Cover Crops

​Stay tuned for updates on my gardening journey! I've been following "Well Grounded Gardens" on YouTube and their series on cover crops has been incredibly helpful for my own project. The channel, run by a passionate gardener, provides great insights into using cover crops to improve soil. This approach isn't just for food gardens; it can be applied to any landscape project. You can check out her channel and the video that inspired me here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIkHduVS5Nw

​This year, I'm tackling a terrible turf lawn area that is so dead it looks like ash and dust. The soil has no structure and is completely lifeless.

To remedy this, I am removing the dead and struggling turf and composting it in a pile. It's currently a saturated pile under a hot tarp, and next spring, I'll add it back as a layer to my new garden bed.

This is Henry. He loves to dig. This pile of old grass was an exciting activity for him to help dig up.

​Inspired by the "Well Grounded Gardens" channel, I've started planting winter cover crops. Today, I planted oats and peas.

I soaked them for a few hours in water with a Rhizobia inoculant.

The inoculant will help the legumes (peas) fix more nitrogen into the soil, while the oats will add organic mass. The video from "Well Grounded Gardens" explains that nitrogen-fixing cover crops like field peas, hairy vetch, and crimson clover are great for building soil over winter [00:53].

​These crops will terminate in the winter. As explained in the video, this is a great approach for soil health and can be done about 8 weeks before your main leaf drop [01:15]. Once terminated, I'll smash them down and add a layer of fallen leaves from my neighbors' yards to compost. Then, in the spring, before planting, I will add a layer of the composted grass and soil, and then a final layer of my favorite garden blend soil.

​I'm excited to see the results of this method! The video provides helpful advice on a variety of topics, including timing for planting cover crops, what to do if you still have plants growing in your beds, and alternatives if it's too late to plant [00:13]. The host also mentions how important it is to do something for your soil, even if it's not perfect [06:55]. I feel confident that this process will transform my dead lawn into a vibrant, healthy garden bed.