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Protect & Fertilize Green Cover Crop Blend

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Protect & Fertilize Green Cover Crop Blend

This vigorous cover crop chokes out weeds, holds and protects soil structure and builds soil fertility. Balanced mix of nitrogen-fixing legumes, annual grasses, soil penetrating roots and cleansing brassicas.

Cover crops are a beneficial and often necessary part of the seasonal garden to both protect and enhance garden soil. Cover cropping solves the problem of leaving garden soil bare during the winter when wind and rain and frost heaving erode top soil and leach out nutrients. The use of cover crops creates garden soil that is fertile with the best structure to grow healthy plants.

Ample 3 oz. of seed protects 500 sq.ft.

 

Planting Cover Crop Scatter Garden: How-To Guide

How And Why To Plant Cover Crop Seeds

Incorporating Cover Crops Method #1

Using A Cover Crop #2

Using And Incorporating A Cover Crop #3

Seed Count: Weight: 85 g
$ 16.95
#8181
#8181
renees garden heirloom feature renees garden pollinator feature

The Renee’s Garden Cover Crop Mix is a blend of several legumes, grass, roots, and rapeseed. The legumes, Austrian Winter Peas, Fava beans and Hairy Vetch all fix nitrogen from air into their root nodules, loosen and aerate dense soil and gather deep nutrients and minerals. Winter Rye Grass has thick roots which hold the soil to prevent erosion and takes up excess nutrients in the soil. Rapeseed takes up large amounts of nutrients that would otherwise be leached out of the soil by the winter rains. When these cover crop plants are incorporated back into the soil in the spring, they break down releasing the nutrients and minerals back into the soil and add plenty of organic matter which improves the soil structure.

NOTE

Seed is packed with a larger quantity of organic rice hulls to help space seeds. Before opening, shake can thoroughly to mix together.

FORMULA MIX

Winter Rye, Hairy Vetch, Fava Bean, Rapeseed and Austrian Winter Peas.

Inert material: organic rice hulls.

 

WHEN TO PLANT

In Mild Winter Climates, where ground does not freeze hard, sow in late fall to over-winter for spring growth.

In Cold Winter Climates, where ground freezes hard, plant in fall for winter die back and then incorporate in spring, OR sow as early as possible in spring..

 

HOW TO PLANT AND GROW

Remove all weeds, grass and large stones from the planting area and break up soil clumps. Evenly loosen the top 2 inches of soil with a rake. Shake the can thoroughly before opening, then scatter contents evenly over the prepared ground, aiming for scattering the seeds 1 to 2 inches apart. Use a rake to cover the seed mixture with fine soil 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Lightly firm soil with the back of the rake and water thoroughly. Keep soil bed evenly moist while awaiting germination and while seedlings are small. Plants will grow and thrive best if watered regularly.

 

INCORPORATING YOUR COVER CROP

Method 1: When 5 to 6 inches tall, use a garden fork, shovel or rototiller to turn the cover crop into the ground to break down and enrich soil for planting. The breakdown process takes about a month.

Method 2: When cover crop is 1 foot tall, pull out the plants, shake off soil and then compost the plant material to incorporate it into the soil later, when it has turned into rich, finished compost. Timing depends how long your composting process takes.

Method 3: When cover crop reaches 1 to 1-1/2 feet tall, weed whack to chop it down. Cover the chopped material with black plastic to hasten decomposition, then turn the nutritious residue into the soil 2 to 3 weeks before sowing your garden crops.

Cold Winters

Mild Winters

Sun/Shade

Sow Seeds

Days To Germinate

Sept – Oct
April – May
Sept – April
Full Sun
Scatter thinly
1/4 – 1/2 inch deep
9 – 14 days

Cold Winters

Mild Winters

Sun/Shade

Sow Seeds

Days To Germinate

Sept – Oct
April – May
Sept – April
Full Sun
Scatter thinly
1/4 – 1/2 inch deep
9 – 14 days

Cold Winters

Sept – Oct
April – May

Mild Winters

Sept – April

Sun/Shade

Full Sun

Sow Seeds

Scatter thinly
1/4 – 1/2 inch deep

Days To Germinate

9 – 14 days

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Photos From Our Trial Garden

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