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COVER CROP

How to Cultivate Healthy Soil

Amy Pennington

Dec 28, 2020

COVER CROP, legumes
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Sowing cover crop protects soil from erosion & compaction AND acts a green mulch, one that you can chop into the soil for ‘green manure’ next spring. See all those white ‘balls’ on the roots in the pics?! THOSE ARE NITROGEN!! Nitrogen fixing bacteria in the nodules that pull from the atmosphere and allow the plants to store nitrogen in their root systems, thereby fertilizing the soil for next year. Like manure fertilizes soil with nitrogen. Get it now?! “GREEN” 💩!!

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If you haven’t already planted some, and you have bare soil, get out there and sprinkle a little seed love into your beds! You may not have perfect or strong germination rates, but better late than never, eh?!
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Choose a cover crop mix (often sold in bulk at small nurseries) of cereal (rye, barley), vetch and favas.
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And just as an FYI, snow is a wonderful insulator too #letitsnow