Undercover

It’s too early in the year to be this far behind! The one thing I am really glad of is that last fall we got a good cover crop of winter rye planted in the nick of time! That cover crop is of great value to us for a number of reasons:

• First and foremost, it holds the soil together over winter.
• It enriches the soil by sending down roots to pull minerals up from deep underground.
• When we scythe it down we can use it either in place as mulch, or we can make a nice haystack to pull from all summer long for a variety of uses. (bedding, packing, or of course mulch)
• Rye roots put out compounds that inhibit the growth of many weeds!
• If we end up behind the eight ball again in late summer and the rye goes fully to seed, we can collect the heads and replant them (or we might could even grind up a few and make a nice sourdough rye!)

There are many varieties of cover crop, find the one (or the combo) that works for you, and this fall be sure to get it in the ground! You’ll really appreciate it come next gardening season!