The use of cover crops on a small scale. These methods and recommendations have been scaled down to use on the allotment or home growers garden to help in soil health & nutrition, prevent soil erosion with heavy rain, and help maintain a healthier growing environment.
Thoughtful utilization of garden seeds is an investment in your home soil, offering lasting benefits of increased productivity and sustainability. With various uses, farm seed and readily available home-use seed and cover crops help prevent erosion, enrich the soil with organic matter, retain moisture, and maintain soil and water health.
By improving your own soil, you can save on fertilizers, produce animal feed (perfect if you keep Chickens at home or the allotment!), and mulch, while promoting the well-being of your plants, soil, and the overall environment of your home garden.
1. Green Manure
Restore the soil's organic content and nutrient levels while improving its overall structure.
2. Prevent Soil Erosion
Stabilize the soil and reduce the effects of weather during the periods between main crop harvests.
3. Nitrogen Fixation
Boost crop yields while lowering fertilizer expenses by cultivating nitrogen-fixing crops
4. Compaction Control
Establish and sustain an ideal soil structure by loosening compacted layers in the deeper soil.
5. Weed Suppression
Introduce cover crops to cut down on herbicide usage and labor expenses, while enhancing soil well-being. 6.
6. Grain Production
Grains have various purposes, such as mulching, crop rotation, and serving as nutrition for both livestock and humans.
7. Pest Management
Enhance the marketable yield by introducing crops that release glucosinolates into the soil.
8. Forage Beneficial
Cut expenses and enhance the well-being of your animals by cultivating your own feed and pasture for livestock (pasture production for small holdings!)
9. Insectary Plantings
Entice bees and other advantageous insect communities to enhance pollination and fruit setting, as well as to aid in pest control.
10. Biomass/Organic Matter
Cultivate suggested biomass crops known for their ability to generate a substantial amount of organic material.
Comparison Chart for Cover Crops