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 And Incorporating A Cover Crop #3
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 – OctApril – May
|
Sept – April
|
Full Sun
|
Scatter thinly1/4 – 1/2 inch deep
|
9 – 14 days
|
Cold Winters |
Mild Winters |
Sun/Shade |
Sow Seeds |
Days To Germinate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sept – OctApril – May
|
Sept – April
|
Full Sun
|
Scatter thinly1/4 – 1/2 inch deep
|
9 – 14 days
|
Cold Winters
Sept – OctApril – May
|
Mild Winters
Sept – April
|
Sun/Shade
Full Sun
|
Sow Seeds
Scatter thinly1/4 – 1/2 inch deep
|
Days To Germinate
9 – 14 days
|
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