"Why" Clover & Green Manure

"Why?" is a constant part of my vocabulary.  "To make little girls like you ask questions," tended to be thrown my way often.  For me, if I can understand the why then the motivation, follow through and boldness to experiment follows.

The protection and the development of our soil is not the most romantic or easily recognized activity but is the foundation of all else gardening.

I've been researching the difference between Red Clover and Alfalfa.  While they do have differing properties they provide amazing benefit to our soil.  I knew that the nitrogen that legumes produce in their roots enters the soil when the plant dies and recharges the soil.  What I didn't know is how Cover crops such as Alfalfa, Red Clover and Perennial Ryegrass  can also reduce plant-parasitic nematodes!  

Two Good Resources:

 

"Effect of Cover Crops Alfalfa, Red Clover, and Perennial Ryegrass on Soybean Cyst
Nematode Population and Soybean and Corn Yields in Minnesota"

USDA "Soil Quality-Agronomy:  Cover and Green Manure Crop Benefits to Soil Quality"

The USDA states that, "Quality is a critical factor in the management of natural resources, and
the protection or enhancement of soil quality is the key component of all resource management assistance activities in the NRCS."

Cover crops can be grown on parts of our beds or entire beds.  They can be grown, cut down and added to our compost.  

 This compost amends our soil to add organic matter and "biomass" and creates a perfect environment for all of those microbes to reproduce and do their thing.  Worms build in population and weave a network through the soil for water and oxygen throughout the beds.

Leaving the cover crops growing for a period of time will provide protection from weeds, erosion, compaction and disease.  Those wonderful roots pushing deep into the soil creates deep loam perfect for growing amazing gardens.