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OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SERVICE FS 304Reprinted February 1999Cover Crops for Home GardensR.L. Rackham and R. McNeilanCover crops planted in late summerare an inexpensive way to build better soil for gardening. Cover crops often arecalled green manure crops. They aregrains, grasses, or legumes that will grow during fall and winter and that youcan plow, spade, or till under in thespring.During their growth, cover crops helpreduce soil compaction and preventerosion. Their roots penetrate and help loosen heavy-textured soils, allowingbetter air and water penetration.Inoculated legume cover crops addnitrogen to the soil. When you turncover crops under, they add organicmatter to the soilÑbuilding better soil structure and fertility.A deep-rooted cover crop allowed togrow for two seasons in problem soil can help break up a hardpan and greatlyimprove soil tilth.Cover crops also are called catchcrops. In the rainy part of Oregon, thismight be one of the more economicalreasons for planting a cover crop. A growing grass or legume crop catchesand uses the nitrogen and other mineralnutrients that winter rains normally leach away.When you turn the cover crop underin the spring, these nutrients return to the soil, ready for your crop of veg-etables.Nearly all garden soil needs organicmatter to maintain the bacteria, fungi,earthworms, and other forms of lifeneeded to make a healthy, fertile soil.However, organic matter is quicklyused in the food chain of earthwormsand other soil organismsÑso you will need a continuous supply. In addition togreen manure crops, manures, sawdust,bark dust, and composts also supply organic matter.Which crop should I use?Cover crops for home vegetablegardens should grow quickly, cover thearea to shade out weeds, and be easy to work into the soil in the spring. Table 1lists some suggested cover crops forgarden soils. You can combine a legume with a grass or cereal plant crop toproduce and store nitrogen. Vetch withrye or oats, or Austrian peas or garden peas with winter wheat or rye makegood combinations for the home garden.Know your soilÕs needsDepending on your soil type and pH,you may need lime or sulfur to correct deficiencies in plant nutrients or pHextremes. A soil test could indicateneeds. Generally, west of the Cascades, use 80 to 100 lb of ground limestone ordolomite lime per 1,000 square feet,about every other year. (Dolomite lime contains magnesium and is recom-mended for acid, low-magnesium soils.)East of the Cascades, lime seldom is necessary.Preparing your soilYou can plant cover crops in yourgarden from about mid-August until lateSeptember. Plant them early enough to be well established before cold weatherarrives. If fall vegetable crops are stillgrowing in your garden, plant the cover crops between the rows.Fertilizing for grasses and cereals.You have two basic choicesÑeither will get your cover crop off to a good start:4Use a complete fertilizer such as15-15-15 at 10 lb per 1,000 square feet. (The figures 15-15-15 tell youthe percentage of nitrogen, phospho-rus, and potassium.) Be sure the fertilizer provides 1.5 to 2 lb ofnitrogen and 1 lb of sulfur per1,000 square feet.4Use enough manure (about 200 lb or1 cubic yard) to supply 1 to 2 lb ofactual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.Fertilizing for legumes. These havelittle need for nitrogen. However, you will need to till phosphorus, potassium,and lime into your soil before you plant(lime to pH 5.8 or above). Use any low- nitrogen formulation of fertilizer thatwill supply 1 to 2 lb each of phosphorusand potassium per 1,000 square feet.Wood ashes. If you plan to use thesein your garden, see EC 1503, FertilizingYour Garden: Vegetables, Fruits, and OrnamentalsTilling your soil. Prepare yourseedbed by tilling or spading to loosen the top 6 inches of soil. Rake to break itup into a fine seedbed.Planting your cover cropPlant your cover crop early enough topermit 4 weeks of growth before coldweather stops that growth.After preparing the soil, you canplant large-seeded cover crops (peas,vetch, and wheat) in shallow, closely spaced furrows. Broadcast small-seededcrops (ryegrass, buckwheat) over thesurface and cover with a light raking. If the soil is dry, irrigate often enough tokeep the soil damp and germinate theseeds.In the spring, as soon as the grounddries enough for tilling or plowing, turnthe cover crop under. To allow time for the organic matter to decompose, turnthe cover crop under at least 3 weeksbefore you intend to plant. If the cover crop is too tall to turn under easily, mowit first. Do not allow cover crops to go toseed. (Some, such as vetch, may become weeds in the garden if they are allowedto spread seeds.)Organic matter additions to the soilare a continuing necessity. You cansupply organic matter through manure,compost, or other vegetable or animal matterÑor through an annual plannedprogram of cover-crop planting andmanagement.Robert L. Rackham, Extension agent emeritus, Benton and Linn counties; andRay McNeilan, Extension agent emeri-tus, Multnomah County; Oregon State University.
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