Vetch and oats can improve soil if you use them as cover crops in winter gardening. (Getty Images) By Laura Simpson | gardening@scng.com. PUBLISHED: December 26, 2021 at 10:26 AM PST.

5 Benefits of Cover Crops. Soil fertility. Organisms will decompose dead cover crops into nutrients that are taken up by the roots of food plants, and add to your soil’s humus content.

Cover crops offer an organic solution to this problem. A non-legume cover crop, such as winter rye, for example, will take up nitrogen from the soil and keep it in the plant’s tissues.

In spring use your mower or weed whip to cut the cover crop to the ground. You can till the residue into the soil at that time or cover the area with a black tarp or weed barrier for at least 2 weeks.

Cover crops can enrich soil, smother weeds in your garden. Steve Reiners. You may have heard the saying, “nature abhors a vacuum.” Although it applies to many situations, farmers and gardeners ...

Cover crops may be cut by hand, with a trimmer or a lawn mower. Plants should then be incorporated into the soil with a tiller, pitchfork or broad fork so that they will decompose.

Cover crops, also known as green manure, play a crucial role in sustainable gardening by improving soil structure, enhancing moisture retention, and suppressing weeds.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, integrating cover crops into your late fall gardening routine can yield remarkable benefits for your soil and plants.

Cover crops are extremely important soil food web tools. Anyone listening to the “Teaming With Microbes” podcasts knows I am into them. Depending on which you use, these plants are capable of ...

When the Southern Cover Crops Council held its annual conference recently in Baton Rouge, I was fortunate to sit in on panel discussions with farmers and specialty crops (vegetables, fruits, ...

Looking to find cover crops for gardens? Learn when to plant cover crops and which ones are best for each season.2. The raised garden beds at Wild Abundance are built in the shape of a large leaf.

When the Southern Cover Crops Council held its annual conference recently in Baton Rouge, I was fortunate to sit in on panel discussions with farmers and specialty crops (vegetables, fruits, ...