Cover crops

When considering "going organic," it is absolutely imperative that you realize that the organic method of gardening is all about balancing the negative and positive factors of nature. When this balance gets out of order, this is when pests, diseases, etc. begin to invade your garden and the beginning organic gardener reaches out to chemical fertilizers or pesticides to alleviate the problem because he/she feels overwhelmed. In today's post I would like to address chemical fertilizers specifically.
When growing organically you must realize that the soil is a living creature. The soil is filled with beneficial nematodes, fungi, and bacteria that convert soil nutrients and package them into a usable form. The soil should contain organic material in various levels of decay. This ensures that nutrient levels will be released in moderation on a consistent basis. Adding compost to the soil twice a year certainly helps soil tilth and adds nutrients but equally important is the addition of cover crops.
A cover crop is usually planted in the late summer/early fall and consists of a nitrogen fixer and a carbon fixer/scavenger. Legumes, such as crown vetch or hairy vetch fix nitrogen in the soil when bacteria on the roots of these plants convert gaseous nitrogen into nitrate or nitrite, making nitrogen available to the soil and plants. Grasses, such as alfalfa or rye send long roots down and scavenge nutrients deep in the soil. When both the legume and the grasses are cut into the soil a few weeks prior to planting, the roots release phosphorus and the grass blades and legumes provide a boost of nitrogen and carbon that slowly decomposes into the soil throughout spring and into summer. This combination is also beneficial because legumes need a "trellis" to grow up and grasses provide this service for the legume. Cover crops are also beneficial as they keep the soil loose and prevent erosion. Some legumes are planted and left in the garden through spring to help prevent evaporation while the seedlings are growing. Some types of vetch are considered a "living mulch."
When gardening organically, the cover crop could be the single most important way of managing nutrients in the soil. You will not only see a benefit in the production of vegetables and fruit, you will notice the health of the soil will improve drastically. For more information please visit http://www.compostingforprofit.com