Gardening with Newton Community Farm
September 8, 2020
Cover Cropping - Part 1
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A cover crop is a plant grown for the benefit of the soil rather than crop yield. Cover cropping is practiced in farming and gardening primarily to manage soil erosion, build soil fertility, improve soil quality, manage weed and disease pressure, and promote biodiversity. It is a valuable practice of sustainable land stewardship.
Cover crops are planted in late summer or fall, giving the plants time to establish enough of a root system to hold soil in place and replenish soil nutrients. Some cover crops, such as oats and peas, die back in the winter. Others, like rye and vetch, can survive the winter and will continue growing into the spring, replenishing soil nutrients until the plants are mowed.
At Newton Community Farm, we cover crop 70-80% of the farmland with a combination of rye and vetch. Vetch is a legume that captures nitrogen from the soil and, once it has been mowed and has decomposed, makes that nitrogen available for crops. Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for any farm crop, and can often be depleted after the growing season. Other examples of legume cover crops are peas and alfalfa.
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Legumes also help control erosion, add organic matter to soil, and attract beneficial insects. They can be annual, biennial, or perennial, so it’s important to know what you're planting before putting the seeds in the ground.
Rye is a grass that supports soil structure and helps prevent erosion. Examples of other annual cereal crops like rye that are used for cover crops include wheat, barley, and oats. Grasses are useful for scavenging nutrients, especially nitrogen, left over from a previous crop. They tend to have extensive root systems, which can greatly reduce erosion from wind and water in the off-season. In addition, grasses produce large amounts of residue once decomposed, adding significant organic matter to the soil.
The practice of cover cropping is extremely beneficial to farmland, as it is an investment in the health of the soil and the longevity of the land’s capacity to support food production. And it has its place in home gardening as well. In next week’s newsletter, we’ll discuss considerations for choosing a cover crop based on your growing space, your soil requirements, and your capacity for mowing.
Until then....
Happy growing!
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Watch our gardening show with Jay on our YouTube channel. Soon we will also include cooking segments to give you ideas of what you can make with your harvest and seasonal veggies. Tune in at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesdays for our show. You can also view our channel anytime to see our show archive.
If you know of someone who might like to receive this newsletter, contact jay@newtoncommunityfarm.org to be added to our email list. We'd love to see your gardens and what you're cooking from your bounty! Please send in photos to share.
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Check our website starting around 9:00 a.m. on Monday mornings to get details on our Healthy Harvest Bags full of fresh, local produce. Order through our online store and arrange for pickup at the farm on Friday afternoon. Quantities are limited and contents and price vary each week based on what's in season. There are only a few bags left for this week!
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The Newton Farmers' Market is hopping this summer! Come visit us on Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., at Newton South High School, 140 Brandeis Road. We bring a terrific variety of fresh produce including squash, eggplants, tomatoes, greens, herbs, and peppers. We now accept SNAP/EBT cards. For more details and market guidelines, visit the city's website.
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NEWTON COMMUNITY FARM
303 Nahanton Street
Newton, MA 02459
617-916-9655
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