So my 2020 veggie gardening wasn’t real great. We spent our time getting the orchard site ready for planting and clearing out blown down trees for saw logs due to a May macroburst. The large garden got pretty overgrown, the kitchen garden not quite as bad. Next spring we hope to build the shed over the sawmill, add on the cabin, and plant out the trees from the nursery bed. I’ve decided to take a year off on the big veggie garden and just plant out the kitchen garden. I’d like to cover crop the big garden (about 6300 sq ft) and till it in a couple times. Anyway, I’m wondering what source would have reasonably priced cover crop seed. I’m a Z4a location in NY, southern adirondacks.
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I tried out Walnut Creek Seeds this past summer and would definitely recommend. They carry some stuff you don’t see too often (like lacy phacelia) and have really good customer service.
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contact you local county extension service. they should be able to point you in the right direction to find local bulk seed distributers in your area. local farmers are another resource.
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If you’re looking to suppress weeds, bee forage, or build nitrogen, try Seeds and Such out of South Carolina. They don’t have a large selection but the shipping is 2.99 on everything. They also have a supply of Hubam annual white sweet clover. Produces a huge honey crop, 120# of N per acre, and suppresses even quackgrass. Clover seed goes a long way so you wouldn’t need much. WSC also has a very fibrous and deep root system so it really loosens the soil. We used Hubam at the sod farm I managed to keep weeds down, fertilize new seedbeds and we didn’t have to do deep tillage passes plus my bees that were there made huge crops of honey and no N fert. was needed for the next year’s turf grass.
I really need to get in contact with them and establish a contact relating to the orchard.
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Look into Preferred Seed out of Buffalo NY. They have lots of seed available and many distributors throughout new york. I use them for clover and buckwheat seed. Cheaper than other sources
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Hi DCinFLX, what’s up pro? Hey I’ve spent some time looking at Walnut Creek Seeds and they keep saying never till the cover crop and that “never leave the soil naked” which is what will happen also if herbicide is employed. They don’t mention broakfork implementation. That’s the correct way to turn the soil over along with the perennial crop. I know telling people that broadfork’s would send 200 of 201 web orders away, but, I’m trying to understand how some of these plants that don’t winterkill and drive deep roots are to be dealt with? I really like their crops, but . . . I don’t quite understand what the procedure is if not for a big tractor like Andy does have. He’s got all the giant tractor type stuff. And little ole me has a broadfork and a bigwheel to get around. So, what gives?
Yeah I don’t have much of an explanation for you. The veggie no till people will leave tarps down for 6 weeks at a time to kill off weeds and ready a planting area. I’ve only used cover crops in the vineyard immediately after tilling.
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Any cover crop recommendations for North Alabama on a slight slope and will put down a layer of wood chips to help break up the clay and keep some of the weeds from popping up. I just cleared this lot of the dense trees and wonder what is likely to pop up out side of peppervine and Smilax.
Try buckwheat. Grows fast, bees love it, it breaks down well, chokes out weeds, and in many cases it will reseed itself.
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I just need cover for my raised beds. I would rather use annuals. One clover is annual and I thought of using it for ground cover in my corn bed and also in my garlic bed. Crops are rotated. Weeds are common, a problem. So might as well put in clover and feed the nitrogen loving corn. Barley for winter cover of empty beds sounds good too. Turn the foliage in in the spring.
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I like using Kings Broadcaster Cover Crop Mix, It has everything you would need or want, Annual Ryegrass, Crimson clover, Common Medium Red Clover, Daikon radish, and Yellow blossom sweet clover, ever since I started using this I hardly have any weeds in my garden.
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