MtViking- A little piece of paradise.

[Bruce]

I agree, the cover crop benefits the soil, landscape fabric does not. And after the fabric gives up the ghost, you have to throw it in the landfill.

 

[MtViking]

The cover crop will add humus to the soil.

Will a cover crop actually grow this late in the year?

 

[MtViking]

I agree, the cover crop benefits the soil, landscape fabric does not. And after the fabric gives up the ghost, you have to throw it in the landfill.

I guess I don’t understand the reason for planting a cover crop in September? We will probably have snow on the ground in a month maybe two. Is there really enough time for anything to grow and actually do me any good?

 

[MtViking]

Would Timothy hay be a cover crop? I could use that for my rabbits

 

[frustratedearthmother]

A lot of cover crops do their best work over winter. You can probably find something that will work well for you.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/grains/cover-crops/cover-crop-planting-guide.htm

 

[MtViking]

A lot of cover crops do their best work over winter. You can probably find something that will work well for you.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/grains/cover-crops/cover-crop-planting-guide.htm

I just sewed in a pasture mix tonight covered it with a bit of soil and spread another layer and watered heavy to help it from blowing away. It’s a mix of ryegrass, clover, and Timothy hay. So I’ll be-able to use it for my rabbits as well as protect and feed my garden patch.

 

[farmerjan]

You will probably not get alot of growth from the timothy in the spring when you are ready to till it in. Although timothy is a cool weather hay, I don't know if it can get enough established to make hay then till under for the garden. You need to get your garden going as soon as possible due to the short growing season.

Is there a county extension office nearby? I would definitely talk to them and see what they suggest. Hopefully they will be helpful. Most normal covercrops here are wheat, rye, barley, some oats; or a mix. If it is a pasture mix, the rye comes up fast and grows in colder temps; establishes some protection for the later growing plants. Clover will add nitrogen to the soil and some varieties have deep root systems. I think the timothy is to establish more "crowns" so that as the rye "peters out" a bit, the timothy will come on. Not saying you won't get some benefit out of it, but that you will be wanting to get it tilled asap to get the garden going due to the shorter season. You will still get some benefit from the organic matter it puts back into the soil so any cover crop is not a waste, as long as you don't have a ton of money in it.

Here in Va, we will often "harvest" a cover crop as hay or chop it for "haylage" , then go on and put something different into the field for the bulk of the growing season. But again, we have a longer season than you do. It is known as double cropping here. Many plant say rye in the fall... it turns green before the frost, grows a bit; goes dormant, then in the spring it starts to grow and it grows fast once we are out of frost... it often will get cut/chopped by early May, then the field will be planted to say corn, or we will plant a hay such as orchard grass. The orchard grass fields we hope will make hay for 5-10 years before we have to renovate. Sometimes it is invasive species like Johnson grass, or a bad infestation of sand briers (horse nettle). Sometimes a hard cold winter with deep frost and no snow cover will kill the roots... there are lots of reasons. Since we sell quite a few small sq bales (50 +/- lbs) it has to be good clean hay with no weeds in it. So we are constantly rotating fields, and renovating to keep clean, productive stands of orchard grass. We do a 3 year renovation, with 2 years being in alternative crops. Have some sorghum sudan that we planted in June, made a first cutting off it, will make a second cutting as soon as my son gets back from Ga and the weather will cooperate, then plant to wheat or barley for a fall cover crop. In the spring, it will get cut for hay, then put back into sorghum sudan again. Then according to the timing, might put it into orchard grass next fall if conditions are right, or will plant another cover crop, then harvest it in the spring and put in the orchard grass for a hayfield again. We try to use minimal chemicals. A good 2 years of a fast thick growing crop like sorghum sudan will help crowd out alot of the invasive species. We do some chemical weed killers, but try to use better cropping and soil "husbandry" practices.

You could till the area that you want early crops in like cool weather stuff... peas, broccoli, cabbage etc.; then cut the other area and till the crop (roots) in for the warmer season stuff. One thing I have heard, is that you will have some trouble getting things like tomatoes and such to ripen unless you use plastic to warm up the soil faster. Again, I don't know the area. You also might want to consider something like the "hoop house" @Baymule referenced as a garden hoop structure to warm the area and extend the season. It would be "portable enough to be able to move it to different areas of the garden so you can rotate your crops around. There are alot of places here that do "high tunnels " to extend their growing season. Like a greenhouse, but not heated. They do collect the warmth of the sun during the day, and keep the plants from getting frosted or even chilled too much so they produce longer. You can use them to double as "rabbit coops" in the winter, to keep the pens in and protect them from the worst of the winter weather; or to raise chickens in and they will till the soil and add lots of poop right back into the soil.

If you use panels or something sturdy to keep them away from the sides, you can use them for winter housing for pigs or sheep or goats too. You would have to keep them "off the sides" so they don't damage the plastic. One way is to make your aisles down the sides rather than the middle.... but all will improve the soil and you can then "move them out" into their own pens for the spring/summer....

