Most gardeners think of cover crops as plants that occupy space during the winter, but cover crops also can be useful during the summer months, said a University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist.
“Cover crops are a great way to span the gaps in the season between production cycles,” said Marlin Bates. “When cool-season crops like cabbage, broccoli, carrots and radishes are harvested, it is often too late to plant warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers and too early to start another cool-season garden.”
To bide the time between the cool seasons, consider the positive characteristics of a summer cover crop, Bates says. Regardless of the season, cover crops offer many benefits:
-Contribute to soil fertility.
-Build soil structure.
-Break up repetitive vegetable cropping cycles.
-Control erosion.
-Suppress weeds.
-Reduce soil compaction.
-Decrease nutrient leaching.
Summer annual cover crops are typically seeded in late spring or early summer and allowed to grow for a short period.
“The length of time the cover crop remains depends on the cultural qualities of the cover crop and the planting date for the next vegetable crop,” Bates said. “Most summer annual cover crops can be grown from as little as four to six weeks or up to the first frost. In any case, gardeners should mow and incorporate the cover crop at least five days before planting the next vegetable crop.”
Many cover crops are of the legume family. These crops contribute nitrogen to the soil that will benefit the next crop that is planted, reducing future fertilizer inputs. However, summer annual legumes vary in their ability to fix nitrogen.
“Given the short period that these crops are in the ground, choosing a high-N-fixing legume cover crop is important,” he said. “The biomass produced from many of the summer annual legumes is typically not enough to contribute meaningfully to soil organic matter.” With this in mind, gardeners looking to boost soil organic matter may consider combining legumes with nonlegumes.
When choosing a nonlegume cover crop to mix with summer annual legumes, check for compatibility. “Additionally, drought tolerance is an important characteristic to choose for in a nonlegume summer annual cover crop,” he said.
For more information on cover crops in general and for recommendations on appropriate legume/nonlegume cover crop mixes, contact your local MU Extension center.
Most gardeners think of cover crops as plants that occupy space during the winter, but cover crops also can be useful during the summer months, said a University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist.
“Cover crops are a great way to span the gaps in the season between production cycles,” said Marlin Bates. “When cool-season crops like cabbage, broccoli, carrots and radishes are harvested, it is often too late to plant warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers and too early to start another cool-season garden.”
To bide the time between the cool seasons, consider the positive characteristics of a summer cover crop, Bates says. Regardless of the season, cover crops offer many benefits:
-Contribute to soil fertility.
-Build soil structure.
-Break up repetitive vegetable cropping cycles.
-Control erosion.
-Suppress weeds.
-Reduce soil compaction.
-Decrease nutrient leaching.
Summer annual cover crops are typically seeded in late spring or early summer and allowed to grow for a short period.
“The length of time the cover crop remains depends on the cultural qualities of the cover crop and the planting date for the next vegetable crop,” Bates said. “Most summer annual cover crops can be grown from as little as four to six weeks or up to the first frost. In any case, gardeners should mow and incorporate the cover crop at least five days before planting the next vegetable crop.”
Many cover crops are of the legume family. These crops contribute nitrogen to the soil that will benefit the next crop that is planted, reducing future fertilizer inputs. However, summer annual legumes vary in their ability to fix nitrogen.
“Given the short period that these crops are in the ground, choosing a high-N-fixing legume cover crop is important,” he said. “The biomass produced from many of the summer annual legumes is typically not enough to contribute meaningfully to soil organic matter.” With this in mind, gardeners looking to boost soil organic matter may consider combining legumes with nonlegumes.
When choosing a nonlegume cover crop to mix with summer annual legumes, check for compatibility. “Additionally, drought tolerance is an important characteristic to choose for in a nonlegume summer annual cover crop,” he said.
For more information on cover crops in general and for recommendations on appropriate legume/nonlegume cover crop mixes, contact your local MU Extension center.
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