Cover crops! What is best, How to Plant, When to plant

In this episode we cover everything there is to cover about cover crops! Which ones are best, when to plant, how to plant, do they need fertilizer, what do you do with them once they are growing, can they overwinter, and so much more!
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[elizabethboegel]

Crimson clover is actually a very good forage for honeybees (I'm a beekeeper and I use CC for cover crops in winter). And native bees like all clovers, and since native bees are in decline, any clover would be beneficial.
Being in California, my cover crops are rarely winter-killed. I cut them down just before they go to seed (the timing is pretty critical), leaving the roots intact to root, and leave the plants as a mulch on top of the soil, therefore leaving the soil intact (no disturbance). Then I just move the residue aside to plant my spring plants.
Also, I mostly grow my cover crops WHILE I'm growing winter crops, so between other crops that I started first and let them get a foothold. A low-growing cover like clover does well between garlic, onions, shallots, and brassicas like broccoli and cauliflower.
Living Web Farms has a pretty nice series on the benefits of cover crops and soil science, which I found very educational.

[sandy-rrby]

i put tiny seeds in a salt shaker with some sand. shake it up and sprinkle where i want it. sand lets me see better where the seeds probably went.

[MatthewBlackwell]

That package design is nice. It's not too complicated. Here's who provided this, here's what you get, and here's a picture.

That white space stands out from the ultra colored stuff on the shelves and makes it easy to read.

Clean, clear, and straightforward. Awesome.

[melissadavis]

I didn't realize that you could plant them this late in the season! Thanks! Very helpful!

[NorthernMontanaHomestead]

Thank you so much for the deer feed mix tip! I wanted to get a nice pasture going and this is exactly what I needed.

[CaliKim]

I always learn so much here! Perfect timing, just needing to order some. Heading over to your store soon!

[mollysmith]

We had our first frost about a month ago, I'll have to put a cover crop date on next year's calendar. Great information on this, thank you!

[yvonneperry]

What is the method for turning them over before I plant my seeds or veggie starts for Spring?

[tomfisher]

Hi, thanks for another great video. I'm faced with a bit of a dilemma. I planted a cover crop in my garden beds. Right now they are about 10" tall. After planting and germination, I found a source for leaves so I ordered 18 cubic feet of leaves for my 1100 sq. ft. garden. I have pretty good soil, originally hard clay, as I have taken care of it for years. So, here's my dilemma: Although I am composting a good portion of the leaves, I still have probably 12-15 cubic yards of shredded (once) leaves to deal with. I was thinking about putting the rest of my shredded leaves on my garden walks, letting the cover crop grow in my beds until, terminating it in the spring. Then I could rake shredded leaves onto my beds after I plant. My second option would be to terminate my cover crop right now and cover the beds with shredded leaves. Which option would you choose?

[dannyhughes]

You 'covered' everything so well.
Thanks.

[TJLawJX]

In Central FL, I'm breaking new ground in my suburban front yard for a 30'x50' and a 10'x25' garden plot. I've killed the grass with tarps and flame weeding and I've cover cropped using Buckwheat. PS: Our bees love it, 21 days to flower, day 25 the bees started tearing it up en force! Anyhow, moving forward, since we're basically all sand, I'll be adding Mushroom Compost from the nearby Monterey Mushroom farm and tilling everything in. Going forward, I will cover crop on rotation and will begin using no till methods to maintain the soil fertility.

[speaklifegardenhomesteadpe]

Just stared at my hand way to long.... Man God made us awesome, I'm literally a garden tool. I love it!

[magz]

your videos are so helpful. i love how you clear up alot of misconceptions.

[maiagrodin]

Thanks for the honey BEE-related detail with white clover. It's my first year with hives so sealed the deal on this cover-crop for me!

[tessasilberbauer]

I'd be interested in whether your thoughts have changed, especially regarding warm season cc and the benefits of radishes planted *in conjunction with* legumes. Thank you for your videos. I've been learning such a lot!

[OSGCourtWatch]

Great video with e MAJOR exception...u really don’t want to till your beds...leave the cut cover crop as “armor” on top of the soil. Most fungi live in the top couple inches of soil and any tillage will wreak havoc on it

[mildsoup]

Thank you for the Deer feed tip! Really appreciate it!

[chipsammich]

Really quick.. love when you say that your vids seem to be the only ones that can keep me locked in for 10+ minutes most vids I won't even click if it's 10+ minutes but yours i always seem to get through.. ADHD I guess lol

[Erik]

I'm loving this weather, it's November and I could still wear shorts. It was like 76 here in Chicago yesterday, ...and the flowers are still blooming!

[PinkChucky]

That's great! And I love the design on those seed packets :-)