 

[MtViking]

You will probably not get alot of growth from the timothy in the spring when you are ready to till it in. Although timothy is a cool weather hay, I don't know if it can get enough established to make hay then till under for the garden. You need to get your garden going as soon as possible due to the short growing season.

Is there a county extension office nearby? I would definitely talk to them and see what they suggest. Hopefully they will be helpful. Most normal covercrops here are wheat, rye, barley, some oats; or a mix. If it is a pasture mix, the rye comes up fast and grows in colder temps; establishes some protection for the later growing plants. Clover will add nitrogen to the soil and some varieties have deep root systems. I think the timothy is to establish more "crowns" so that as the rye "peters out" a bit, the timothy will come on. Not saying you won't get some benefit out of it, but that you will be wanting to get it tilled asap to get the garden going due to the shorter season. You will still get some benefit from the organic matter it puts back into the soil so any cover crop is not a waste, as long as you don't have a ton of money in it.

Here in Va, we will often "harvest" a cover crop as hay or chop it for "haylage" , then go on and put something different into the field for the bulk of the growing season. But again, we have a longer season than you do. It is known as double cropping here. Many plant say rye in the fall... it turns green before the frost, grows a bit; goes dormant, then in the spring it starts to grow and it grows fast once we are out of frost... it often will get cut/chopped by early May, then the field will be planted to say corn, or we will plant a hay such as orchard grass. The orchard grass fields we hope will make hay for 5-10 years before we have to renovate. Sometimes it is invasive species like Johnson grass, or a bad infestation of sand briers (horse nettle). Sometimes a hard cold winter with deep frost and no snow cover will kill the roots... there are lots of reasons. Since we sell quite a few small sq bales (50 +/- lbs) it has to be good clean hay with no weeds in it. So we are constantly rotating fields, and renovating to keep clean, productive stands of orchard grass. We do a 3 year renovation, with 2 years being in alternative crops. Have some sorghum sudan that we planted in June, made a first cutting off it, will make a second cutting as soon as my son gets back from Ga and the weather will cooperate, then plant to wheat or barley for a fall cover crop. In the spring, it will get cut for hay, then put back into sorghum sudan again. Then according to the timing, might put it into orchard grass next fall if conditions are right, or will plant another cover crop, then harvest it in the spring and put in the orchard grass for a hayfield again. We try to use minimal chemicals. A good 2 years of a fast thick growing crop like sorghum sudan will help crowd out alot of the invasive species. We do some chemical weed killers, but try to use better cropping and soil "husbandry" practices.

You could till the area that you want early crops in like cool weather stuff... peas, broccoli, cabbage etc.; then cut the other area and till the crop (roots) in for the warmer season stuff. One thing I have heard, is that you will have some trouble getting things like tomatoes and such to ripen unless you use plastic to warm up the soil faster. Again, I don't know the area. You also might want to consider something like the "hoop house" @Baymule referenced as a garden hoop structure to warm the area and extend the season. It would be "portable enough to be able to move it to different areas of the garden so you can rotate your crops around. There are alot of places here that do "high tunnels " to extend their growing season. Like a greenhouse, but not heated. They do collect the warmth of the sun during the day, and keep the plants from getting frosted or even chilled too much so they produce longer. You can use them to double as "rabbit coops" in the winter, to keep the pens in and protect them from the worst of the winter weather; or to raise chickens in and they will till the soil and add lots of poop right back into the soil.

If you use panels or something sturdy to keep them away from the sides, you can use them for winter housing for pigs or sheep or goats too. You would have to keep them "off the sides" so they don't damage the plastic. One way is to make your aisles down the sides rather than the middle.... but all will improve the soil and you can then "move them out" into their own pens for the spring/summer....

The mix was mostly rye, it had I think 6-8% Timothy and same with clover, the rest is rye grass. It’s the only thing I had available to me with short notice. Next year I’ll be more prepared and travel up to one of the towns closer to the farming parts of Montana they have actual seed and feed stores. I have a Murdoch’s is all in my town so it’s limited. But if nothing else it should help keep it from blowing away in the winter winds. I hope

 

[Baymule]

Long root radishes are also a good soil conditioner. Plant and let them dies back and rot. The rotted radish opens up the soil, lets rain soak in, feeds earthworms and provides humus for the soil. They are also good to plant around fruit and nut trees.

 

[farmerjan]

I actually believe that being mostly rye will be to your benefit. Especially at this later date. Rye will come up quickly with a little moisture and will do better in cooler/colder temps, so hopefully you will get some growth before winter sets in there. I past a couple of corn fields that had been chopped. They already have a green "grass" crop coming up. It is one of three things....rye or wheat or barley. And we have not had any precip so it is coming up under adverse conditions. It is probably rye. I think that yours will come up and do fine. A couple inches growth is all you need to "save the soil" before the winter locks down on you. Anymore than that is a bonus in the available green matter to be tilled under....(or some cut for the animals in the spring).
Keep a "weather journal" even if it is just a few lines on a calendar, and you will be able to go back next year and see what you did, what the soil/planting conditions were, and the results. You will be surprised how often I will go back through my old calendars, to just see how the years' compare.