wiki/doku.php?id=garden:cultivate:tasks:grnmanure:medicmix&rev=1551671029&do=diff Medic Mix This is a cover crop from Territorial Seed Company containing alfalfa and clover (Medicago spp. + Trifolium spp.). Territorial says: Tried at home I planted some in a small raised bed at home. It seemed to germinate well and smother weeds pretty well. I intend to plant a some more in a garden in late September 2014 to serve as green manure. text/html 2020-03-28T21:32:23+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://www.davidbach.net/wiki/doku.php?id=garden:cultivate:tasks:grnmanure:oat-radish&rev=1585431143&do=diff Oats and radish For a cover crop for the 2015-2016 winter season I chose a mix of oats and tillage radish. These aren't table radishes, rather they're more like the Daikon, which has a long root. Tillage radish, raphanus sativus, also called forage radish, creates lots of leaves along with a root that goes deep into the subsoil. I planted beginning is mid-August and ending when the tomatoes and peppers were done. text/html 2020-03-28T21:39:49+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://www.davidbach.net/wiki/doku.php?id=garden:cultivate:tasks:grnmanure:oats&rev=1585431589&do=diff Oats In 2018-19 I chose a mix of oats and crimson clover. I had previous experience with both a the Farm. I liked oats because they germinate better in the cool, fall weather, and getting a cover crop in the ground earlier is a real challenge when I'm still harvesting most of the garden in September. text/html 2021-04-25T20:31:53+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://www.davidbach.net/wiki/doku.php?id=garden:cultivate:tasks:grnmanure:planting&rev=1619382713&do=diff Planting When to plant a cover crop is always a question. It must be soon enough to allow the seeds to germinate and establish themselves before cold weather arrives. I plant by broadcasting seeds over the garden area. === text/html 2014-10-13T00:37:20+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://www.davidbach.net/wiki/doku.php?id=garden:cultivate:tasks:grnmanure:prepare&rev=1413160640&do=diff Preparing the soil To prepare the soil for planting a cover crop for green manure I first attack the weeds. Race of the ages I'm often in a quandary about whether to till (with a diamond hoe) and immediately plant a cover crop or to let weeds sprout, and then hoe and plant. text/html 2014-08-15T14:02:26+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://www.davidbach.net/wiki/doku.php?id=garden:cultivate:tasks:grnmanure:rye&rev=1408111346&do=diff Cereal rye When we began our Fall City garden I realized that the soil really need organic matter so I researched what crop to plant for this purpose. After a field day with Washington State University Extension about cover crops and low-till framing I chose cereal rye, mainly because of its ability to generate lots of biomass (does it ever!).