HEY! HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT YOUR COVER CROPS YET?

As the summer is ending, for us individuals with crops coming out of season, we decide on whether or not to continue a crop between the dormant winter months. These crops during the dormant season aren’t used for cash or production but for the soil. Cover crops are any crop that is to cover an existing farm plot or later enrich the soil by incorporating the cover crop into the soil. Nitrogen is found within the plant’s roots which after the ground has thawed from the winter months, will release into the soil and create a great start for seed starts being planted in the spring.

There are many forms of cover cropping, but a few that are popular at Burns Feed Store:

1. Winter Ryegrass or Cereal Ryegrass: a grain which can grow vigorously in even colder temperatures (as low as 33o F) and is hardy to most soil types and weather conditions. With its shallow fibrous roots, cereal rye grass provides a great fall planted cover crop.
2. Annual Ryegrass: A cool season grass that similarly will grow like cereal ryegrass but are much smaller seeds and don’t grow as tall. A great cover crop for those that don’t have a tiller but still would like to provide natural nitrogen to the soil.
3. Crimson Clover: a red topped clover that can keep showing signs of growth even in cold weather and is a great option for pollinators. Another great fall planted cover crop, great for pollinators and enrichment of natural nitrogen into the soil.
4. Gardenway: A mixture of seeds which provide plant diversity and is a perfect annual cover crop for your garden or farm plot during the growing off season.

If you have any questions as to which cover crop might work best for your area, don’t hesitate to give us a call or stop on by to chat with our Garden Department Manager, Ryan!