Cover crops and turning them under

On the afternoon of May 30^th, around 4:00 pm the whole team showed up to plant the seeds! By 4:00, I had already turned under the cereal rye and fresh compost in the 5^th bed. The cereal rye, which was planted in all of the MLK garden beds acted as a cover crop. Cover crops provide many benefits in gardens and agriculture. Some of these benefits are:

- Protect the soil from runoff and erosion

- Recycle and supply nutrients

- Replace soil organic matter

- Suppress weeds.

Different types of cover crops are suitable for different situations. In general, cereal grains grow vigorously and can provide quick ground cover even when the weather is cool. Cereal rye is known as the most commonly grown cover crop in the Northeast since it is strong, very cold hardy, and can germinate in cool weather. They yield large amounts of biomass when planted and harvested at proper times.  If planting cereal rye, it should be done between the time span of late august until late October. Two to three (lbs.) pounds of seed should be applied per 1,000 square feet. When planted in say, September, rye will capture some of the available nitrogen in the soil and recycle it for the next crop. However, if too much of the rye stalk is turned under without having time to decompose before spring planting, it may suppress the growth of spring crops. Also, know that rye grows rapidly in the spring and become difficult to turn under. So, stay with the season, remaining attached with the land over the course of all seasons.

How to turn it under: If the top of the cereal rye is too heavy and long to turn under easily, cut and remove most of the top growth. Then use a shovel or garden fork to turn the cover crop under to a depth of 3-6 inches.

Back to planting the seed's with the team! I was able to plant three rows (6, 4, 4) of cucumber seeds. Trying to fit in as many rows of seeds as I could, I felt like nature's jazz artist. Since we all were planting seeds and figuring out the best place regarding sunlight and neighbors, we all were artists in action. But, the collaborative music was on mute, which Courtney described as unknowingly scary, yet magical.

If you would like to create your own garden this summer, but feel that you don’t have the land, check out this website. Don’t let agriculture be confined to massive farmland! Make your own land. Make your own produce.  You’ll save a couple bucks too.  http://www.technologyforthepoor.com/UrbanAgriculture/Garden.htm