Cover Crops

Image by inaquim Winter wheat, otherwise known as Triticum aestivum, is a member of the Paceae family. It is usually planted in the Great Plains region as a cash grain but is also an excellent green manure…

Image by apichsn Living mulch provides numerous benefits to the garden and soil. What is living mulch? Any plant that is used to cover an area of soil and adds nutrients, enhances soil porosity, decreases…

Image by rbiedermann If you’re looking for a cover crop for difficult soil, the birdsfoot trefoil plant may be just what you need. This article discusses the pros and cons of using birdsfoot trefoil as a…

Image by nanoqfu As long as man has been dabbling in agriculture, rotating cover crops has been recognized as an important part of the process. Why rotate cover crops? It promotes better soil texture and…

Image by Jekaterina Sahmanova The use of green manure cover crops is a popular practice among many growers in the farming and agricultural industries. This method of organic fertilizing has numerous benefits…

Image by LianeM Got chickens? Then you know that whether they are in an enclosed pen, a well-layered landscape, or in an open environment (free-range) such as a pasture, they require protection, shelter,…

Image by Fornax at German Wikipedia Berseem clover cover crops provide excellent nitrogen in soil. What is berseem clover? It is a legume that is also a wonderful animal forage. The plant is said to have…

Image by nanoqfu Until fairly recently, many of us only knew of buckwheat from its use in buckwheat pancakes. Today’s sophisticated palates now know it for those delicious Asian buckwheat noodles and also…

Image by Ratikova Weeds! They’re the most frustrating bane of the gardening experience. Gardeners from Alaska to Florida know the struggle, as these invasive, aggressive plants seem to pop up full grown out…

Image by Harry Rose What is woollypod vetch? Woollypod vetch plants (Vicia villosa ssp. dasycarpa) are cool-season, annual legumes. They have compound leaves and pinkish flowers on long clusters. This plant…